Page 140 of Skylar

Aiden had known from the start of their relationship that they would end up married, so he’d proposed on Valentine’s Day with a beautiful ring. Two and a half months later, they were standing in front of Pastor Kennedy, pledging their love and lives to each other.

Teenage Skylar would have been appalled by the brief engagement and the modest wedding that followed. Back in those days, whenever she’d envisioned her wedding—which was often—she’d pictured a grand event with all her friends serving as bridesmaids, and Layla and Amelia as her flower girls.

Her dress was going to be breathtaking, made of satin and adorned with lace. Aiden, along with his friends, would look dashing in tuxedos.

When they’d decided not to wait the year it would have taken to plan a big wedding, Skylar realized it wasn’t all that important. She was at the point in her life where she was more eager to begin her life with Aiden than she was to have an extravagant wedding.

Even though the wedding had ended up being quite simple, Skylar wouldn't change a single detail.

Charli had been her matron of honor, while Cole had been Aiden’s best man. And of course, Shiloh and Willow had been flower girls. Charli and Blake’s two sons had been the ring and Bible bearers.

Looking down at her hand, Skylar smiled, remembering the moment Aiden had slid each of the rings onto her finger. First, to make her his fiancée. Then, to make her his wife.

Her gaze drifted in the direction of the bathroom. Would she soon discover that, just six months after their wedding, he might have made her a mother?

Her stomach was in knots at the thought. She hadn’t told Aiden she suspected she might be pregnant, even though she was confident she was. Her period was almost two weeks late, which was not usual for her at all.

Though they had used birth control, they hadn’t exactly been overly careful with it. So would she be surprised to see a positive on the test that was sitting face down on the bathroom counter? No. She wouldn’t be.

What did surprise her was the knot of anxiety that had immediately taken up residence in her stomach when she’d firstallowed herself to consider that she might be pregnant. Even now, her mind said she should be thrilled, but she wasn’t.

She wouldn’t beunhappy if she was pregnant. She was just… worried. Anxious. Scared.

When the timer on her phone went off, Skylar snatched it up and turned it off. She stared into the bathroom, reluctant to go and see if her suspicions were correct. Maybe she should have told Aiden what she suspected, so he could have been there with her.

But she wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him how she was feeling. It probably wouldn’t make sense to him, because, honestly, it didn’t make sense to her.

“Just do it,” she muttered, clutching her phone in her hands. “Get up, march your butt in there, andlookat it.”

When her butt stayed firmly seated on the bed, Skylar let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. She just couldn’t seem to motivate herself to face the news head-on.

Sitting there and not knowing wouldn’t make her less pregnant if the test was positive. It was just putting off the inevitable.

“You can do it,” she told herself. “And you’re not going to be alone this time. Even if it’s positive, Aiden’s not going anywhere. Not this time.”

Still, this moment was dragging her back to the last time she’d taken a pregnancy test. The emotions of that time had come roaring back with a vengeance, catching her completely off-guard.

Given how well things were going for her and Aiden, she hadn’t thought that memories of that time would still impact her. Or at least not to the extent that they were.

Getting up, she put the phone back on the nightstand and began to pull the bedding into place. She did her side, then Aiden’s. Taking her time, going from side to side. Sometimes he helped her, but he’d gone in for half a day’s work, while she’d taken the whole day off so she could have a slow morning before the upcoming busy weekend.

When her phone chimed with an incoming text, she tossed the navy blue throw pillow she’d been holding onto the burgundy bedspread and went back to pick up the phone.

Aiden:Just checking in. Are you up? I tried not to wake you before I left.

Yep! I’m up and just made the bed, so no crawling back into it for me.

Aiden:I’m glad you got to sleep in a little. I’ll be home around twelve-thirty, then we can head to Serenity for the program.

Did you want me to make you a sandwich or something to eat before we go?

Aiden:A sandwich would be great, love. Thank you. See you soon. <3

Love you.

So now the clock was ticking. She either had to check the test, or put it away to check later.

She tossed the phone on the bed and turned toward the bathroom. Check the test, take a shower, get ready for the day, then make sandwiches for their lunch.

---