Chapter 7
Seven
Mae’s stomach rolled again as soon as she walked into Lily and Gunner’s apartment.
The smell of whatever her friend cooked that morning made her head swim.
God, she was going to have to breathe through her mouth, which after a few seconds, weirdly helped calm her racing heart.
Okay. It was okay. She could do this. Lily would know how to help…
“What’s going on with you? You’re looking a little green.” Lily noted as Mae sat back at the table. “Are you okay?”
Was she? It had to be the stress of everything. The break up. The shooting. Almost losing Stone. The fact that he still hadn’t woken… It all could just be the stress.
“Hey. I’m worried about you.”
She searched Lily’s eyes. If there was one person who would understand, someone who could help her with the sinking feeling in her stomach, it was Lily.
“I’m late,” she whispered. Saying it out loud felt like a confirmation from the universe.
Lily’s eyebrow tipped in confusion. “To see Stone? I thought you were going with Sara and Rhett?”
“No. Not to see Stone,” She slid her phone across the table towards her friend. The app she used to track her period was pulled up, and the timing was clear as day. “Although I do need to leave soon so I can get back there…”
Please don’t make me say it out loud. As if her body knew to punctuate the heaviness in the air, the throbbing in her head returned with a vengeance. Mae reached up, rubbing at her temples while she waited for Lily to catch on.
“Oh my god. You’re—”
“No. No. I mean, I don’t know. It has to just be the stress, right? Just because I’m always regular, and accidentally forgot to take my pill for a few days when everything happened with Nash and Lacy doesn’t mean anything…“
“How late?”
“Almost three weeks.”
“Shit. And you and Stone?” Lily nodded, her eyes wide with concern.
“Pretended we were teenagers for an entire weekend after everyone was okay? Yeah.”
Lily winced. “Have you taken a test?”
“I literally just threw up in front of your husband in the office and realized what it could be. I don’t know if I’m ready though.
Because if it’s positive, that means it’s Stone’s and it’s all so messy now…
” Because he still wasn’t awake. Because he might never wake up.
And then, what if she had to look into the eyes of a little boy who looked just like the man that ripped her heart to shreds?
The man who might not ever get to know that he was going to be a dad.
“Like you said, things have been really stressful lately. It could just be that.”
“And the way I’ve been nauseous and throwing up for a week now? How my boobs feel like they are going to fall off my chest and I can smell myself sweating even when I’ve just gotten out of the shower and am clean?”
“Come on.” Lily hooked her arm through Mae’s and hauled her up out of the chair.
“What are we doing?”
“You’re taking a test. It’s the perfect time with Sage down for her nap, and I have about fifty in the bathroom cupboard because I can’t stop myself from testing!
I can be right by your side if you want, or I’ll stand outside the bathroom.
But either way you’re not putting it off any more, because you are a responsible adult, knowledge is power, and you have people here who love you and will help you figure out whatever the next step is. ”
They made it to the bathroom, Lily stepping inside to pull a box of test strips out from under her sink. And then she turned to Mae, clearly waiting for her to make up her mind.
“Stay.”
Lily nodded, a soft smile forming. “You got it. I’m definitely turning around while you pee though.”
“I don’t know. If I am… you might have to be in the delivery room with me. Maybe we should start practicing the lack of privacy.”
Lily squeezed her arm. “I’d love to be with you, but there is no doubt in my mind that Stone is going to wake up, and when he does, he will want to be by your side through this.”
Mae shook her head.
“Okay. Just don’t catastrophize. Let’s see what a test says and then go from there.”
Lily handed her four packets. “Don’t I only need to pee on one?”
“It’s better to take a few. I wish I had known to tell you to hold your pee…”
“Uh, what?”
“You’re in your mid-thirties and didn’t know that first morning urine is better?”
“Maybe? It sounds familiar, but my brain feels weird. Like I can’t think.”
“Okay, okay.” Lily let out a sad laugh. “This is fine. It’ll be fine. You’ll dip a few and then we’ll have a better idea.”
“Because there could be a false positive,” she blew out her breath, letting her shoulders relax.
“It’s more likely to be a false negative.” At least Lily had the heart to look somewhat remorseful about telling her that.
“Just give me them and let me pee.”
Silence filled the bathroom.
“Oh my god,” Mae groaned. “I can’t do this. It’s too quiet.”
Lily sighed, her hands coming up dramatically by her face. “I’ve heard you tinkle before.”
