Sweet Nothing(70)

“Hi,” Hope said with a bright smile. She scanned me from head to toe, surprised. “I figured you’d be at work.

“I traded. Can I, um … what’s up?”

She shoved the plate at me, and it was then that I recognized the design.

“I’m just returning your dish.”

I held it in my hand, confused. “Thanks.”

She waited for a moment and then spoke again, “Tell Josh the Alfredo was amazing. You are one lucky girl.”

“I will,” I said, watching her turn on her heels toward the stairs, a bounce in her walk.

I shut the door and carried the plate to the sink. What. The. Fuck.

My phone rang, and I lunged for it. Instead of seeing Josh’s name on the screen, it was the hospital. I held the phone against my forehead. “No, no, no,” I whispered. “Please don’t call me in.”

I slid my thumb right across the screen. “Mrs. Avery?” the woman on the other end said.

“Yes?”

“Hi, it’s Evelyn from Dr. Weaver’s office. We’ve got your test results. Are you ready?”

I looked around at my empty apartment, and then at the empty plate. “Y-yes.”

“Congratulations! You’re pregnant. By the counts, it looks like you’re six to seven weeks along. Can you schedule an ultrasound today, or would you like to call back?”

“Um,” I said, scratching my head. “Let me talk to my husband, and I’ll call you back.”

“Great. Talk soon.”

She hung up, and I stood in the kitchen alone, still holding the phone in my hand. The apartment was quiet.

I rushed over to the window, seeing Josh’s Barracuda resting in its spot. I lifted the phone and called him. Instead of ringing, his voicemail answered.

Hi, this is Josh Avery. I’m probably at work or with my wife. Call back. I don’t check my messages.

“Hi,” I said, my voice sounding quiet and unsure. “This is your wife. You’re not with me. Where are you? Call me back.”

I set the phone on the kitchen counter and looked down, placing a hand on my belly. “I’m pregnant,” I said to no one. My bottom lip trembled. “I’m pregnant.”

The bolt lock clicked, and the front door quietly opened. Dee’s tiny nails clicked across the floor as he scampered in.

“Shh, buddy,” Josh whispered as he snuck in. He froze when he saw me standing alone in the kitchen.

His expression thawed, and he closed the door. “Hi, baby. I figured you’d still be sleeping.”

“I’m pregnant.”

He dropped the bag in his hand. “Really?”

“Really.”

He stepped toward me. “How … how do you know?”

“My period was late. I took a home test, but it was negative.”

“What? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged, feeling more nervous than I’d expected. “I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“But you are?” he asked, still in disbelief.

“Dr. Weaver’s nurse just called me. The blood work came back. I’m pregnant. She wants to schedule an ultrasound.”

Josh took three wide strides across the living room and knelt in front me. He wrapped his arms around my hips, holding his cheek to my belly. “They’re really sure? Like, sure sure.”

“They’re sure. She says I’m around six to seven weeks. The ultrasound will give us a better idea.”

He kissed my belly once, and then three more times, standing to hug me. His arms were so tight and he was so happy, I could almost forget about the plate by the sink. “Say it again,” he said, his voice breaking.

I breathed out a small laugh. “I’m pregnant.” No matter how many times I said it, it didn’t feel real.

He pulled back. Noticing my expression, his brows pulled together. “Aren’t you happy?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding once. “Yes,” I choked out, “of course I’m happy.”

Josh hugged me again. “Just when I think it can’t get any better, it does. I’m so happy, baby.” He took a step back, holding his fists in front of him. “I’m so f*cking happy!” He ran to the window, and yelled, “I’m going to be a father!” Then he ran to the door and jerked it open, yelling into the hall. “I’m going to be a father!”

I smiled and shook my head as he slammed the door and strode over to me, his chest puffed out. He wrapped his arms around me again, lifting me up and twirling me around. When my feet touched the floor again, he planted a hard kiss on my lips.

His smile faded. “You’re not telling me something, I can tell. Did the doctor’s office say something?” He blinked. “Is the baby okay?”

“Yes. I mean,” I said, looking down. “They didn’t really say anything except for how far along I might be. They want me to call back to schedule an appointment, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

He swallowed hard. “About what? Them asking for an ultrasound. Is that normal?”

“Yes.” I looked up, scanned his eyes, trying to see if I could read something more—guilt, innocence, fear. I only saw Josh, my Josh, the man who loved me. That hadn’t changed.