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“Let’s look at what’s going on here.”
Breathe, in…out. Slow and steady.
After the examination, the doctor moved closer to my bedside and placed a hand on the side table in front of Ryker. “You’re already dilated to seven centimeters. Obviously, all attempts to stop your labor haven’t worked.”
“Meaning?” Ryker asked slowly.
“In my experience, once you get past seven, things tend to snowball. It’s my assumption that within the hour, she’ll be pushing, and you two are going to have yourselves a baby.”
“No!” I screamed. “Make it go back.” Nausea gurgled in my throat.
Bringing a hand up, Ryker pressed his thumb to his temple and draped his fingers along his forehead. “Okay, I didn’t want to have to pull this card, but I have no choice.” Taking a deep breath, he hooked his thumb through the belt loop on his pants. “I’m Julian Bale’s brother.”
Shifting an unimpressed eyebrow, the doctor took the pen from his hand and dropped it into his white lab coat pocket. “Your point?” Before Ryker could offer a rebuttal, he’d disappeared down the hallway.
This is it.
“Pheebs, he’s just a person. He’s not god.”
“Ry, just stop. Let’s admit what we both already know. He’s not coming, is he?” Exhaustion had won the positivity race.
“He’s just running behind, and as soon as he—”
“Ry.” I pleaded for honesty. “He’s not coming, is he?”
He blew a long breath from rounded lips. “I don’t think so.”
“How long have you known?”
“C’mon, don’t do this to yourself.”
“How long?” My tone bit harder, and he bowed his head.
“For a while. There was some sort of mix-up with flights and mechanical difficulties so Kristina sent him off to Portland, and shit, I don’t know. He tried his best, but I don’t know where he is right now.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t call him inside the room.” Wiping a tear, I silently wondered how many could possibly be left. “Maybe you could call him right before the baby’s born? I could…maybe tell him what it is?”
He screwed his eyes shut. “I said the same thing.”
“And?”
“And in the middle of the conversation, the phone line went dead. I assume his battery died. I tried to call him back a few times, and it went straight to voice mail. I’m sorry.”
That severed it. My only form of communication with him had been taken from me.
“I need a minute.”
“I promised Julian I wouldn’t leave you.”
“Ryker, please.” Finally lifting my eyes, I hoped he could see my need to make peace with this. “Don’t make me do this in front of you.”
He ran his hand across the top of his hair. “Okay, five minutes. That’s all you get.”
The door gently closed behind him. Within seconds of the solitude, I brought both hands up to my face and dropped all defenses. As I grabbed a tissue from the side table, I caught the gleam from the corner of my eye.
My rings.
Mesmerized by the glint, I brought my hand closer to my chest and dusted my lips against the stone. With the simple ceremony, in an out-of-season strawberry patch, we’d become a family. At least I could hold to the fact that our baby would be born to a real family, present or not.
