Page 57 of The Wedding Hoax

The life possibly growing inside of me didn’t feel like a mistake.

And I didn’t want to pretend for even a second I regretted it.

Which meant that if I really was pregnant, I’d have to raise the baby all by myself. Even if it was going to be difficult managing my mother’s health at the same time, I knew it was the only way.

I took a deep breath as I reached into my closet, picking out my clothes for the day. I had a long day ahead of me, filled with lab appointments for my mom. I’d already sent an email to the office requesting leave from my job so I could be with her, even though the thought of it made me feel queasier than I already did.

I was grateful to Harry for giving me the option to take leave, but I couldn’t help but wonder what the people at work were going to say. It looked like I was getting special treatment for being Harry’s wife, and I was.

Special treatment for a special woman.

Except Harry didn’t seem to think that I was all that special.

Whatever.

I pushed those thoughts away as I finished getting ready for the day.

And soon enough, I was headed out the door.

* * *

“You don’t have to wait here with me, Simi,” my mom said as she held out her arm for the lab tech to draw blood. We were sitting in yet another medical office.

“Of course I’m going to stay here with you, Mom. You really think I’m going to let you go through this alone?”

“I’ve been through this before, dear.” She patted me on the shoulder. “You should go. This part is so boring, anyway.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” She nodded. “Maybe you could run a few errands and come back for me later? Maybe grab me a bag of chips while you’re out?”

“Ah. That’s your real game, isn’t it?” I smirked. “If you wanted me to grab you a snack, Mom, that’s all you had to say.”

She laughed.

I playfully rolled my eyes as I stood up from my seat. “I’ll be back, okay? With your snack. Promise. And if you need anything in the meantime, just shoot me a text.”

I looked over at the nurse before I spoke again. “Take good care of her, yeah? And don’t be afraid to call me about anything.”

“Of course, ma’am. We’ll take good care of her while you’re gone.”

* * *

“Simone?” Dr. Carlson looked almost surprised to see me, even though I knew I had to be on her schedule. I’d requested an appointment at the very last minute, and thankfully, her nurses had been able to fit me in. “What brings you in today?”

Dr. Carlson had been my gynecologist for years, including when I was desperately trying to get pregnant with Jace. I briefly wondered if she was just as traumatized by everything as I was–all the heartbreak, all the false hope.

“Pregnancy test.” I held up my arm, showing her where a nurse had just placed a cotton ball and a Band-Aid after drawing blood. “I wanted to do it the old-fashioned way, just to be sure.”

“I’m not sure if most people would consider a blood test old-fashioned.” Dr. Carlson chuckled. “Besides, home pregnancy tests are quite accurate these days.”

“But there’s always room for error, isn’t there?”

“Sure, yes. There’s always room for error,” she agreed. “But it’s a fairly small margin.”

She paused as she looked me over, like she was trying to read my mind. “Has something changed recently, Simone?”

“I took a pregnancy test.”

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