My attention continued to drift to Bianca’s car as my doctor took some blood and measured my temperature. She was swift, asking a few other questions about muscle pain, how I was sleeping and if I had an active sex life.
I answered honestly, always linking it back to the stress I was under. Even now, as I sat watching my blood fill those tubes, a pained thought burst into my mind.
What if I’m really sick? Deathly sick with only a few months left to live?
That thought brought an odd sense of relief. To be free of the stress of Eli and the consequences of my betrayal. Maybe I should have made sure a death clause was written into that new form. So that my mother would remain taken care of even if something happened to me.
“Callie?” My doctor pulled me from my thoughts and when I focused on her, she smiled warmly.
“Do you have anything you can give me?”
“Not currently,” she replied. “I’d like to get the blood test results first but Callie, from everything you’ve told me and what you’ve described. I think there’s another test we can run that’s much faster.”
“Oh?” I lifted my brow. “Why, what’s wrong with me?”
“Callie, I think you could be pregnant.”
23
SAWYER
“Look, all I’m saying is that if I get to be the cool uncle, then that should include midnight ice cream snacks.” Chuckling, I tossed Liam a chilled bottle of water as I passed. “And you can’t join because you’re her dad and that just cramps the style.”
“Cramps the style?” Liam tipped his head back and laughed. “I’m sorry, what year is it?” The bottle cracked slightly in his hand as he uncapped it and took a large mouthful. “So, you’re telling me that I can’t join you guys for ice cream?”
“Nope.” I dropped into the sofa across from Liam and eyed him. “Sorry, those are the rules of cool.”
“You’re so fucking old, man,” Liam snorted.
“Hey, we’re the same age you dick.”
“Until the end of the month. You gain some gray hairs, and I remain the hot, cool dad for at least another couple of months.
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Either way, you can’t be there when Marie and I share cool uncle time. So suck it up, buttercup.”
“Fine.” Liam groaned dramatically.
“Where is Marie anyway?”
“She’s at a play date. One of the kids from her old school came to the city for the summer so their parents are taking both the kids to the amusement park all morning. I think it will be good for her, y’know?” Liam’s face turned serious. “She starts a new school next month and I don’t want her to feel like she’ll be forgotten by her friends.”
“City schools are so different, that’s true.” I nodded, tossing my own water bottle back and forth. “But she’s a great kid. You should be proud.”
“I can’t take credit.” Liam settled back in his seat. “Her mother did a fantastic job raising her.”
“And you’ve done a fantastic job helping her through her grief and raising her since. Don’t discredit yourself.”
“Thanks, man.” A flash of warmth filled Liam’s eyes. “I appreciate that.”
“I know,” I smirked and pointed at myself. “Cool uncle, remember?”
“Fuck off!” Liam laughed loudly. “Anyway, any updates on the patent?”
I groaned internally, turning my thoughts to work despite my attention drifting slightly to the stunning blue sky visible through the office windows. Having floor-to-ceiling windows when the weather was this incredible was self-inflicted torture.
“It’s good! We’re in the last stage which is basically the stage where, if this were a book, we’d be sending samples to book stores y’know? The lawyers are happy, Kane is happy. I’m happy. You should be too. We’ve done a great thing here.”
“Y’know, when you wrote to me about it, I couldn’t believe you were working with Kane. Never did I think the three of us would be back in the same room.” Liam rolled his eyes affectionately. “Funny how things work.”