Page 53 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

I’m so excited to see who she’ll grow up to be.

“Here, hold her,” says Liam, handing the baby to Phoebe. She takes the delicate bundle into her arms, her eyes shining with tears of joy. “A beautiful, healthy girl.”

“Thank you, doctor,” whispers Phoebe. She sounds exhausted. No doubt she is.

Liam lingers for a second, taking in the scene, and I wonder what he’s thinking. This was probably another routine job for him, and an easy one at that. I’m sure he’ll bask in a job well done, then move right on with his life.

I sit with Phoebe on the floor, cooing over the baby with her. The placenta is delivered without issue a few minutes later, and once that’s cleaned up, Liam turns and packs up his bag, clearlyintending to make a quick exit. I don’t blame him. If I were him, I would want to get out of here too.

No matter how much my heart flutters to see him, it doesn’t stop it being awkward that my ex is the doctor of my best friend. Thinking of him like that sends a twinge through me. My ex.

But before Liam can go, the front door slams open. There’s the sound of shoes being kicked off wildly in the hallway, and then Tom bursts in.

“Tom,” Phoebe breathes, reaching out a hand for him. “Come here now.”

He obeys at once, scrambling over to his wife to take her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, love. I should have been here this whole time. This is our daughter?”

Tears start falling from Phoebe’s eyes again. “It is.”

Tom’s own eyes shine, and I can’t help but smile. They’re going to be such a great family. He cradles his child with such gentleness, holds his wife with such affection that seeing them all together is sickeningly sweet.

“Thank you for looking after her,” says Tom, reaching out to me. I take a step closer and reach down to wrap my arms around him. He hugs me tightly and says, “You’re really the best friend in the world.”

“There was no way I was going to let her do this alone,” I say.

Tom smiles sadly as he releases me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he says again, turning back to Phoebe. The regret is clear on his face, even though we all know it wasn’t his fault.

She shakes her head, and I get to my feet.

“Come on,” I say to Liam. “Let’s give them a moment alone.” I usher him through the kitchen, and he follows me without question.

Then we stand there staring at the floor to avoid looking at each other, neither one of us quite sure what to say next. There are a million things I’ve wanted to tell him for weeks, and now that he’s here in front of me, I can’t summon a single one of them.

“I’m sorry,” I blurt.

At the same time, he manages to spit out, “Emma, I…”

I shake my head and gesture towards him. “Go on. You first.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “For ghosting you, for not talking to you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

I sigh. No, he shouldn’t. I want desperately to be angry with him, but I can’t find the energy. How can I be angry, really, when he’s the father of my baby?

Really, now is the time I should tell him. At the very least, I should try and see if he wants me.

“I’m sorry too,” I say. “I guess we both got busy.”

“I guess,” he echoes.

“How have you been?”

He shrugs. “Good, I guess. Working more than ever.”

“Me too. I’ve hardly done anything at all lately.”

“No. Not since… No. Me neither.”

I miss you,I want to say. The words hang heavy in my mouth, stuck like honey in my throat. I try, but they won’t move. “I’vegot something to tell you,” I say instead. Not exactly the way I wanted to tell him this, but I guess it’s happening now.

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