Read Online Close to Her Heart by C. J. Carmichael - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C. J. Carmichael
Tags: Romance
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happened in her case. “That’s very true. And now I’m going to have to ask a favor of you. Do you think you can keep this a secret between us? I haven’t told any of the family yet. Partly because I’m not sure I can keep the baby.”
“I won’t tell,” Portia promised. “At least no one in the family. But can I tell Austin?”
“Why not? He’s going to be able to see for himself that I’m pregnant soon enough.”
Dani realized she was talking as if she was going to keep the baby. But the news from the ultrasound and the decision her doctor expected her to make in the next day or two, still weighed heavily on her mind. It wasn’t the sort of quandary she wanted to share with her niece. So as usual, she kept her worries to herself as she got out dishes and poured them glasses of sparkling water in preparation for the meal that would be arriving shortly.
As she moved about her efficient U-shaped kitchen, she could sense Portia watching her. Finally she stopped and lifted her shirt so Portia could see her little belly. “I’m not showing much yet. But soon I’m going to be trending toward blimp status.”
Portia giggled. “When is it due? I mean—if you decide to keep it?” Her eyes were big and yearning, and Dani could tell that in her mind her niece was already picturing the addition of an adorable little baby to the family.
But would she be so excited if she knew the baby might have Down Syndrome?
“Second week in September.”
“Wow. That’s a long time from now.”
Dani nodded. In one way it did seem like a long time. But when she considered that almost everything in her life was set to change—it didn’t seem nearly long enough.
Chapter Two
May
M arvelous things started happening in Dani’s body in May. As her baby bump pushed out, she began to feel the fluttering motions of the fetus inside. She pictured her baby floating in the amniotic sac like an astronaut in space. When she was alone, she talked to the baby and sometimes sang songs she remembered her mother singing to Callan when she was born. Suddenly, she felt energetic and was never nauseous. Her buoyant good health seemed to her to be an omen. Nothing was wrong with her baby and she refused to allow negative thoughts to spoil this magical time.
Because she loved being pregnant. The changes in her body were beautiful to her. She kept to a strict, healthy balanced diet and the nutritious food seemed to be picking up her mood as well. She’d expecting to crave ice cream and pickles, or other inexplicably weird food combinations. Instead, she ate her way through pints of luscious blueberries and cherries, creamy tubs of yogurt and batch after batch of crispy baked kale.
The word was out at work—though the father hadn’t been named. Dani was sure her colleagues were speculating, but only Jenna had dared to ask.
“Someone I’ve been seeing for about six months,” Dani had answered. “The baby wasn’t part of our plans, obviously, and we’re still trying to work things out.”
Jenna, who was older, and had made it clear that neither marriage nor children were in her future, looked puzzled but hadn’t commented further. Dani supposed that she, too, wondered why Dani was going through with this pregnancy. She was grateful that Jenna hadn’t actually asked the question, because she was tired of trying to explain.
She still hadn’t called home with her news for the same reason. Her sisters would grill her, and she just wasn’t up to that. Day to day was her new motto.
On Mother’s Day, Dani and her sisters connected via Skype, all four of them at the same time. They’d started the tradition the year after their mother’s death, back when Mattie was twenty-one, Dani sixteen, Sage twelve and Callan only eight. They’d been at such different stages back then. Mattie had been married and a new mother herself, Dani in High School had been making plans to leave home when suddenly she was in charge of looking after her
“I won’t tell,” Portia promised. “At least no one in the family. But can I tell Austin?”
“Why not? He’s going to be able to see for himself that I’m pregnant soon enough.”
Dani realized she was talking as if she was going to keep the baby. But the news from the ultrasound and the decision her doctor expected her to make in the next day or two, still weighed heavily on her mind. It wasn’t the sort of quandary she wanted to share with her niece. So as usual, she kept her worries to herself as she got out dishes and poured them glasses of sparkling water in preparation for the meal that would be arriving shortly.
As she moved about her efficient U-shaped kitchen, she could sense Portia watching her. Finally she stopped and lifted her shirt so Portia could see her little belly. “I’m not showing much yet. But soon I’m going to be trending toward blimp status.”
Portia giggled. “When is it due? I mean—if you decide to keep it?” Her eyes were big and yearning, and Dani could tell that in her mind her niece was already picturing the addition of an adorable little baby to the family.
But would she be so excited if she knew the baby might have Down Syndrome?
“Second week in September.”
“Wow. That’s a long time from now.”
Dani nodded. In one way it did seem like a long time. But when she considered that almost everything in her life was set to change—it didn’t seem nearly long enough.
Chapter Two
May
M arvelous things started happening in Dani’s body in May. As her baby bump pushed out, she began to feel the fluttering motions of the fetus inside. She pictured her baby floating in the amniotic sac like an astronaut in space. When she was alone, she talked to the baby and sometimes sang songs she remembered her mother singing to Callan when she was born. Suddenly, she felt energetic and was never nauseous. Her buoyant good health seemed to her to be an omen. Nothing was wrong with her baby and she refused to allow negative thoughts to spoil this magical time.
Because she loved being pregnant. The changes in her body were beautiful to her. She kept to a strict, healthy balanced diet and the nutritious food seemed to be picking up her mood as well. She’d expecting to crave ice cream and pickles, or other inexplicably weird food combinations. Instead, she ate her way through pints of luscious blueberries and cherries, creamy tubs of yogurt and batch after batch of crispy baked kale.
The word was out at work—though the father hadn’t been named. Dani was sure her colleagues were speculating, but only Jenna had dared to ask.
“Someone I’ve been seeing for about six months,” Dani had answered. “The baby wasn’t part of our plans, obviously, and we’re still trying to work things out.”
Jenna, who was older, and had made it clear that neither marriage nor children were in her future, looked puzzled but hadn’t commented further. Dani supposed that she, too, wondered why Dani was going through with this pregnancy. She was grateful that Jenna hadn’t actually asked the question, because she was tired of trying to explain.
She still hadn’t called home with her news for the same reason. Her sisters would grill her, and she just wasn’t up to that. Day to day was her new motto.
On Mother’s Day, Dani and her sisters connected via Skype, all four of them at the same time. They’d started the tradition the year after their mother’s death, back when Mattie was twenty-one, Dani sixteen, Sage twelve and Callan only eight. They’d been at such different stages back then. Mattie had been married and a new mother herself, Dani in High School had been making plans to leave home when suddenly she was in charge of looking after her
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