Page 38 of A Twist of Fate

The two left in a huff. I turned to Zeke and couldn’t hold it in any longer. I started laughing as I mocked them. “We’re getting free tattoos on you!”

Zeke just shook his head. “Don’t envy you working the front, darlin’. You have any more trouble like that, just holler.”

“Hopefully, that’s not a sign of how the day is going to go.”

“Fuck!” Zeke hissed out. “I hope not!”

I managed to schedule three appointments and check out a few walk-ins before my cell rang. “Gretchen here,” I answered.

“Hey Gretchen, I have a huge favor to ask of you.”

“Anna?” I glanced down to see that it was indeed Anna on the other end of the call. “What’s going on?”

“I have my appointment today for the ultrasound, and I need someone to hold my hand. Do you think you could do it?”

“What about Joker?”

“Um, no. I don’t want him to do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. We’re barely talking and I’m nervous enough. I don’t think I could get through the whole thing with him there.”

“Okay, when do you need me?”

“How does, as soon as you can get to the office sound?”

“Shit, okay, I’ll let the guys know I’m taking lunch early. Just text me the address for the office.”

“Thanks, Gretch.”

“Anytime Anna.” Of course, it never occurred to me just how hard it would be to go sit through an ultrasound with Toby’s little sister.

“Even though I didn’t get to do the ultrasound today, thank you for going with me. I was so nervous.” Anna’s sweet voice pulled me out of my evil musings. I was happy that she wasn’t able to get it done and that made me feel like a giant bitch. Maybe I was a bitch.

“You still got to hear the heartbeat,” I mentioned while choking on the emotion that was a giant ball of thick discomfort in my throat.

“I did,” Anna told me as she turned my way and watched me fight back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I’m sorry, Gretchen,” she offered up in a whisper.

“What do you have to be sorry for, honey?”

“For asking you to go to this. I didn’t even think how hard it would be on you.”

I waved her thoughts away. “Don’t worry about me. There are going to be things that make my heart hurt in life. That doesn’t mean I can run scared every time I encounter them.”

“Still, I didn’t think this through when I asked.”

“Anna, I want to be there for you. Knowing Toby would be here if he could, and that we were supposed to be sisters,” I started to tell her before I had to swipe the moisture out of my eyes. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” I was finally able to finish.

“I love you, Gretchen!”

“I love you too, little sister.”

My heart ached as we exited the doctor’s office. Hearing the thundering sound of the baby’s heartbeat took me back in time to the first doctor visit I had with Toby. The pure joy on his face when he heard that same noise, only it was our baby we had been listening to. I allowed myself the tears that came in the office while Anna held onto my hand. As we were leaving, she pulled me into her arms and held on tightly.

“I’m so glad you were with me. I know that was hard on you, but having you there was kind of like having my big brother with me too because wherever you go, I know he’s there looking out for you.”

“Anna,” I whispered as my heart swelled too big for the space it occupied within me. “That is the sweetest thing anyone has said to me since…”

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