Page 41 of My Horrible Arranged Marriage (Bancroft Billionaire Brothers #20)

MINA

T he waiting room was quiet, save for the soft hum of a ceiling fan and the occasional rustle of a magazine page being turned.

I sat in one of the chairs that was pretty uncomfortable.

I kept my hands clasped tightly in my lap, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach.

Tori sat beside me, her presence a steadying force as always.

She was flipping through a parenting magazine, her brow furrowed in concentration like she was studying for an exam.

“You’re staring,” she said without looking up.

“I’m not staring,” I lied, shifting my gaze to the abstract painting on the wall. It was all swirls of blue and green, meant to be calming, but it just made me feel more restless.

The other walls were covered with posters of babies, toddlers, and pregnant women.

There was a children’s play area that was currently empty.

The magazines were all about babies and parenting.

I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want to read any of it.

Part of me was still not sure it was real.

I had read the statistics. There was always a chance I could miscarry.

I had been on birth control for a long time.

I didn’t want to really embrace the idea of being pregnant until a doctor told me it was real.

That I was healthy and there would be no reason to think the pregnancy wouldn’t go to full term.

“You’re totally staring,” she said, finally glancing at me with a small smile. “Relax, Mina. It’s just the first visit. You’re fine.”

“I know,” I said quickly, too quickly. “I’m just... nervous.”

Tori set the magazine down and turned to face me fully. “Why? You’ve been feeling okay, right? No weird symptoms or anything?”

“No, nothing like that,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just everything feels so real now. Like, this is happening. We’re really doing this.”

“You’re going to be an amazing mom, Mina. And Isaac—he’s going to be great too.”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly tight. “What if he’s not happy about this?”

“Then he shouldn’t have come inside you.”

“Tori!”

She shrugged. “It’s true.”

“What if he’s upset that I didn’t tell him and he didn’t get to be here for this first appointment?” I asked. “Is this bad? Wrong?”

“Mina, you’re overthinking this. You’re doing what’s best for you right now.

If Isaac loves you—and I know he does—he’ll understand.

He’ll be here for the next one. And the one after that.

This is just the beginning. This is you confirming there’s a little peanut growing in there.

I’m guessing there are a lot of first-time fathers who don’t do this appointment. ”

I nodded, though the knot in my stomach didn’t loosen.

She was right, of course. Tori always was.

But there was still that nagging voice in the back of my head, whispering all the what-ifs.

What if he wasn’t ready? What if this changed everything between us?

What if he resented me for not telling him sooner?

The door to the exam room opened, and a nurse stepped out, clipboard in hand. “Mina Duvall?”

I stood quickly, my heart pounding. “That’s me.”

“Right this way,” she said with a warm smile.

Tori gave me an encouraging nod as I followed the nurse down the hallway.

“Good morning, Mina,” Dr. Lily said, glancing between me and Tori. “First appointment. Exciting stuff.”

“Exciting,” I echoed, my voice higher than normal. My palms were damp. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. I was here. I was doing this. A doctor’s office, an actual OB-GYN. This wasn’t just a secret I carried around in my heart anymore. This was real.

Tori gave me a supportive smile. “She’s been anxious,” Tori told him. “Nervous wreck, really.”

“Gee, thanks,” I muttered.

Dr. Lily chuckled and sat on the stool beside me, opening my file on the screen. “Perfectly normal. Nerves are part of the process. This is a big transition. I’ll walk you through everything step by step, and you just ask if anything feels overwhelming, alright?”

I nodded quickly. “Okay. Yes. Thank you.”

The appointment went smoother than I expected.

He reviewed my bloodwork from the hospital, confirmed my pregnancy was progressing normally, and scheduled my first ultrasound which damn near gave me a panic attack.

The ultrasound was two weeks after the wedding.

Two weeks. I’d be a married woman by then.

Mina Bancroft. Mrs. Isaac Bancroft. That still felt like a costume I was trying on, but one I liked more every day.

“Big plans before the next appointment?” Dr. Lily asked as he typed something into the system.

I gave a breathy laugh. “I’m planning a wedding with my crazy father who wants to invite every person he’s ever shaken hands with.”

His brows rose. “The best thing you can do for yourself, and this baby, is to avoid stress.”

