“Answer me now or face the consequences,” I growl through gritted teeth, ripping the curtain closed right in the stunned nurse’s face.
“I fell and sprained my ankle, crazy man.” She blushes and stares down at her hands twisting on her lap. “They’re just running an extra test before I get an x-ray.”
“What extra test?” I stalk over and wrap her up in my arms, trying to check out her bare foot that I see now is resting on the gurney.
“A pregnancy test.”
My eyes fly up to hers, shocked. We’ve tried and tried. For years now nothing has happened. We actually gave up not that long ago because it just seems like it’s fated to be the two of us against the big, bad world.
Not that I mind the trying! Hell no! I’d spend every day fucking my wife if I could. Sometimes our schedules are a little crazy though. She’s still working with the crazy author but we’ve come to a truce. He doesn’t call my wife in the middle of the night and I won’t hunt him down and rip him apart with my bare hands. That’s my time.
“Y-you really think?” Holding my hands out, I cup her face in my palms, loving the soft blush on her cheeks.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m just late.”
“How late? And why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s been so many false alarms. I figured it was just stress or something.”
The curtain opens behind us on those words and the doctor chuckles. “Not this time. You are definitely pregnant. We’ll be extra careful with the x-ray. But other than that, your bloodwork looks great and as soon as we make sure that’s just a sprain, we’ll send you guys home to celebrate.”
He leaves the room and I lean over and touch my forehead to hers, tears rolling down her cheeks. A smile of so much joy on her lovely face that I feel tears well in my own eyes.
“A baby?” she whispers, her hands running down to cup her belly, her eyes never leaving mine. “Are you happy?”
“Are you?”
“I’m so happy, it should be illegal. I want to dance and sing and party all night.”
“That brings up a few things. How the hell did you sprain your ankle? What were you doing when you fell?” I gasp, my eyes darting to her flat belly. “How hard did you fall? Did you hit your stomach? Are we allowed to have sex? Will it hurt the baby? Or scar them for life? Can they see that?”
The doctor and an orderly are standing in the doorway, chuckling when my wife’s mouth finally closes. She shakes her head, her dark hair sliding around her slim shoulders. “I need a scorecard to answer all those questions. But the general consensus is I’m fine. The baby’s fine. I didn’t hit my belly. I twisted when I fell off the steps at home. My balance was a little wonky, that’s all.”
The doctor nods. “That happens sometimes when you’re pregnant. Just be careful going up and down steps and you should be fine.”
I glare at him and growl, “She’s never going near steps again. I’ll get one of those chair lift things or something.”
“Oh my god! You’re going to be even worse than before, aren’t you?” Horror hits her eyes when she finally realizes that she’s about to be coddled to death for nine months. At least.
“I am going to carry you everywhere until I buy the chair lift.” The orderly moves to help her into the wheelchair but backs away when I growl at him. I lift her in my arms and she sighs, wrapping her arm around my neck.
“I hope you don’t drive me completely bonkers, Judas. You know I have work.”
“Maybe we should discuss that…” I start but she stiffens and groans under her breath.
“I’m not quitting my job.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Now let’s get you all wrapped up and home so I can take care of you.”
She glares at me and shoots the doctor a look. “Translation…I’m about to be bubble wrapped.”
The orderly snorts and when I set her down, he begins pushing the chair quickly. “Baby, I told you. I’ll always protect you. It’s my mission in life.”
“Lord help me,” she groans. I don’t miss the smile on her face when I kiss her on the cheek.
She loves it. She can’t fool me. Nobody has ever cared for her the way I do and nobody ever will.
She’s my everything. And I have something else to celebrate with her as well. I found her sister.