Page 8 of Harry

“I think it’s bad.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Why else would it be taking so damn long? I am tempted to just leave. The suspense is killing me.”

“It’s better you know. If you leave, it will only heighten the anxiety.”

“How are things going?”

“We are not going to talk about work. I am sorry, but a call I’ve been waiting on is coming in. Please call me as soon as you hear anything.”

She hung up and was just about to storm the receptionist’s desk when her name was called.

“Ms. Sinclair, the doctor is asking if you will go to her office.”

“Please have a seat.” The doctor waved a hand to one of the overstuffed chairs, her lined face giving nothing away.

“I would prefer you tell me right now. Am I dying?”

Dr. Clayton gave her a startled look and started laughing. “Far from it. However, your blood pressure is high and you are anemic. You are also a little on the thin side. But I am pleased to inform you that the fetus is healthy.”

Janelle blinked at the woman and thought she had heard her wrong. “I’m sorry, for a minute there, I could swear you said fetus.”

The woman beamed at her. “You are approximately nine weeks pregnant. I’m writing you a prescription which I want you to take care of immediately. Your iron is also low, which is a concern…”

“I’m pregnant?” She whispered dazedly.

Dr. Clayton stopped writing to stare at her quizzically. “You had no idea? You told me you have not seen your periods for the last couple of months and you have not been eating.”

She shook her head. “I, I have been through something traumatic and thought it was because of stress.” She lifted her hand to her flat stomach and let it fall back on the arm of the chair.

“There’s no doubt?”

“I ran the tests, and they are conclusive.” She scribbled on the paper, before tearing off the sheet. “My receptionist will make a date for your next appointment.”

*****

Ignoring the insistent buzzing of her phone, Janelle sat out in the parking lot behind the wheel of her car and watched absently as people drove in and out of the lot. Her appointment had been early enough, which would give her enough time to go back to work. But she just sat there.

She was pregnant. Oh God, she was going to have a baby and with a man who made it plain that he never wanted children. Hewas going to accuse her of trying to trap him. Bowing her head to the steering wheel, another thought occurred to her.

He would insist on her having an abortion and there was no way on God’s green earth that she would ever agree to anything like that. A precious life was growing inside her womb.

But he would never see it that way.

“What am I going to do?” She whispered in an agonized tone. She had to tell him of course. But not now. She did not want anything to spoil the joy that was insidiously weaving through her body. She wanted to savor the news for a little bit before she had to deal with Harry.

Because of his resolve never to have children, he had always used a condom, except twice.

They had been having dinner at a small restaurant tucked in the middle of nowhere when he started feeding her crab cakes. Onething led to another and before long they had forgotten about the food.

They made it out to the parking lot and into the car. He had ripped her panties in his haste to enter her. The sex had been rough and noisy and had them laughing when it was over as they wondered belatedly if anyone had been witness to their craziness.

The next time had been inside her kitchen. She had been making them breakfast when he came to look for her. Things had started getting out of hand as soon as he touched her, and they had made love right there on the island in the center of the room.

She was pregnant. She was getting what she had always wanted. She was going to have a baby!

*****

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