Page 74 of Doctor Daddy

“So, we need a name that fits with Summer, and isn’t necessarily Strawberry.”

I looked up when I heard a knock on the door.

“Can I come in?”

Mark. I think I held my breath and only let it out once Strawberry started fussing– I couldn’t help it, that was the name that was stuck in my head.

“Um, yeah, come on in. Mark, you remember my friend Angela.”

He nodded at her. “So, you’re the friend Brooke moved to Chicago with?”

She looked perplexed. I was too, how did he know that? She handed me the baby back, and I cradled both sleeping infants.

“Your parents told me you had moved up here to do a graduate program with a friend. Are you in the hotel too?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “Business administration. How do you know about the hotel program?”

They looked at each other for a long moment.

“Oh right, you were there. You delivered the babies. Duh, sorry I had a moment. I have to get going. I’ll leave you two to catch up.”

Angela gave my foot a squeeze as she left. “You’ll be okay?”

I nodded. I could handle this.

Mark watched her leave and then he sat in the chair.

“How are you doing? What did the doctor say?”

“You didn’t read my chart before coming in here?”

He shook his head. “I’m not your doctor. They might extend the courtesy to me since I delivered them, but I doubt it.”

I sighed. “I had to have stitches, and they put me on some good painkillers. Last night was hard and uncomfortable. But all in all, I’m told that’s normal. My doctor did give me a hard time about having the babies a week earlier than expected. She pointed out that delivering while at work had not been in my birth plan.”

“What was your birth plan?”

“Come to the hospital, get shot up with an epidural. Angela was supposed to be my birth coach, not Jason. That poor kid. I must have traumatized him with something horrible,” I managed to laugh. Mark was sitting right there, and I wasn’t seething with rage. Maybe the painkillers they had me on were taking care of my temper as well.

“Have you named them yet?”

I shook my head. “I’m stuck on names. The ones I like aren’t real names.”

“May I?” He reached out to me. He wanted to see them.

I hesitated for only a second. He didn’t need to know they were his children to express an interest. He had delivered them.

I nodded. He stood and lifted Summer from my arms.

“The nurse said they are a good weight, and they are a perfect match.”

“Identical?” He looked down at his daughter, gently moving the blanket away from her face.

“I have to ask you something, Brooke.”

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. I knew this was coming. I swallowed down my panic. I had to decide now what I was going to do. I could lie, he never needed to know. And he would hate me forever.

It hurt seeing him look down at our baby with that expression on his face. He wanted to be in love with her, but he was holding back. I knew because that was the same expression, I was looking at him with. I still loved him, I wanted…

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