Page 47 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

“What does that mean?” I say, pressing my lips firmly together and staring at her.

If there’s one thing I know about Phoebe, it’s that that tone of voice means she has an opinion on something that she’s about to share. I’m about to get something revealed to me, and it’s anyone’s guess whether I’ll like what I hear or not.

“Your ankles have been swollen and sore too, haven’t they?”

“Yeah,” I say, narrowing my eyes and scooping cream into my mouth. “I stand up all the time as part of the job. It’s to be expected, isn’t it?”

“And you’ve been tired.”

“Work, you, Liam. Of course I’m tired.”

“Your back hurts.”

“Phoebe, where are you going with this? You’re just telling me things I already know.”

She forges ahead with her list as if I hadn’t asked a question. “You’ve been throwing up.”

“I think I’m getting sick. Please stop toying with me.”

“You’re not sleeping well,” she adds. “Your habits have changed. Be honest with me; if someone came into your hospital and told you that that was their list of symptoms, what would you tell them?”

The realization dawns on me with sickening clarity. I shake my head slowly, not wanting to think any harder about the implications of what she’s saying. “No,” I stammer. “I can’t… it can’t be… there’s no way…”

Phoebe shrugs, her stare piercing me to the core. “It could just be a bug, you’re right. But what’s the point of lying to yourself?”

“I can’t be. We were safe. I’m—” I drop my voice, not wanting anyone to overhear. “I’m on the pill.”

“I know, and for your sake I hope my hormones are making me dramatic. But it’s best to know, don’t you think?”

In shock, I say nothing. What words even are there to say to this? That it honestly hadn’t occurred to me? That it would shake my world upside down if it was true? I can’t even make myself think the wordpregnant. It can’t be true.

Can it?

She raises her eyebrows as she leans closer to me. “I have some spare tests at home. After we’re finished here, let’s go find them. Maybe it’s all nothing. If it is, then we can just laugh about this and stop worrying. And if it’s not… well, we’ll worry about that then.”

“Okay,” I say quietly, my stomach turning over for a different reason than the nausea.

There’s no way I could be pregnant. I can’t deal with that idea.

We take our time in the coffee shop, almost like Phoebe knows that I want to put off the inevitable. She’s so funny that I can very, very nearly forget the life-changing possibility that’s hovering over my head.

The second we get in the car to drive home, though, the imminency of what we’re about to do makes me mute from fear. Phoebe doesn’t say anything either. She just turns up the volume on the radio and drives.

I stare out of the window and wonder how a road so familiar can suddenly seem so alien and unknown. In just a second, everything I ever knew has changed. Plans I had been unprepared to make swirl through my head and terrify me. That’s the only thing I know for sure. I’m scared.

Scared for what this could mean, for my relationship, my career. My life.

As we pull up into the driveway, Phoebe holds my hand. “I’m here for you, honey,” she says. “Always and forever.”

“But I’m supposed to be here foryou,” I say despairingly. “I can’t be having a crisis when you’re about to have a baby.”

“These things don’t happen at convenient times,” she says with a faint smile. “Besides, if it’s true, we can look after each other. That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I say reluctantly.

“Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Phoebe is going to be a great mom. Not that I ever had any doubt about that.

---