Page 64 of Waiting for Tuesday

He took both hands and placed them on my stomach. We were both quiet, his face intense, as if he was waiting for the baby to kick, but it was too soon for that, and I almost said so.

“I wasn’t expecting this.” His voice was deeper, though maybe a bit gentler. “I thought you wanted to yell at me, tell me I had an STD or something.” He looked up, meeting my eyes. “I never expected this.” My heart constricted as his big blue eyes met mine. “I had cancer when I was three years old—I was told it was a real possibility I could never have kids.”

A big fat tear ran down my cheek, and I covered my mouth. His statement shocked me, made all the blood leave my face, and sent a tingle up my spine. As though it was fate we were brought together that night. That this baby, who wasn’t planned, had forced her way into my belly. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand, trying to pull myself together.

He closed his eyes and kneeled in front of me. “I had leukemia,” he continued. “I always expected the worst. Grew up thinking I was sterile. To me, this baby is a gift from heaven.”

My mouth fell open, and I took in a shuddering breath. I’d come here prepared for the worst. Prepared for denial, hatred, and blame. To be faced with a man who didn’t want to be a father. And I could have taken all of it. But the fact that this man, who barely knew me, thought our baby was a gift from heaven?

My body began to shake with emotion. It hadn’t been my intention to get pregnant, but I had, and out of sheer luck, I did it with a man whose reaction told me he’d be there for everything. His eyes lowered to my belly again where his hand still rested.

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

I shook my head and pulled in another breath, trying to take in enough oxygen to keep from passing out. “We won’t know for another nine weeks, but I keep having dreams it’s a girl.”

He nodded but didn’t move from his spot on the floor, as if he was afraid to do so or possibly too shocked. We sat like that a few moments, his hands on my belly like a scene from a movie, but unlike a movie, it wasn’t me he loved. He loved our baby—he was holding our baby, not me.

He looked up then, his face soft but intense. “I’ll marry you.” He nodded. “My mama raised me right, and I won’t run away from my responsibilities.”

My nose burned and I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. I’d almost hoped he would be a jerk, but with each passing moment, he proved more and more that he wasn’t. There was a part of me who hated him for that. For putting me in this situation. To be in a place where I’d found the love my life but couldn’t keep him. And here this other man was on his knees at my belly, telling me he’d do right by me.

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. He’d given me something I’d prayed for every day of my life, but taken something I never knew possible at the same time.

When I opened my eyes again, his brows were knit together, and he was sitting back in his seat. “You don’t have to answer now. I just needed you to know that.”

I nodded and placed my hands on my belly, feeling a little calmer with the distance between us.

“I hate to do this.” He looked over his shoulder to the front door. “But I was supposed to be back on set fifteen minutes ago. Can I call you later?”

I nodded my head and waved away his concern. “Go. I totally understand.”

He pulled out his phone. “I guess we should exchange numbers.” He gripped the bridge of his nose and winced. “This is embarrassing, but what was your name again?”

Our eyes locked, as if both in shock by the situation, then I buried my face in my hands as a mixture of laughter and tears bubbled from inside me.

I looked up at him, overwhelmed with all of it. “Tuesday. Tuesday Patil.” I reached across the table to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

His grin never faltered as he took my hand in his. Strong and firm. “Austin Stratton.” He pushed himself to stand and pulled me out of my seat. “Ahh hell.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. “We’re having a baby. The least we can do is hug.”

I nodded, my cheek rubbing against the thin cotton of his t-shirt. “We’re having a baby.”

I looked up again, meeting the brightest smile I’d ever seen. He looked over my head to the couple that watched us from the corner. “We’re having a baby,” he stated, then he looked around the whole cafe, to the twenty plus people who sat all around us. “We’re having a baby!” he shouted.

His reaction caused my heart to fill up andbreakat the same time.

* * *

Ashort time later, I wiped at my face as I ran across the lot of Parker Studios. Becky was back on set and waiting for me to fill her in on my meeting with Austin.

I slipped through the familiar door that led me to her station, pushed past the lighting crew, PAs, and extras who lined the long hall on the west end of Parker Studios. I found Becky in the corner, her long black hair hanging loose as she touched up someone’s makeup.

She looked up when I got closer, examined my tear-streaked face, and then tilted her head to a nearby chair. “Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”

It was the way we always behaved when I came to see her. That I was her next client, instead of her pregnant basket-case best friend.

I hopped up in the chair and grabbed a magazine, but I couldn’t really look at it. All I could do was replay the meeting at the cafe over and over in my mind.

Becky continued chatting with her client, but I could tell by her expression that she was concerned. I needed to relax, to calm my mind, but all I could do was think about Austin’s proposal. Think about John, whowas the last person I needed to tell.

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