Page 36 of Madly Deeply

"Our future?"

"Yours." He stood and moved to the window. "And the babe's."

All the excitement of little girl clothes faded like a slowly dimming light, replaced by the dread of losing him again. While she'd been taking care of Callum it had been easy to push those thoughts aside. But now they were back. And this time, it wasn't morning sickness that made her eye that bathroom door.

He opened the window and Callum's voice drifted across the yard. He had his guitar now, and it sounded like his pain meds had kicked in.

"I should check on him," she said, then immediately regretted it when she noticed how Spreag stiffened.

"Nay." His voice was rough. "Let him sing himself to sleep."

She set the laptop aside. "Are you okay?"

He turned from the window, and the look on his face made her chest ache. "There is something I should tell ye."

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. But she had to stop hiding from bad news.

"Alright. What is it?"

"When ye call to me..."

"Yeah?"

"It's becoming harder to hear ye. That's all."

The weight of heavy tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Harder to hear, like, because you don't want to hear me? Or because you think I don't want to be heard?"

He shook his head with a laugh. "I didnae bother to read anythin' into it. I just thought ye'd like me to be honest."

"Yes. You're right. I'm glad you told me."

"And Alexandra?"

"Yeah?"

"Ye're never alone, mind--"

"I know--"

"I mean to remind ye that there is a number on yer phone, for emergencies."

"You mean Wickham's sisters? They're in Scotland. A little too far to call if I have a flat tire or something."

"Aye. Still. Dinnae forget."

She nodded and started getting ready for bed, trying to hide the fresh wave of dread. Her husband, the Seer of Huntly, was warning her that something was coming.

The following morning,the weather had cooled, and the concrete felt cold to her bare feet as she scurried to Callum's back door. She knocked, and when he didn't answer right away, her chest tightened at the idea that he might have left without saying a word. She tried to hide the flood of her relief--from herself as well--when he finally came to the door. He wore his sweat pants with only a towel over his shoulders. Which meant he wasn't all dressed up for a long trip.

"Apologies. I was late gettin' oot the shower. It was nice to be usin' warm water again." He scowled. "Everything a' right?"

"Fine. Everything's fine." She smiled brightly. "I just found out I'm having a girl."

He opened the door wider. "Congratulations. Fine news indeed. But how is it they can tell so early?"

Gah! She hadn't considered he would think of such things! So she hedged. "Blood tests are amazing nowadays."

"Auch, I suppose they are. On the farm, we have to wait for such mysteries to be solved during lambin' season."

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