Chapter 15
The doctor's office was as stark and empty as my heart. I’d made an appointment with a doctor two towns over just to make sure no one saw me. The last thing I needed was Wyatt finding out before I could tell him. Being so far from Vine Valley just made me feel that much lonelier.
Sherry offered to go with me, but she had an appointment with a potential bride, and Char had to help with something for Brady’s dad. As much as I knew they would have dropped everything to be here with me, I insisted I was okay doing this alone.
Part of me felt like it was my punishment for pushing Wyatt away. If I hadn’t, he would have been here with me, holding my hand, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb, cracking ridiculous jokes and assuring me everything would be alright.
I looked at my phone, checked my notifications, and replied to a few comments on the vineyard's socials. The pictures Wyatt and I had taken were a massive hit. The shares were hitting new records, and people were mimicking our poses, making the post go viral.
A smile burst free, and I took a screenshot.
I pulled up Wyatt’s text thread, ready to send it off, but my finger hovered over the screen.
The bubble of excitement slowly deflated.
We weren’t… that anymore. Whatever that was.
Sharing this with him would feel like we were still a team, still in this together, and we weren’t.
The door clicked open, and a woman in a white coat with short brown hair, probably around mid-fifties, walked in. She had a calming presence as she looked at her chart and then at me with a kind smile.
“Rose?” she asked, confirming my name as she eased the door closed.
I nodded, unable to speak around the sudden ache clogging my throat. Wyatt should be here. He should be going through the whole process with me, and I was denying him it. I had to tell him. Once I found out everything was okay here, and after the wedding this weekend, I would tell him.
“Just you?” the doctor asked, and I appreciated she didn’t assume the father was coming.
“Just me.”
“I’m Doctor Cameron.” She placed the chart down, turned to me, and smiled. “Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”
“I figured. That’s kind of why I’m here,” I said with a laugh, so she didn’t think I was being rude.
Doctor Cameron chuckled too, and I relaxed a bit. “I know, but we needed to make sure. Now there’s no doubt.”
I fidgeted and forced my hands into my lap. “What now?” I did some research, but the internet could only give so much. Because I hadn’t told anyone other than Char and Sher, I couldn’t ask anyone anything without sparking curiosity.
“We’re going to go over some medical history, do a physical, do a little bloodwork, and a transvaginal ultrasound.”
My heartbeat kicked up, my palms started to sweat. It all seemed so overwhelming, and I didn’t have Wyatt here to break the heaviness with a joke or an inappropriate comment. Sometimes I would roll my eyes, but right now, I could really use one or three of those to get me through this.
“Are you okay?”
“A little overwhelmed,” I admitted.
“Of course you are. You’re going to have a baby, and it’s okay to feel like you have no idea what’s going on or what you’re doing.
All first-time expecting mothers do. But that’s the thing about women…
We learn as we go. We adapt. We rise to the occasion, no matter what it is.
” She put her chart down, and her eyes held mine like she’d walked countless women through this same fear.
“And the best part. You don’t have to have it all figured out today.
” Confidence filled her tone as if this conversation was one she had often and full-heartedly believed.
She was the expert, and I was going to trust her.
“Let’s get started then.”
“Great. We’ll start with the ultrasound first. It’ll help us date the pregnancy accurately.”
I nodded and tried not to fall apart.
In a few minutes, I was about to see our baby for the first time.
And he wasn’t here.
***
An hour later, I was back in my car with a prescription for anti-nausea meds, heading home.
Everything was fine. I was about six and a half weeks along.
I didn’t get to hear the baby’s heartbeat, but Doctor Cameron assured me it wasn’t because there was something wrong with the baby.
It was just too early for the Doppler. But she let me watch the flicker on the screen, that tiny rhythmic thump of life. My baby’s heartbeat.
Despite everything—the fear, the guilt, the loneliness—something inside me shifted.
A slight shimmer of hope sparked.
My phone rang, and I answered it. “We’re viral!” Wyatt’s voice boomed through the phone, pure excitement exploding from his tone.
His voice sent a painful jolt straight through my chest, and I tightened my hold on the steering wheel.
“I saw,” I said, forcing lightness into my tone.
“You should see the comments. People are obsessed. The whole rustic romance vibe is a hit. You’re trending now. You’re officially an influencer!”
A laugh slipped out, and the pain eased, as did my grip. The tension in my shoulders relaxed. “Please don’t call me that.”
“You’re right. You’re so much more than that. A professional. A skilled photographer. A woman of the people.”
“You flatter me.”
“I speak the truth.”
My throat tightened, and silence spread across the line.
“Is it okay that I called?” he asked, the excitement fading and awkwardness settling in.
Tears pricked my eyes. I hated this. “It’s okay,” I managed. “I saw earlier and wanted to text you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t think… I didn’t know…”
“I get it.”
“I’m happy you called.” He was the one person who knew how much I loved my job, how much time and energy I put into making the socials a success.
“Let me take you out for a drink to celebrate.”
“Uh…” God, I wanted to, but I couldn’t drink, and I couldn’t very well go out for celebratory drinks.
He would know something was up. I just had another week before I told him.
I just wanted to get through this wedding, let the day be focused on our friends' big day and then tell him everything. No more hiding. No more secrets.
“I can’t.” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Oh.” The disappointment might as well have reached through the phone and sucker-punched me.
“I mean, not tonight. I have to monitor the comments, plan my next post, look at the stats. But maybe coffee?”
He paused, and I braced for rejection. “Coffee sounds great.”
My breath rushed out in relief. “How’s tomorrow before work?”
“Espresso Yourself?”
I blinked rapidly and drew in a steadying breath. “Our usual seats.”
“I’ll be there.”
The call ended, and with one hand on the wheel, I pressed the other to my stomach.
“Everything is going to be okay.”
I had no idea what the future held for Wyatt and me, but whether or not we were together, we were partners.