Page 103 of Set Me On Fire

“Hey! Ready to find out if you’re really, really pregnant?”

“Um… yeah.” She shook her head. “Has Noah arrived?” The prick rolled up on that death trap of his, and I scowled at the motorcycle as he swung a leg over it, sliding his helmet off. “Good, good, so let's do this.”

My hand moved, taking hers in mine, and she looked surprised by that too. Not for long, though–she clasped it tightly and then walked towards the front door.

I don’t knowwhat the receptionist thought was going on. The impeccably dressed woman kept looking over at us, then back at her computer each time a patient approached. I decided I didn’t care, opening the Kindle app on my phone and reading more of the baby book I’d bought.

“That’s how big she is right now?”

Charlie peered over my shoulder forcing me to glare at him. Not to be outdone, Noah dragged his chair closer.

“Haven’t you two done any research yet?”

“Why would we do that?” Charlie’s eyes flicked over the screen, taking in the gist of the information. “When we have you. This is a team effort, remember. I’ll get Millie laughing. Noah will bang our girl into next week if the grin he was wearing when he walked in was anything to go by.” I tried very hard notto scowl as I checked in with the man himself, and yup, Noah was sporting a smug smile. “And you’ll be super grumpy, make sure everyone knows what they’re doing…”

His bullshit faded away as Millie walked out looking pale. I was up and out of my seat without thinking, walking towards the receptionist.

“I’ve got it,” I said when she told my girl how much the appointment would be.

“You don’t—” Millie started to protest.

“I’ve got it.”

I willed her to understand that no matter what idiots had let her down before, that wouldn’t happen now. I’d kick each one of my team’s butts if they didn’t get it together, my own included. I tapped my card against the machine, the charge going through instantly. The receptionist told us how much Millie would get back from Medicare and then asked if she needed another appointment. As Millie organised that, I quietly added it to our group calendar.

“So…?” I asked quietly as we walked away from the front desk.

“Results will be in tomorrow,” Millie told me, “but the doctor is pretty sure I’m pregnant. They had a feel around…” I looked up in alarm, imagining some old prick having a feel of her, and she smiled at my look. “A woman doctor. I’ve been seeing her since I was a kid. She seems to think the pee test is right.” For just a moment, we shared a look. I saw the excitement kindle there, a twin of my own. I dared to smile, but she forged on as the others clustered closer. “I’ve got a referral to the public system and the private.”

“Money isn’t an issue.” The words came out in a rush. “Don’t factor that into your decision.”

“Yeah, but the rates of caesareans are higher in the private system,” she said with a small frown. “If I want any kind ofmidwife led birth, it's probably going to have to be a public hospital.”

Public, private, I didn’t care, just that she had what she wanted, so I went still and listened. Charlie sucked in a breath to say something, but I shook my head.

“We’ve got some time to decide. I need to talk to my mum about it. She knows all the hospitals and the middies around here.” She let out a sigh, but I didn’t think it was a stressed one, her smile that came after confirming this. “But yeah…” Millie looked around the near empty waiting room. “You’re gonna be daddies.”

I didn’t know I needed to hear that until I did. There was no other response from me but to just stare. Somehow, I needed that, medical confirmation of my heart’s desire, and I felt an incredible warmth rush all the way through me. I was grinning, fucking grinning, and the other guys looked at me like I was mad.

“Well, one of you is.”

And there it was, the worm at the centre of the apple I was about to bite into. For a moment, I could only stare, my mouth working, ready to say something, anything, but Charlie got in first.

“You had it right the first time, love.” He slung his arm around her shoulders and guided her outside. “We’re the daddies.”

“Don’t tell us.” There it was, the words I was trying to get out. They all stopped and turned to stare at me. “I mean, don’t tell me.”

“Don’t you want to know?” Millie asked, looking at each one of us for confirmation. “I mean that’s a separate issue to… whatever we’ve got going on here.”

“I don’t need it.” I let out a sigh once I’d said the words, tension leaking out of me. “I don’t. Whoever the sperm donorwas, that’s got nothing to do with being a father. I’m ready for that, Millie.” Her eyes softened and she took a step towards me, but I met her halfway. “More than ready.”

“He’s got the house, the dog, the soccer mum van,” Charlie said.

He loved to give me shit about that, but who was more prepared for this situation than me?

“A dog? You’re burying the lead here,” she said with a smile, though her eyes were curiously shiny. “You didn’t tell me you had a dog.”

“Want to come and meet him?”

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