Page 98 of Holiday Hostage
I had enough clouding my mind to keep me busy for weeks.
Which of them was the father? It didn’t matter, but every time I tried telling myself that, my heart ached.
Lisa wiped her eyes and sniffled. “I’m so happy for you.”
I tried to answer, but no words emerged. I hadn’t expected this, not at all.
28
PAYTON
The next two days were a blur of questions I needed to get answered.
My first OB appointment fell in the middle of the afternoon, and I fidgeted through the entire process.
Filling out paperwork, peeing in a cup so they could confirm the pregnancy, then undressing and sitting on the awful crinkly paper with a paper gown that gaped open in all the wrong places left me feeling disoriented and out of sorts.
A tall woman with red glasses and a delicate smile entered the room.
“Good afternoon, Payton. I’m Dr. Gabriel. I’m sorry for the delay, and the gown.”
She sat on the rolling stool and rolled toward me. “There was a problem with our distributor, and we had to go back to those godawful paper monstrosities. I promise that will not happen again.”
Her smile helped ease the anxiety, and I managed to unlock my hands where I’d fisted them over my stomach. “They’re pretty awful.”
“Agreed.” She smiled and tapped the tablet she’d carried in with her. “Mind if I go through a few questions?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “Kind of why I’m here.”
Her laugh was rich and warm.
“Oh, we are going to get along swell.” She ran through a list of questions, tapping on the tablet but stopping to look at me every few seconds.
It made me feel seen and heard in a way I hadn’t expected.
“Can I give you a quick exam?” Dr. Gabriel stood.
I shrugged again. What was I going to do, tell her she couldn’t do her job?
A few minutes of her soft hands pressing on different parts of me, and she gave me a smile and helped me sit up. “You appear perfectly healthy. I do have a few concerns about the baby.”
My heart lodged in my throat.
She continued before I could bombard her with questions. “Nothing perilous to birth or development. This precious gift of yours is doing well, if a bit undernourished.”
Guilt assaulted me. “I didn’t know I was pregnant. And I’ve been…” Tears welled. “I lost their father last month.”
“Ah.” Dr. Gabriel patted my knee. “I’m so sorry, Payton. Truly. Losing a significant other is a horrible, gutting loss. I won’t tell you that it will get easier, but there is a light at the end of all this.You have a child together, something to live for that wasn’t there before.”
Her words landed like blows.
I’d thought the same thing myself, but hearing it from someone else, a complete stranger, made them real in a way I hadn’t expected.
“You’re right.” I sucked back the onslaught of tears. “What do I need to do?”
I had to get back on my feet. My baby depended on me.
The most precious gift to remind me of my beautiful time with my three men.