“Don’t say tinkle…” she laughed.
“Do you want me to sing you a song like I do for Sage when she’s on the potty?”
“Just turn on the faucet!”
Lily rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun.”
“I was all about the fun. That’s how I got into this mess in the first place. And now I’m heartbroken and the man I love and hate with every fiber of my being might die and I might be having his baby.”
“Hey,” Lily whipped around, putting a hand on Mae’s shoulder.
“I’m peeing here, bestie.”
“I don’t care. We’ve got this. Together. One step at a time.”
“One step at a time.”
Mae finally relaxed enough to empty her bladder, and once all the tests were dipped and sitting on the edge of the sink, Lily set a timer on her phone.
“How long?” Mae bit down on her freshly washed fingernail.
“Three minutes.”
A rush of anxiety zapped right from the root of her hair down to her toes. “Right. Just three minutes. Three minutes is nothing. One hundred and eighty seconds. Even less now that I’ve carried on for a bit.”
“Why don’t you sit down on the edge of the tub? Or shut the lid on the toilet and plop down there?”
“I’m sorry.” She sank down on the edge of the tub. “I’m sorry I’m falling apart like this.”
“It’s a lot.” Lily leaned against the wall. “But no matter what, I’m here for you. Got it.”
“Got it.”
“Good.”
The two women fell back into silence. Christ. How long could three minutes really be? I mean, she had to have been freaking out for at least two by now—
Lily’s phone buzzed.
“Is that the timer?”
She nodded. “Are you ready to look?”
“No,” Mae swallowed thickly. “Will you do it for me? Will you tell me what they say?”
“Okay. I’ll look. Yeah.” Lily took each of the tests and flipped them right side up.
Her eyes stayed on each test for a second before moving on to the next.
Nausea bubbled in Mae’s stomach, pressing up into her throat.
The second Lily looked up at her, she knew.
Her hand cradled her stomach where the child she’d made with Stone was growing.
“I’m pregnant.”
Lily nodded, a soft smile appeared, framed by genuine worry in her eyes.
“What are you going to do?”
Mae blew out the breath she’d been unknowingly holding onto. “I’m going to tell Stone he better wake up and be a dad, because there is no way I can do this on my own.”
“Whether you choose to have the baby or not, there is no way you’re doing this on your own. Even if Stone can’t be there for you right now, I will be. And so will everyone else in our little makeshift family.”
Mae let her eyes drift close, taking a second to just breathe. “I’m having a baby, Lily,” she whispered.
“Okay. You’re having a baby. That’s my niece or nephew in there. I love them so much already.” Lily’s hand landed on top of Mae’s and the buzzing in Mae’s ears lessened just a bit. The decision was made.
She was going to be a mom.
“Oh, god. I… please don’t tell anyone else. Not even Gunner. Just for now. Just until we know what’s going on with Stone. Please.”
“It might be nice to have the support. We all love you. I know they would all want the chance to help take care of you right now.”
She shook her head. “I can’t deal with this on top of everything else. I just need some time. A week. Or two. Until we know more about what Stone’s facing. He should be waking up. I just need to focus on him waking up.”
Lily nodded. “It’s your news to share, when you are ready.
But don’t think I’m going to let you walk through this alone.
I did that once myself, and I’m not letting someone I love suffer like I did.
You can talk to me about this, okay? And whatever you say, whatever you decide, stays just between us until you’re ready for other people to know. ”
There, in the small bathroom in Lily and Gunner’s apartment, Mae held on to Lily like she was her only lifeline in the raging storm that was trying to drown her.
“I don’t know how much more I can take.”
“You’re a mom now, Mae. You’ll dig down to a level you never knew you could to grab onto the tiniest bit of strength.
You might only have me to talk to about the baby right now, but you still have a whole family here who loves you and wants to be there for you with everything going on with Stone.
You don’t have to face any of this alone. ”
“Hey.” Mae set her bag down in the waiting room where Sebastian and Emma were sitting.
Her heart skipped a beat as another person turned around.
Colt Ford. Clarence County Sheriff’s Deputy and the oldest son of Dolly Ford, the owner of the diner Stone was shot standing in front of.
Her whole body flashed hot and then cold.
“Was there an update? Did you find out who did this? Who shot him?”
Colt shook his head. “I’m sorry. There’s not been anything further. We have the vehicle description from your brother, and we’re trying to see if anything was captured on any cameras in the area during that time… but so far, nothing.”