Page 74 of Sinful in Scrubs

I sank slowly into the chair across the coffee table from her and just stared at her more. She didn’t look any different. Shouldn’t she glow, or her skin sparkle? Or something?

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Eventually, I tried to swallow anything down my dry throat and nodded. “I am blown away,” I admitted. This was amazing and wonderful news. “What am I going to tell the kids?”

She held up her hands. “I’ve been thinking about this, and you should know…” She giggled awkwardly. “Lily gave me her approval if we wanted to date. I don’t know if she’s going to extend that to having a half-sibling, but I think the kids will be okay. And I kind of want to wait to tell them, to make sure?—”

“To make sure you and I are okay,” I finished for her.

She nodded.

It was my turn to laugh. “I’m okay if you’re okay. Actually, I am more than okay. This is amazing news, Emma.” I felt just as nervous as I did the first time Blair told me she was expecting. “How is this going to impact us?”

I was thinking out loud more than asking a question.

Emma shrugged. “We can be friends through it. We can be a couple through it. Or we can ignore it. We can pretend it’s not happening and try to ignore each other.”

“I don’t want to do that,” I said. “I very much do not want to ignore you, or this baby.”

“Good. I don’t want to do that either. I like you, Marcus. Clearly, I like you a lot, and I would like for there to be an us.”

She rested her hand on her belly, almost as if she were trying to convince herself there was something going on in there.

“I would like for there to be an us too,” I said. “I have some serious feelings for you. How about we take things slow, get used to the idea, and when you’re ready to announce that you’re pregnant, we make things officially official?”

“You want to wait on us?”

I shook my head. “Hell no. I don’t want to wait on us. And honestly, I’m ready to jump out of this chair and go tell the kids what’s going on. But I’m trying to follow your lead here. And… I’m trying to wrap my head around all the changes. I want you to move in here with me. Your apartment is entirely too small for all of us.”

“I’d like that,” she said.

“Good. Good. How soon? How soon do you think we can do that?”

“Are you okay, Marcus?” Emma was out of her seat and standing over me.

I felt oddly… not calm, but my brain couldn’t catch up with the level of excitement I was feeling in my chest. “This is a bit overwhelming.”

“Are you okay? You look kind of pale.”

“I’m… I’m… I think I’m okay.”

“You stay right there.” She walked out of the room.

Seconds later, Lily rushed in. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Here’s your water.” Jason followed, running with his arm outstretched, water sloshing over his hand.

“Oh, thank you,” I said as I took the glass and drained what was left. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” I pulled myself together.

“Your dad’s had a bit of a shock,” Emma said as she followed the kids into the study.

Lily slowly turned and faced Emma. “What did you say to him?” She sounded more scared than accusatory.

Emma looked at me and gave me a small smile. “Maybe we should tell them?”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked.

She let out a long, deep sigh. “Lily, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you said it’s okay for me to date your dad because…” Emma reached out and put her hand on Jason’s shoulder. “We’re… we’re going to be dating. And more.”

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