Ready for You (Ready #3)(65)

“Your mother was wrong. A life with you would never be a waste, no matter where we ended up. You were my dream, nothing else,” I said.

“I know. I, unfortunately, realized that too late.”

“It’s never too late, Mia,” I said.

She turned away and continued, “I was so angry with her. I knew she was manipulating me, but her words struck a chord, and I was paralyzed with fear. I followed her directions and went to this horrible clinic four hours away. She didn’t even go with me.”

I always knew her mom would never win Mother of the Year, but I never knew just how bad it had been.

“What about your dad?” I asked.

“Like always, he just stood back and let her run the show. He gave me a brief hug before I left, but that was all.”

My eyes fell back to the picture and the tiny shape in the middle. “Is that where you got this?” I asked, holding up the ultrasound picture, which was creased and well-worn from obvious handling.

“Yes. When I arrived, papers were thrown at me, and I was shoved into this tiny waiting room with other women who looked exactly like I did, scared out of their minds. When they finally called me back, I met Carol. She was a nurse, and she was very kind and loving. Her gentle nature calmed me, but even after the panic settled, I still knew I didn’t want to be there.”

She hesitated, and I waited. I always thought hearing her side of the story would make me angrier. I thought knowing the gory details would be too much, and I would be better off in my blind ignorance. But hearing her tell her version of that night made me love her more.

She’d left me but only because she’d thought she was doing the right thing.

“When Carol saw the uncertainty in my eyes, she pulled me aside and asked if I was sure I wanted to go through with it. I nodded, knowing my mother expected it, but Carol still saw through me. She asked if I wanted an ultrasound. It wasn’t required, but sometimes, it helped make an iffy decision more firm, one way or another. I agreed, and she took me and prepared me for the test. I don’t think I took a breath the entire time I was in that ultrasound room. I knew there was a baby in there. I’d seen my stomach change and grow slightly, but seeing her on the screen made it real. I wiped away my tears as Carol printed that picture for me, and then she left me alone to make my decision.”

Frozen in place by her words, I managed to ask, “What did you do?”

“I walked out.”

~Mia~

“You walked out?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

His eyes were swimming with disbelief and utter confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“I couldn’t do it,” I choked out. “I ran out of that clinic and called my mom in hysterics, screaming that I’d never give up my child,” I turned to look into his eyes. “Our child.”

“I won’t do it, Mom!” I screamed into the phone.

She had obviously expected this, or she just had no soul because her tone lacked any emotion whatsoever. “But what about Garrett, Mia? I thought you were doing this for him.”

“No. Getting rid of our child will never be the answer, Mom. Garrett and I will figure it out together—with or without your support—but I will not do this. I’m coming home.”

“You came home?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I said, the tears creeping down my face as I relived that horrible day. “My mother told me to go to a motel for the night. She said she didn’t want me to drive late at night. I couldn’t believe how quickly she had caved. Little did I know, she had already been planning their move, and she needed a bit more time to finalize everything.”

Garrett nodded. “I remember returning to your house a couple of weeks after you left. I’d already yelled and screamed at all your friends, begging them to tell me where you were, and your parents were my last hope, but they were gone.”

“My parents actually had the move in the works before I dropped the pregnancy bomb on them. After that, they simply sped everything up. My mother was convinced that she would be ostracized by her friends if they ever found out.”

“Why didn’t you ever come back?” he asked.

“I was going to. I couldn’t wait to call you and tell you how sorry I was and how foolish I’d been. After I checked in at the motel, I started to feel sick, and then my sickness turned into blinding cramps. I finally caved and called the front desk for help. Then, they called for an ambulance.”

“You miscarried.”

It wasn’t a question. My eyes met his, and I watched him grieve before me, tears rolling down his face. I crawled into his lap, and we held each other.

“I’m so sorry, Mia. I should have been there. You shouldn’t have been alone,” he choked out, gripping the fabric of my robe like a lifeline.

“It was my fault. I was alone because I ran away. I lost the baby because I ran away.”

He pulled back and sought my gaze. “No, none of that was your fault, Mia. You couldn’t control that. The world just wasn’t ready for her.”

“The doctor said it was my fault,” I sobbed.

“What?”

“They rushed me inside the hospital, and the ER was a madhouse. It was packed, and there weren’t enough doctors for the number of patients. Because of my condition, I was seen right away though. The doctor who saw me strolled in and asked what I was doing so far from home. I didn’t want to lie, so I told him about the clinic, and my last-minute dash out of there. He said I probably miscarried because of the stress I’d put myself through.”