Page 62 of Agony of Our Regret

Noah stared at my belly with his brows pulled tight. He was still worried, so I brought up the topic again.

“Is there anything that can cause bleeding? Or anything I should watch out for?”

“Most of what could cause it doesn’t lead to major complications, but it could be anything from an infection or subchorionic hematoma.”

Sky sucked in a breath. “That sounds bad.”

“It’s just when blood gathers between the placenta and uterus. It’s nothing to be overly concerned about since it usually resolves on its own,” Dr. Gracie reassured him.

“My mother had a miscarriage after my youngest sibling. She was about twenty weeks along,” Noah explained. “She told me there was nothing that could have been done to save the baby––”

“There usually isn’t.” She gave the three of us a comforting expression. “Unfortunately, most miscarriages happen without warning. I won’t tell you not to worry. As new parents, that’s impossible, but I will tell you that your baby looks healthy. I don’t see any abnormalities that warrant concern.”

I took Noah’s hand and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She stood and headed to the door. “If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to call.”

“We will,” Sky assured her, as followed her out to the waiting room.

“We’ll see you again in a few weeks.” She waved and headed off down the hall.

Once we were outside, I turned to Noah. “Did that help at all?”

He shrugged. “I’m glad the baby is healthy, but I hate knowing there’s nothing anyone can do. If you miscarry, it’s out of our control.”

He was right, and with no way of preventing it, there was nothing I could say to make him feel better. “It’s a risk with every pregnancy.”

“Hey, let’s focus on the fact that we have a healthy baby and not worry about what might happen.” Sky patted Noah’sshoulder and moved in front of us to lead the way down the sidewalk. “Besides, I’m hungry, and I know baby is too.”

“Oh, you do?” I teased, as I took Noah’s hand again and followed Sky.

“Did she tell you?” Noah smirked.

“She?” Sky questioned. “See something you shouldn’t have?”

Noah shrugged. “No, but I don’t like saying ‘it.’”

“They?” Sky offered.

Noah shook his head. “No way. That’s just asking for us to get surprised with twins.”

“Dude, you just saw the ultrasound. They would know already if there were two,” Sky countered.

“Weirder things have happened than a hidden baby,dude,” Noah shot back.

“Is it weirder than Stacy knowing what we’re having when we don’t?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

Sky paused, and we nearly ran into him before he hurried to walk again. “Oh, I don’t like that.”

Noah turned to me with a frown. “I hate that, actually.”

I laughed. “I like the surprise.”

“No, it’s stressful,” Noah corrected.

“It’s an added unknown to an already unpredictable situation. If it were me, I would have done the blood test to find out immediately,” Sky said.

“Yeah, there’s only so much in this world we can control, and you’re choosing to ignore this one.” Noah reached out and tapped Sky’s shoulder. “Maybe we should call and find out.”

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