Thirty Five
June Twenty-Eighth
Whitney
Whitney stepped into the bedroom, balancing a plate of eggs and toast over one hand. “Happy birthday,”
she said softly, her voice warm but tentative.
Fade’s body was sprawled across the bed, the sheets twisted around his waist. His eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep. “Good morning,”
he murmured, his voice gravelly.
He stretched his arms above his head with a groan, his muscles flexing, and then gave her a lazy smirk. “You know, I liked it better before we were married and you woke me up with sex.”
Whitney forced a smile, setting the plate down on his nightstand next to his phone. “Sorry. You know I haven’t been feeling well.”
“Yeah.”
His smirk faded as he reached for the coffee she’d brought. “Have you made an appointment with the doctor about that?”
He took a long sip, watching her over the rim of the mug.
“Um…”
Whitney hesitated, her stomach twisting. She knew she couldn’t keep it in any longer. “No. I… I actually…”
Her voice faltered as she stared at him, her heart pounding. Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them, and she whispered, “I’m pregnant.”
Fade froze. The coffee cup stopped halfway from his mouth. He blinked, his face unreadable. “Are you serious?”
Whitney nodded, biting her trembling lip. “Yes.”
For a long moment, he didn’t move. Then, without a word, he stood and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her. The hug was brief, too brief, and before she could fully relax into it, he pulled away. “I’m gonna get ready for work,”
he said, his voice tight. He didn’t even touch the breakfast she’d made before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.
The quiet that followed was deafening.
Whitney stared at the closed door, her heart sinking. She hadn’t expected him to jump for joy, she knew him better than that, but the coldness in his reaction hurt more than she’d prepared for.
Later, after moving his untouched plate to the kitchen counter, she stepped into the backyard with her coffee, the cool morning air brushing against her skin. She needed space, and she figured Fade did too. The eggs were already making her nauseous and now she knew why.
As she stood there, watching the wind rustle the leaves on the trees, she made a decision. If Fade needed time to adjust, she wouldn’t push him. But she wouldn’t wait forever. She pulled out her phone and scheduled an appointment with the midwife. At least one of them had to start preparing for this baby.
********
When Fade got home from work, the tension hit the room like a storm front. The door shut behind him, and Whitney sat up a little straighter on the couch, bracing herself.
“Hey,”
he said, his voice softer than she expected. He approached slowly, bending down to kiss her forehead before sitting next to her. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
It wasn’t true, but she didn’t want to start a fight. Not yet. “How was work?”
“Long.”
He ran a hand through his hair and pulled out his hair tie, the way he always did when he was stressed.
“I’m sorry.”
He was quiet for a beat too long. Then he said, “I’m going to ask… did you stop taking your birth control on purpose?”
Whitney’s stomach dropped. She looked up from her nails slowly, measuring her words. “I told you on our wedding night that I stopped taking it.”
The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. She watched the moment he remembered and saw the flicker of recognition in his eyes, then the fear that followed.
“I don’t think I’m ready, Whitney,”
he said, his voice rough. “I don’t have what it takes to be a good dad.”
“We don’t have a choice.”
Her voice cracked, and she hated how vulnerable she sounded. “Are you leaving me?”
Fade’s head snapped up, his eyes wide. “God, no.”
He ran a hand down his face. “I’m just—”
He broke off with a heavy sigh. “I’m scared. I don’t know anything about being a dad — a good dad.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about being a mom,”
she whispered, her voice trembling. “Mine ran off before I even hit puberty.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop them.
That broke him. Fade moved instantly, kneeling in front of her and taking her face in his hands. “Hey,”
he murmured. “I’m not mad about this. The timing’s just… not what I expected. I wanted more time with you. Just us. But we’ll figure it out, okay? We’re gonna need a lot of babysitters.”
He tried to tease, but his voice wavered with the effort.
Whitney gave a watery laugh as his thumb brushed her tears away. “Thank you.”
He leaned in and kissed her softly, his lips lingering against hers. When he pulled back, his eyes dropped to her stomach. Slowly, almost reverently, his hand settled against the fabric of her shirt.
“I love you,”
he whispered. Then his eyes lifted to meet hers, dark and serious. “And I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to be a better dad than either of us had.”
Her heart cracked wide open. “Thank you,”
she said again, because there were no other words for how much she needed to hear that. She reached for the stack of pamphlets beside her. “I saw the midwife today. I’m about ten weeks along. Due in January. So, on the plus side, I’m already a quarter of the way through.”
“Ten weeks?”
His brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I wanted to be sure,”
she said softly. “And… I was scared of how you’d react.”
His face fell, guilt flashing across his features. “Whitney—”
He swallowed hard. “Do you know the gender yet?”
“Not for a few more weeks.”
But his curiosity made her smile.
He placed both hands on her stomach this time, his touch warm and steady. “I hope it’s a girl. I’d love a boy too, but… I can’t imagine trying to raise someone with my anger issues.”
“Girls can have anger issues too,”
she teased softly, then hesitated. “But… there’s something else.”
Fade’s head snapped up. “What?”
She bit her lip, trying to hold back her grin. “It’s twins.”
His face went slack. “You’re messing with me.”
Whitney’s smile broke free. “I am. Just one baby. But… the doctor’s worried about my pelvis. As my uterus expands, it’s going to put pressure on it, and there’s a risk of refracture if I’m not careful. I might have to have a cesarean.”
His face darkened instantly. “That’s where they cut you open, right?”
“Yeah,”
she said softly.
He was quiet for a long moment. Then he stood and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat.”
She slipped her fingers into his. “Can we get burgers? I’m starving.”
“You got it, babe.”
He tugged her against him, his arms sliding around her waist. “But I’m getting you the biggest one they have. And fries. And a milkshake.”
“You spoil me.”
“Damn right I do.”
He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips. “And I’m gonna spoil this baby too.”