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“What about you? You going to take it easy?” Her expression turns into one of concern. She found me being sick this morning in the staff restrooms. It isn’t the first time it’s happened. But it’s the first time someone at work has seen me.
“Oh, that? I’m fine now. Don’t worry about me.” I wave a hand, the tension re-building in my neck, calling out for me to rub it again.
Jules smiles, and I say goodbye as I drop my phone into my purse on the counter and put on my coat. I can’t wait to get home and change out of my pencil skirt and blazer. My sweatpants are calling to me—loudly.
I scoop up my bag and walk toward the bank of elevators.
I just have a small detour to make first.
“What was so urgent that you couldn’t tell me on the phone?” Halliday breezes in through my front door and deposits her coat onto a hook in the hallway before turning to face me.
“Oh.” Her eyes roam my face, and she takes a careful step toward me. She purses her lips, studying me as she draws her hand up and down in front of her, motioning at me. “Your energy has shifted. It’s giving off some weird vibes. Did something happen on your case? A big piece of evidence come in?”
“You’re good.” I lead us into the living room and wait for her to sit on the sofa before I drop down next to her.
“Why, thank you.” She smiles.
“But it’s not about the case.”
“It’s not about work? It’s always work. That’s all you do.”
“I don’t.” I bristle.
“Okay, not so much now that Drew’s on the scene. You actually go to other places than your apartment and your office.Is it your mum and dad? Is someone sick?” She reaches out and grabs my hand.
“No one’s sick. Except me... Regularly.” I exhale a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
There’s a pause before she laughs. Then she sees that I’m serious.
“You really are?” Her eyes widen.
“Yep,” I whisper. It’s the first time I’ve said the words out loud since those two pink lines appeared on the test I picked up on my way home from work.
“I don’t know how I didn’t figure it out sooner. I’ve been getting sick, and…” I take my hand from hers and push into my temples with my fingertips. “Shit. What am I going to do?”
“I mean, you should talk to Drew. Unless you need longer to think about it yourself first to let it sink in? You said he’ll be back from New York tomorrow night, right?”
“Right.” I swallow around the thick lump in my throat. It’s been there for hours now. “Except… it’s not his.”
“It’s not…?” Her brows drop low, and she sighs. “Henry?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” I agree. “I mean, it has to be. We stopped using anything because I was getting the injection. I was due another appointment the week we broke up, but I missed it because work was so busy. I meant to make a new one, but the marriage bombshell made me forget, and… and then I saw Drew again.”
“And with Drew, you—?”
“Condoms. Every time.”
“Oh.” Halliday falls silent for a few minutes. “You know, they’re not one hundred percent effective. Maybe he has super sperm. He looks virile, I mean…” She blows out a breath. “Sorry, I was just thinking of all possibilities.”
I snort. “We’re talking about whether this baby would be better off having a father who I’ve been dating barely a month, or an ex who I found out is married.”
“At least its mother isn’t a walking red flag.” She gives me a small smile and my tense shoulders soften as she wraps an arm around me. “You want kids.”
“I do.” I sigh. “I just never imagined it being like this.” I blink back the tears that are threatening my eyes. “I thought I’d plan it with whoever I was with.” I suck in a shaky breath. “I thought we’d have that excitement, you know? I thought I’d know for certain who the father was.” My voice trembles, which in itself is so out of character I’m surprised Halliday doesn’t react. But she only holds me closer, sharing the reassuring warmth of her body against mine as I shiver.
