Page 75 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

“Okay, what do I–what do I do?”

“Go to the bathroom and pee on the test, honey.”

She’s been having to instruct me on every step to take since I called her.

Leave the bathroom, grab your stuff, stop at the drug store, go home. It’s like she’s here with me and boy, do I need her.

The last thing I should be doing after being told I’m slacking at work is leaving early, but this is more important.Waymore important.

Red, to her credit, has been cool as a cucumber the entire time. I can’t tell if she’s happy or disappointed, but that’s just fine. My emotions do enough work for the both of us.

I follow her latest instruction, heading to the bathroom. “I’m keeping you on speaker phone, I’m sorry you’ll have to hear me pee.”

She giggles. “That’s okay. Do what you need to do.”

I place the phone on the counter, then rip open the test box.

The test flies out, nearly crashing into the toilet bowl and ruining the damn thing.

“Take some deep breaths. Relax,” Red says.

She must have been able to tell the mess I made was from my abundance of nerves. “I’m trying. It’s hard.”

“I know. These things are.”

Red’s pregnancy was also an accident. Of course, hard to call it that when so much beauty has come from it. Her marriage to Oliver, her soulmate, their perfect little girl. But she understands the anxiety that comes along with not knowing.

“Take a breath. Come on. In…out…in…”

I breathe with her until I’m steady enough to take the test. I place it on the counter away from me and stand against the bathroom wall. “How am I supposed to wait?”

“It’s only going to take two minutes tops.”

I tap my foot as I wait. “This is hell.”

“What’s the worst-case scenario? You’re pregnant and you need to evaluate what to do with it?”

“No, that’s not…” I can’t believe what I’m about to say. “The worst case scenario is I’m not pregnant.”

Red hesitates. “You…want to be?”

“I know, I’m surprised too. But I left Trevor again for a job that doesn’t give a shit about me and…” Though tears fill my eyes again, I smile. “This was what life was supposed to be anyway. We were supposed to be married by now, trying for babies, building a life.”

“There’s no supposed to be about life.”

“I know, but–”

“Listen, Vie. Nothing is promised. Things happen and…you live. You survive them or your thrive in them. And if you want to embrace this as a moment to thrive, you know I’m right here to support you.”

I glance down at my stomach. Wondering if there really is a baby there. “But I lost him.”

“You haven’t lost Trevor. You know that. He’s right here, waiting for you if you want him back. And you know he would make a great dad.”

“Of course, he would.” Tears slide down my cheeks. “Red, I suck at everything. I’m not good for anyone.”

She tsks. “That’s ridiculous. You are Iris. You are incredible. And whatever you do turns to gold.”

“Tell that to my boss.”

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