Page 80 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

After the breakfast rush, Sarah comes in, and I go straight to Lucy’s. When I get there, it takes a while for her to come to the door, which has become the typical routine.

“Oh, hi, Peter,” she mumbles. “It looks like I slept in again. I’ll just get ready.”

“Lucy, wait,” I say. “Maybe you should take a day off.”

“No, I’m fine,” she insists. “Just give me a minute.”

I watch her go, noticing her slow stride and slumped shoulders. Her hair looks dull and stringy, and her skin is unbelievably pale. Even her sparkling sea-blue eyes look flat, almost colorless.

What has happened to the woman I love?

I make her a piece of toast and some herbal tea, which she accepts gratefully when she comes to the kitchen. I haven’t seen her drink coffee or eat cake for over a week, and that is just as concerning as everything else.

For all the healthy food in her cupboards, she binged a bit of cake at least once every day. And I’ve never seen her go without coffee.

“Lucy,” I say firmly. “Can we talk?”

She looks up at me, her fingers wrapped tightly around her cup. “What about?”

“I’m worried about you. Everyone is worried about you.”

“Oh, not this again,” she grumbles. “I keep telling you I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. In fact, you look like absolute hell.”

“You really know how to make a girl feel special,” she snaps.

“I’m not trying to!” I say, exasperated. “I’m right on the edge of a full-on freakout. It looks like you’re wasting away right in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Look, Peter,” she sighs. “I’m not well, I’ll admit that. But it isn’t serious, and it’ll pass. Trust me. I will see a doctor soon. I’m just not ready yet.”

“When will you be ready?” I ask. “I’ll take you the second you want to go. Please, Lucy. It’s not just me, but all your friends, too.”

Lucy stares at me, her eyes widening in shock. “I do not need you to take me! When I’m ready, I’ll go by myself, and I’ll tell everyone what I feel like telling them, and I’ll do it when I’m good and ready. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth, looking away from her hard glare. I’m truly stuck between a rock and a hard place now. I want her to get treatment, but if I push too hard, I’ll only push her further away from me.

“Come on, let’s go,” she says, getting up. “I want to get to work.”

I keep my mouth shut on the subject, but it isn’t easy.

Her personality has changed so much. Even when she was stressed or upset, she still had an uplifting presence that infected everyone around her. Now, she’s sullen, cranky, and sometimes downright rude.

We get to the bakery, and Lucy walks away from me without saying a word. I let her go, heading out the back toimmerse myself in some more baking. It’s true I have a talent for it, but I also find the process soothing.

I follow a set of procedures, and I achieve a reliable result. It’s probably the only thing in my life that has ever made sense.

I’m rummaging through the cupboard, thinking about mini muffins, when I hear Sarah scream from the front of the shop.

“Peter!” she yells, her voice high with panic. “Peter, quick, it’s Lucy!”

I’ve never moved so fast in my entire life. The world seems to blur around me as I rush through the swinging door into the shopfront.

When I see Lucy spread out on the ground, terror freezes my heart in my chest, stealing my breath. I hurl myself down next to her, grabbing her hand. It’s so cold and lifeless, it just scares me even more.

“Call an ambulance!” I yell.

“I just did!” Sarah cries, holding Lucy’s hand on the other side.

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