call, “I’ll get it.”
Ashley smiled. Landon was a great dad, a great husband. He never complained about helping with the boys or going the extra distance to make her feel comfortable. He was always one step ahead of her.
“Ashley.” He walked down the hallway and into their bedroom. His brow was knit, his eyes veiled in concern. “It’s the doctor.”
She wrinkled her nose as she took the phone. The doctor would be seeing them later this morning. Why would she call now? Ashley pressed the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”
“Ashley . . . this is Dr. Amy McDaniel.” She paused. “You’re still coming in today for your ultrasound, right?”
“I am.” Ashley’s heart pounded, and her throat felt dry. Landon was waiting a few feet away. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
Ashley braced herself against the dresser and hung her head. Nothing was wrong; it couldn’t be. She refused the doctor’s words and forced herself to listen for the explanation. The explanation that had to be coming.
“Your alpha-fetoprotein test came back high.” The doctor’s tone grew reassuring. “That might not mean anything, but with a high AFP test, we like to make sure you’re not alone at the ultrasound. In case we find a problem.”
Ashley’s mind was racing. “AFP? That’s the blood test I took last time I was in?”
“Yes.” Dr. McDaniel was a mother herself. She had five kids and a fantastic bedside manner. She had delivered several of the Baxter babies. But her normally upbeat attitude was greatly subdued today. She sighed. “We use the AFP as a way of screening for a number of issues.”
AFP. Ashley closed her eyes and thought back to the days when she’d returned from France, pregnant and single and afraid, and sat in a doctor’s office with her mother. Yes, that’s where she’d heard this before. “Wait.” She opened her eyes. Landon moved closer beside her, his face paler than before. She reached for his hand. “I had a high AFP test with my first child—with Cole.”
“And he was healthy?”
“Very much so.” Ashley felt herself begin to relax.
“Okay, good.” The doctor sounded somewhat relieved. “Ninety percent of the time a high AFP test means nothing. Either way, you’ll be bringing someone today?”
“Yes.” She looked at Landon. “My husband.”
“Very well. We’ll see you at eleven, then.”
Ashley hung up and tried to give Landon a reassuring look. “My AFP test was high, same as it was for Cole.”
“Oh.” Landon blinked. He still looked nervous. “I haven’t heard of that before.”
“Me either. Not before Cole, anyway.” She set the phone down on the dresser and slipped her arms around Landon’s waist. “That time I was with my mom at the doctor’s office. I remember being scared to death when they told me.” She thought for a moment. “My mom called my dad, and he told me not to worry. Just because it’s high doesn’t mean anything’s wrong.”
Landon linked his hands near the small of her back. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” He leaned in and kissed her, his lips lingering on hers. He smiled. “Let’s not let it bring us down. This is the big day.”
“Right.” She found a tentative smile. “Exactly.”
But there was no way to escape the shadow the doctor’s call cast across the morning. They saw Cole off to school, and as he headed toward the front gate, he turned and waved at them. “When I get home you can tell me what my brother looks like.”
“Get to school.” Landon grinned and waved one last time.
They headed toward Kari’s house, where Devin would spend the morning. She loved having him over, loved watching the way her own little RJ doted on his younger cousin. The idea was that Ashley and Landon could experience the ultrasound without interruption and then go out to lunch afterwards to celebrate. But after they dropped Devin off, Ashley couldn’t help but think that maybe they’d need time alone for
Ashley smiled. Landon was a great dad, a great husband. He never complained about helping with the boys or going the extra distance to make her feel comfortable. He was always one step ahead of her.
“Ashley.” He walked down the hallway and into their bedroom. His brow was knit, his eyes veiled in concern. “It’s the doctor.”
She wrinkled her nose as she took the phone. The doctor would be seeing them later this morning. Why would she call now? Ashley pressed the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”
“Ashley . . . this is Dr. Amy McDaniel.” She paused. “You’re still coming in today for your ultrasound, right?”
“I am.” Ashley’s heart pounded, and her throat felt dry. Landon was waiting a few feet away. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
Ashley braced herself against the dresser and hung her head. Nothing was wrong; it couldn’t be. She refused the doctor’s words and forced herself to listen for the explanation. The explanation that had to be coming.
“Your alpha-fetoprotein test came back high.” The doctor’s tone grew reassuring. “That might not mean anything, but with a high AFP test, we like to make sure you’re not alone at the ultrasound. In case we find a problem.”
Ashley’s mind was racing. “AFP? That’s the blood test I took last time I was in?”
“Yes.” Dr. McDaniel was a mother herself. She had five kids and a fantastic bedside manner. She had delivered several of the Baxter babies. But her normally upbeat attitude was greatly subdued today. She sighed. “We use the AFP as a way of screening for a number of issues.”
AFP. Ashley closed her eyes and thought back to the days when she’d returned from France, pregnant and single and afraid, and sat in a doctor’s office with her mother. Yes, that’s where she’d heard this before. “Wait.” She opened her eyes. Landon moved closer beside her, his face paler than before. She reached for his hand. “I had a high AFP test with my first child—with Cole.”
“And he was healthy?”
“Very much so.” Ashley felt herself begin to relax.
“Okay, good.” The doctor sounded somewhat relieved. “Ninety percent of the time a high AFP test means nothing. Either way, you’ll be bringing someone today?”
“Yes.” She looked at Landon. “My husband.”
“Very well. We’ll see you at eleven, then.”
Ashley hung up and tried to give Landon a reassuring look. “My AFP test was high, same as it was for Cole.”
“Oh.” Landon blinked. He still looked nervous. “I haven’t heard of that before.”
“Me either. Not before Cole, anyway.” She set the phone down on the dresser and slipped her arms around Landon’s waist. “That time I was with my mom at the doctor’s office. I remember being scared to death when they told me.” She thought for a moment. “My mom called my dad, and he told me not to worry. Just because it’s high doesn’t mean anything’s wrong.”
Landon linked his hands near the small of her back. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” He leaned in and kissed her, his lips lingering on hers. He smiled. “Let’s not let it bring us down. This is the big day.”
“Right.” She found a tentative smile. “Exactly.”
But there was no way to escape the shadow the doctor’s call cast across the morning. They saw Cole off to school, and as he headed toward the front gate, he turned and waved at them. “When I get home you can tell me what my brother looks like.”
“Get to school.” Landon grinned and waved one last time.
They headed toward Kari’s house, where Devin would spend the morning. She loved having him over, loved watching the way her own little RJ doted on his younger cousin. The idea was that Ashley and Landon could experience the ultrasound without interruption and then go out to lunch afterwards to celebrate. But after they dropped Devin off, Ashley couldn’t help but think that maybe they’d need time alone for
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