Page 141 of Skylar

Taking a deep breath, Skylar headed to the bathroom. She’d left the lights on, so there was no way to avoid seeing the test on the counter.

She hesitated in the doorway, but then made herself step up to the bathroom vanity. The test lay exactly where she had left it, taunting her and causing her anxiety.

She reached out and picked it up. Then, without giving herself time to hesitate, she turned it over and stared down at the little screen that proclaimed that she was pregnant.

The air was sucked from her lungs, and her heart seemed to completely stop for a solid two seconds before it began to race.

She was pregnant.

They were going to be parents… again.

Only this time, they would keep the baby.

“Okay. It’s positive.”

Skylar stared at it for a long moment before she turned and stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower.

Tears fell unchecked as she struggled to not be angry with herself for not being over the moon with the news. As warm water spilled over her shoulders, she rested her hand on her belly and tried to focus on the fact that within her body was a new life.

A precious new life.

That was what she needed to focus on.

Please, God, help me with my emotions.

By the time she got out of the shower, Skylar felt marginally better. Rather than dwell on the pregnancy test, she turned her attention to choosing her outfit, then doing her hair and makeup.

She settled on a pair of camel colored pants with a tapered leg and paired them with a turtleneck, which was a couple of shadeslighter than her pants, and she planned to wear a burgundy blazer to top off the outfit, along with a fall colored scarf.

They were going to Serenity early because it was the fall festival weekend for the town. They planned to help the church set up for their part of the festival, and then have a family dinner at her parents’ place.

But first, she had to decide what to do about her new knowledge. Tell him now, or tell him later?

She had just put the finishing touches on their sandwiches when Aiden arrived home from his half day at work, but she hadn’t figured out what to do yet.

“Hello, babe,” Aiden said as he came to give her a kiss.

Skylar leaned into him, prolonging the kiss for just a moment. As they stepped apart, Aiden gave her a smile. “You look gorgeous. I think I need to change into something to match you.”

“You have a sweater that would work,” Skylar said as she filled a couple of glasses with water. “But you look just fine the way you are.”

He carried the glasses to the dining table where the plates with their sandwiches and some chips waited. Once they’d both sat down, Aiden held out his hands for her to take, then said a prayer of thanks for their food.

“Are you okay, babe?” Aiden asked as he finished his sandwich.

“What?”

“You seem a little distracted,” he said. “I know my meeting isn’t exactly the most interesting news.”

“Oh no, it’s not that.” Skylar reached out and took his hand. “You know I enjoy hearing about your projects.”

“Then what is it?” Aiden asked. “I feel like there’s something bothering you.”

Over the months they’d been together for the second time, he’d proven to have an acute sense of her moods. She usually appreciated it, but right then, she wished he’d been a little less in tune with her.

His blue gaze held hers, filled with concern that reminded her that he loved her and would do anything in his power to make things right for her. She needed him to know because he would help her come to grips with the news and the emotions that it had stirred up.

Standing up from the table, she said, “I’ll be right back.”

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