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"Hey now, none of that. You know there are rules against crying in front of the patient. I'm pretty sure it's in the handbook."
I let out a choked laugh, but it doesn't alleviate the tightness in my chest.
I need to say it, to get it out before I lose my nerve. Before I lose him.
"Jacob, there's something you need to know."
He eyes me warily, his thumb continuing its sweeping motion against my hand. The words sit heavy on my tongue, but they have to come out. "Jacob," I start, my voice trembling, "you're the father."
His eyes widen, the thumb that was sweeping across my hand now frozen in place. "What? Say that again."
"The baby," I say, my tears giving way to a smile that's threatening to crack. "You wanted to know about the father, didn't you? It's you, Jacob. It's you." I blink. "You're the father of our baby."
Jacob's eyes dart between mine, searching for any hint of deception. But there isn't any. This is the truth.
The only truth that matters.
It’s a truth that I don’t know if Jacob can accept. I barely can.
The silence that falls between us now is the loudest sound I've ever heard.
Suitcases always seem to mock me with their refusal to stay packed.
It’s the day after I told Jacob the truth about the baby—our baby—and I feel like I’m barely holding my life together, let alone the carry-on I’ve been shuffling between cities.
I shove one last T-shirt into the duffel bag and zip it up before it has the chance to escape. I'm running on less than zero hours of sleep, and it shows.
The hotel room is almost empty now. The only things left in it are my memories, my suitcases, and the sound of Lexi's voice over the phone.
Her sigh is long and loud over the line. "Well, at least you did it. You told him."
I let out a humorless laugh, my hand automatically going to rub the growing bump on my stomach. "Yeah, I did it. And...it was a disaster." I lean against the bureau, my legs feeling like jelly. "I thought he was going to pass out. You should’ve seen his face. It was as if I told him he had to start playing right-wing with a broken arm."
Lexi snorts on the other end. It almost makes me smile.
Almost.
"Well, in his defense, he was already dealing with the game two loss and his injury, and then you throw in a baby on top of that. Man's got his work cut out for him."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "Yeah, I know. But it needed to be done. I can't keep secrets, especially not ones that kick inside me during post-season games."
"Tell me about it! Anyway, how's everyone taking the game two loss without their star player?"
"Not great." I squint at the last lonely hanger dangling in the closet like it's mocking me. "It's like everyone's pretending they're not worried about Jacob's injury, but you can feel it. Tension, thicker than Chicago fog."
Lexi's voice turns softer. "You holding up okay, Gabi?"
I smile at her concern, even though she can't see it. "Barely. But hey, at least I have you to spill it all to. And to laugh at my suffering, apparently."
"Who better than me to tell my favorite tired mom-to-be that she sounds like death?"
"Your only tired mom-to-be friend, you mean."
"Potato, po-tah-to." She laughs briefly before the sound fades. "You know you're not alone in this, don't you? You will never ever be alone so long as I'm living."
I nod, even though she can't see me. "I know. Thanks, Lexi."
"Anytime, girl." There's a pause before she speaks again. "So...have you thought about a name yet?"
