Yet when three o’clock finally rolled around, it came far too soon. He stopped at home for Becca, waiting in the car. All the way to Phoenix he struggled to find something to say to his wife. Words, which usually flowed freely between them, seemed completely out of reach.
He wasn’t the only one struggling. Other than hello, Becca hadn’t said anything to him, either.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office.
“Fine.”
“No morning sickness today?” He’d been rather alarmed at the bout she’d had the night before. Too much retching like that and she was going to have bruised ribs.
And he’d been helpless to do anything about it.
“It only happens at night,” she said, getting out of the car.
He hurried to catch up with her, holding the door open as they entered the building. “It’s happened a lot, then?”
He should know these things.
“Pretty much every night.”
“Damn.” He’d been a self-absorbed fool to shut himself off, to keep himself dis
tant, to stay out as often as he had. But no more. He’d be home by dinnertime from now on.
There wasn’t time for further conversation. They were shown into Dr. Anderson’s office, where a nurse weighed Becca, checked her blood pressure and led them to the waiting doctor.
Will caught Becca’s eye just before they went in. He felt her excitement—and trepidation—mirrored inside him. With the silent communication of people who’d lived together forever, she told him she was glad he was there. He was glad, too.
And glad they could still share those silent messages.
“We’ll be very careful, of course,” the doctor said half an hour later. “I’ll want to see you, Becca, biweekly, at least for the first trimester, but I see no reason why we won’t get this done without a hitch.”
After the long speech full of warnings and dangers that the doctor had just given them, Will was immensely relieved to know she wasn’t really worried. He couldn’t say the same for himself.
“By the next visit we might be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat.” Dr. Anderson smiled at them.
Will looked at Becca’s stomach, hardly daring to believe this was really happening. His glance slid naturally up to meet hers. Full of pride, hope, excitement, her expression was every beautiful thing he’d ever imagined it would be when she finally came to him to tell him she was carrying his child.
“In the meantime, follow the diet I’ve given you…”
Clutching the pamphlet, Will made a mental note to stop at the grocery before heading home that night.
“…get plenty of rest…”
He’d make sure she made it to bed early every night, even if it meant going there with her and doing mental planning until the hour grew late enough for him to sleep.
Becca, listening intently to the doctor, nodded.
“…and feel free to continue with an active sex life….”
Will swallowed.
“As a matter of fact, please see that you do. New studies report that having intercourse, and orgasm, twice a week increases the production of prostaglandins, Becca, and…”
News that would ordinarily have turned him on, that would’ve been an instant source of humor and heat between him and Becca, was now only a source of further strain. Staring straight ahead, as if his wife wasn’t there, he waited for the doctor to move on to a less volatile topic. Like vitamins.
He wasn’t even sure he loved his wife. How could he possibly think about making love to her?
CHAPTER SIX