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When they arrived at Dr. Arocha’s office,Autumn walked in with a foreign confidence, with her friend by her side. Theytook a seat in the waiting room and Autumn held her head up high. It was stupidand trivial to let a small detail matter so much, but sitting there withanother person, in a sea of coupled-up people, had her feeling like shebelonged. She even smiled at the two women sitting across from them.

“Autumn?” the nurse asked from the doorway.

Kate stood when Autumn did, and they lookedat each other. Oh, she was coming to the exam room as well? Kate didn’t messaround. “You don’t have to come back if you—”

“Stop saying that,” Kate said. “I’ve neverbeen to a place like this.”

She grinned. “Then I will not get in the wayof this unique experience for you.”

“Thank you,” Kate said, and they joined thenurse, a short, blond woman with a giant smile.

“You two make a striking couple,” the nursesaid, as they rounded the corner to Exam Room Two.

“Oh, we’re not—”

“Thank you,” Kate said, and shot Autumn anamused smile and shrug of her shoulders. Autumn met Kate’s eyes and shook herhead, chastising Kate silently. Secretly, she didn’t mind playing house withKate.

“Right through here,” the woman said, and ledthem to a small exam room. “Change into this gown, and flip the switch on thewall to let Dr. Arocha know you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Kate said, and closed the doorbehind the nurse. They looked at each other.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Autumn said.

“She said we looked good. All I did was thankher.” Kate gestured with her chin. “Aren’t you supposed to put that on?”

Autumn glanced at the blue and white gown.“Right. I guess I should.” Well, this was awkward and the opposite of sexy inevery way. Kate had seen her without clothes on, but this was different,clinical and by the clear light of day.

Kate gestured behind her. “I’ll just face thewall, so you can—”

“Awesome. Great. Yeah. Should just take asecond and then—”

“No, take your time,” Kate said, no longersounding as calm and in control. Autumn happened to like seeing her feathersruffled for a change. She slipped quickly into the gown, hopped up on thetable, and turned to Kate.

“Decent. You can turn around again.”

Kate smiled apprehensively and took a seatbehind Autumn and the exam table. They sat in silence for a few moments beforeKate slipped her hand into Autumn’s. “Moral support,” she said quietly andstared at the wall. Autumn gave Kate’s hand a squeeze.

“For a firefighter, you’re kind of a softy.”

“Am not,” Kate said. But when she returnedher gaze to Autumn’s, there was a twinkle in her eye. “Okay, maybe a little.Where certain people are concerned.”

“Are you the type that rescues cats fromtrees?”

“Firefighters don’t do that anymore,” Katetold her matter-of-factly.

“I see.”

A pause. “I do, though.”

Autumn laughed. “See? Total softy.”

They smiled at each other. “So, what’s itlike?” Kate asked, turning fully to face her. “Knowing you’re on your way tobeing a mom?”

Autumn took a minute, as it was the firsttime anyone had asked her that question. “It’s a little scary, if I’m beinghonest. A lot of exciting, mixed with a dash of hurry-up-and-happen-already.”

“I can imagine. Know what I think?”

“What?”