Page 230 of The Silent Note

“Mrs. Cross.” A voice calls.

I shoot to my feet, nod politely at the mom of seven and hurry away.

The doctor is all smiles, but I’m all panic and frantic movements.

“Did you come alone?” the doctor asks.

“I’m married.” I lift my hand on impulse to show my ring. “I mean, no. I’m not alone. I mean, Iamalone right now, but my husband is… he’s at…” I’m not going to say high school.

I absolutely won’t.

“… busy,” I finish lamely.

“No problem. You just seemed nervous. Is there anyone you can call?”

I consider calling mom but discard the idea immediately. She made it clear that she won’t see me if I’m with Zane. The fact that she hasn’t reached out since she heard Zane and I are married is proof that she fully intends to cut me out of her life.

“I’ll be fine. Please go ahead,” I say.

The doctor takes my blood work and then sends me on my way after telling me to expect a call from the lab.

The call comes in later that afternoon.

“Mrs. Cross,” a professional voice on the other end says, “your results from your bloodwork are in. You are indeed pregnant. Congratulations.”

My eyes burst open.

Zane’s at school and I’m in the house alone. Martina just left to get groceries and I’ve been doing research on all the complications that come with birth.

“I’m… pregnant?” I wheeze. “Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

“No, that can’t be right.”

“The results are right here.” The woman sounds astonished by my response.

“How do you have my results so fast? The doctor said I’d know in three to five days. It hasn’t been three hours yet.”

“Three hours? These… results were from six days ago.”

My jaw drops.

Papers shuffle in the background. “Isn’t this phone number…” She rattles off the number for the villa.

“Yes, but…”

“Aren’t you Mrs. Cadence Cross?”

The ground shakes under my feet.

I sink into a chair. “Cadence Cross?”

My heart ricochets in my chest.

Cadence is pregnant.

I set a hand on my stomach…

---