Page 108 of Anchor
She looked at him. “The tests, before…?”
“You’re pregnant, Claire.”
Time stopped.
“You’re eight weeks along.”
She didn’t move. Her hands, still wrapped in the blanket, twitched once. Her eyes searched his face like he might be lying. But Tuck Hanlon didn’t lie.
Eight weeks.She hadn’t thought about it until he checked on her in the executive suite. Hadn’t even guessed. She had barely eaten and barely slept. She couldn’t remember the last time she even counted days.She felt the pressure in her chest before she even knew what it was.Her breath caught.
Reid. Reid in the ICU. Unconscious. His life tied to machines. And now this.
A life inside her.Unprotected. Unknown. Unprepared for this world.
She shook her head once, twice. “I… I can’t,” she whispered. “I don’t even know. I’m not...”
“I know,” Tuck cut her off gently. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” her voice cracked. “He might not… He might not come back.”
Tuck’s hand came over hers. Warm. Still. Unshakable. “We’re not givin’ up on him. Not now.”
Claire didn’t cry, but the terror settled in deep. This time, she had morethan herself to lose. She gripped the gauze Tuck handed her too tightly and looked down at the blanket drawn over her legs. It didn’t feel like part of her. None of this did.
She sat in the silence for a moment longer. “You knew.”
Tuck’s eyes lifted to hers. He didn’t pretend to misunderstand.
“You ran the test before Reid was hurt,” she said.
“I did.”
Claire’s breath hitched. “But you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t see the result until Reid was out of surgery,” Tuck said.
Her mouth twitched sadly. “I found the file when I was trying to find the breach. I didn’t open it. I think I already knew.”
She looked away, eyes burning again. “There were so many things I meant to tell him. I thought I had more time.”
Tuck didn’t speak. He just let her have the space.
Claire’s hands flexed beneath the blanket. “I need to see him.”
Tuck hesitated.
“Please.” Her voice cracked, but her gaze didn’t. “I won’t touch him. I just… I need to be there.”
He nodded slowly. “Alright.”
Claire started to shift, pushing herself upright.
Tuck reached out to steady her, firm but careful. “Easy. Let me help. Foley’ll lose his mind if I let you faint again.”
She gave the barest breath of a laugh. “You’ll catch me.”
Tuck smiled faintly. “Every damn time.”
