obviously.”
“Well, I’d like to believe he has a few redeeming qualities, but from what I know of him, he’s scum of the earth.” I clench my fists.
“I had a pregnancy test the Sunday he took me to the doctor. It was negative.”
I sigh. Negative. “I thought you said you didn’t know who the father was?”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I explained the situation. The doctor said there is no way to know. Just because it was negative that day, doesn’t mean it’s not yours.” She picks her jug back up and takes another sip. “I was given an antibiotic. It made my birth control not work. Sperm can live a long time. They said it’s hard to say at this point.”
I slouch in my seat. “Unbelievable.”
“I promise. You can ask my doctor yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“No, I get it. You need to call Ian.” I can’t believe I am even recommending this, but she does. He deserves to know.
“I don’t even know what to say to him. I’m so confused.” She throws her hands up in the air. “All of these pregnancy hormones. They’re driving me nuts.”
“Do you love him?” I can tell by the way she talks about him that she at the very least cares for him.
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do.”
“You think I know...” She cocks her head and squints her eyes. “Or you think I love him?”
“I think you care about him. I think there’s a good chance you love him.”
“I love you.”
I look away. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For making you fall in love with me and not being able to reciprocate that.” I glance back over to her. “You need to call him.”
“Okay. But what does that mean for you?”
“Well, obviously I want the paternity test. That’s clearly not going to happen anytime soon. So until then, I’m just going to act as if this child is mine. I’ll come by every day and check on you. I want to be notified if something changes. I don’t want to miss my potential child’s birth. But I think Ian should be able to decide those things for himself. I don’t think it’s right to make him miss the birth of his potential child because you’re secretly hoping it’s mine.”
“Ugh. You’re right.”
“I wish I wasn’t. I wish this wasn’t happening, but it is. We have to make the right decisions moving forward. It’s not just about us.”
She nods, and a movement in the crack of the door catches my eye. There’s a small knock, and we both say to come in. I’m shocked to see it’s Gabby. I turn my head to the side. I wonder how long she’s been out there and what she’s heard. I look over to Veronica and put my pointer finger up to signal one minute. “I’ll be right back.”
I tug Gabby back into the hall and pull her into an embrace, inhaling her scent. She freezes into place and drops the bags she’s holding. She slowly wraps her arms around my body. “Everything okay?” she whispers.
I kiss her hair. “No. It’s an apeshit mess.”
That makes her giggle. “I’m sorry.” She picks up the bags and hands them to me. “Your phone. It was going straight to voicemail.”
“I should have known better than to think you’d be able to get through. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You probably weren’t. It’s not like you have nothing on your mind.”
I smile and chuckle. “You’re amazing. Thank you for the food.”
“You’re welcome. Will you call me when you leave?”
“I will. I won’t be much longer.”
She nods. I can see disappointment in her eyes. I know she’s trying to be strong. I move the stray piece of hair to behind her ears. “Be careful on the way home.”
She leans into my touch. “I will. UIOLYOEV.” She rattles that off so fast. It’s such a tongue teaser. I love it when she says it, though. She made it up one day as a way of telling me she loved me in public so we didn’t seem sappy and gross people out.
I shake my head. “Ditto that.” I kiss her forehead and she turns on her
“Well, I’d like to believe he has a few redeeming qualities, but from what I know of him, he’s scum of the earth.” I clench my fists.
“I had a pregnancy test the Sunday he took me to the doctor. It was negative.”
I sigh. Negative. “I thought you said you didn’t know who the father was?”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I explained the situation. The doctor said there is no way to know. Just because it was negative that day, doesn’t mean it’s not yours.” She picks her jug back up and takes another sip. “I was given an antibiotic. It made my birth control not work. Sperm can live a long time. They said it’s hard to say at this point.”
I slouch in my seat. “Unbelievable.”
“I promise. You can ask my doctor yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“No, I get it. You need to call Ian.” I can’t believe I am even recommending this, but she does. He deserves to know.
“I don’t even know what to say to him. I’m so confused.” She throws her hands up in the air. “All of these pregnancy hormones. They’re driving me nuts.”
“Do you love him?” I can tell by the way she talks about him that she at the very least cares for him.
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do.”
“You think I know...” She cocks her head and squints her eyes. “Or you think I love him?”
“I think you care about him. I think there’s a good chance you love him.”
“I love you.”
I look away. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For making you fall in love with me and not being able to reciprocate that.” I glance back over to her. “You need to call him.”
“Okay. But what does that mean for you?”
“Well, obviously I want the paternity test. That’s clearly not going to happen anytime soon. So until then, I’m just going to act as if this child is mine. I’ll come by every day and check on you. I want to be notified if something changes. I don’t want to miss my potential child’s birth. But I think Ian should be able to decide those things for himself. I don’t think it’s right to make him miss the birth of his potential child because you’re secretly hoping it’s mine.”
“Ugh. You’re right.”
“I wish I wasn’t. I wish this wasn’t happening, but it is. We have to make the right decisions moving forward. It’s not just about us.”
She nods, and a movement in the crack of the door catches my eye. There’s a small knock, and we both say to come in. I’m shocked to see it’s Gabby. I turn my head to the side. I wonder how long she’s been out there and what she’s heard. I look over to Veronica and put my pointer finger up to signal one minute. “I’ll be right back.”
I tug Gabby back into the hall and pull her into an embrace, inhaling her scent. She freezes into place and drops the bags she’s holding. She slowly wraps her arms around my body. “Everything okay?” she whispers.
I kiss her hair. “No. It’s an apeshit mess.”
That makes her giggle. “I’m sorry.” She picks up the bags and hands them to me. “Your phone. It was going straight to voicemail.”
“I should have known better than to think you’d be able to get through. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You probably weren’t. It’s not like you have nothing on your mind.”
I smile and chuckle. “You’re amazing. Thank you for the food.”
“You’re welcome. Will you call me when you leave?”
“I will. I won’t be much longer.”
She nods. I can see disappointment in her eyes. I know she’s trying to be strong. I move the stray piece of hair to behind her ears. “Be careful on the way home.”
She leans into my touch. “I will. UIOLYOEV.” She rattles that off so fast. It’s such a tongue teaser. I love it when she says it, though. She made it up one day as a way of telling me she loved me in public so we didn’t seem sappy and gross people out.
I shake my head. “Ditto that.” I kiss her forehead and she turns on her
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