Page 2 of The Perfect Gift

“Whoa, boss, you all right?” One of my techies catches my arm.

I wave him off with a smile and steady myself against a crate. “Low blood sugar, that’s all. I’ll grab something to eat before the debrief.” Something I’ll eat and throw up with the next bout of nausea.

He eyes me doubtfully but says nothing more. I tell myself it’s nothing, just stress and lack of sleep catching up to me, but I can’t ignore the signs. For now, however, there’s a job to do. I paste on a smile and congratulate the Guardians.

Chapter Two

Later that day, no longer able to ignore intractable nausea and vomiting, I head to the clinic, where I pull Skye Summers, my best friend and lead of Guardian HRS’s medical branch, to the side. My fingers twist along the seam of my jeans. I’m more nervous than I want to admit.

“Do you have a moment?” My voice lacks its usual high-spirited energy.

Skye looks at me, her bright eyes crinkling with concern. “Of course. What’s going on?” She immediately ushers me toward an exam room.

“I think I might be—you know.” I can’t say the word and swallow it down instead.

“Pregnant?” Her impeccable bedside manner takes the edge off my unease.

“Yes.” I’m equally terrified and overjoyed.

“Is your period late?” Skye’s professional persona takes over.

“No.” I shake my head.

“Then why do you think you’re pregnant?” Her brows furrow in confusion.

“I got dizzy after today’s exercise. And nauseous. I’m never dizzy or nauseous. The only time I was was when...” My voice trails off as I reflect on the last time I felt this way. “...when I was pregnant with Kai.”

Her eyes soften, the clinical detachment melting away for a moment. “Let’s start with the basics. Standard pee on the stick method.” Skye rummages around in a cart of medical supplies and hands me a pregnancy test. “The bathroom’s over there.”

Taking the stick from Skye, I can’t suppress a grimace. “I hate these things. They make me feel like a terrified teenager, waiting for my fate to be determined by two tiny lines.”

“Are you worried about being pregnant again?” Her voice is soft yet probing. She’s always been good at reading me.

“We wanted to wait until Kai was older.” There it is, my fear laid bare.

“There’s never a perfect time to have kids. You just have to ride out the messy, beautiful chaos.”

“Beautiful Chaos?” A laugh bubbles up in my throat. “That sounds very Zen. Are you channeling my husband?”

“Does Noodles know about your suspicions?”

“Hell, I don’t even know yet.”

“Best pee on the stick then.” She gestures toward the bathroom, giving me the privacy to take the test. “We’ll follow up with bloodwork, but it’ll give you an immediate answer now.”

I excuse myself, pee on the stick, then gather my courage and hand over the plastic stick. I can’t look at it. I’m too nervous.

She peers at the result, and a faint frown creases her forehead. “It’s not definitive, but you might be pregnant.”

“Might?”

Skye breaks the heavy silence, her voice calm despite the chaos spinning inside me. “We’ll do a blood test to confirm.” She readies the needle and supplies with practiced hands. “I should have results by the end of the day. Want me to call you?” Her clinical efficiency is a comfort, distracting me from the pinch of the needle as she draws my blood.

I shake my head, already dreading the wave of emotion her call will bring. I want to be pregnant, but I also don’t want to be pregnant.

“You can text.” The words come out more like a plea. “I don’t think I’d be able to keep my voice steady in a conversation.”

“No problem.” She gives me a warm, supportive hug. Then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she adds, “You know, another kid would be fun to have running around Insanity.”

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