Tori and I both laughed like it was the funniest joke we’d ever heard.

“Is that even a possibility?” I laughed nervously.

“Probably not,” Dr. Lily said with a sympathetic smile. “But try to delegate where you can. And don’t forget to take time for yourself. Even if it’s just five minutes to breathe and center yourself. It’s important.”

I nodded, though the idea of finding five minutes of peace in the chaos of wedding planning felt like a pipe dream. Still, I appreciated the sentiment.

“Alright,” he said, closing my file. “You’re all set for now. I’ll see you in a month. And remember, if you have any questions or concerns before then, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“You okay?” Tori asked as we walked out to the parking lot.

“Yeah,” I said, though my voice wavered slightly. “I think so. It’s just... a lot.”

“It is,” she agreed. “But you’ve got this. And you’ve got Isaac. And me. And your dad, even if he’s driving you crazy right now.”

I laughed softly. “I was just thinking my baby is going to be a Bancroft. I don’t even know the names and faces of that family. I should be learning. My child is going to need to know.”

We stopped for smoothies, both of us giddy and light on our feet. It felt good, walking out into the sunshine with this little secret blooming bigger inside me by the day.

We passed a baby boutique on the way back to the car and I froze, staring at the soft, pastel window display.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Can we go in?”

Tori just grinned. “Lead the way, mama.”

Inside was heaven. And danger. Danger because everything was so adorable and tiny and overpriced, and I had zero self-control. It was like stepping into a whole new world. So much shopping. Toys. Baby paraphernalia.

“This stuff is so cute!” Tori squealed.

The shoes nearly did us in. “I want them all,” I said.

“Do you want a boy or girl?” Tori asked as she held up a frilly pink dress.

“Both.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That could get… complicated.”

“I want minimum two kids,” I said. “I’d be happy with six.”

“Woman, you’re nuts.”

I bought three different onesies because I couldn’t decide. One said Born to Rule in gold script. One had a little lion cub on the butt. One was a pastel yellow, soft and perfect. I bought them all. Along with a ridiculously plush baby blanket I kept pressing to my face, trying not to cry.

Tori wandered the aisles with me, tossing in cute little socks and baby booties and hats shaped like bear ears. At one point she held up a pair of infant sunglasses. “Fashion icon in the making.”

“Okay,” I said as we checked out. “I think I know how I’m going to tell him.”

Tori leaned in like she’d been waiting for this all morning. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to give him this on our wedding night,” I said. “I’m going to put the blanket, the onesies, the tiny toys, and a cute card in a box.”

I pictured him opening it, piecing it together slowly, maybe even tearing up. His big, warm hands holding that impossibly small outfit. His grin. His shock. His joy. And then he’d kiss me. He would spin me around and tell me how happy he was.

“He’s going to freak out in the best way,” Tori said, gripping my arm. “I’m sure of it. He might be a little shocked at first but he’s going to be thrilled.”

I laughed, but my eyes got blurry again. I blamed the hormones.

“I think it’s the right time,” I said, clutching the bag to my chest. “I know it’s a lot, and fast, and everything has happened backasswards. But I really think he’s going to be happy.”

“I know he will be,” she said. “Even if he has a brief freak-out moment, which let’s be honest, any man would. I’ve never seen you like this before. He’s going to feed off your joy and excitement.

I bit my lip and glanced down at my stomach, still flat and giving away nothing. “I hope so.”

I’d waited so long to feel this kind of peace. I didn’t want to let fear ruin it now.

We left the store arm in arm, squinting into the summer sun, and for a few perfect moments, nothing else mattered.

That night, after dinner with my father, I went up to my room and spread everything out on my bed.

The blanket, the onesie, the little socks, the card I found.

I arranged and rearranged, trying to make it perfect.

It was silly, probably. He wouldn’t care about the presentation. He’d care about the message.

But this was my first gift to the baby’s father. To my fiancé. To the man I loved. It mattered.

Just as I finished tying the ribbon around the box, my phone pinged.

Isaac: What’s my girl up to tonight?

I smiled and typed back quickly: Just wrapping a surprise. But you don’t get to see it until our wedding night.

Isaac: I’m dying of curiosity already.

Me: Good. That’s the point.

Isaac: I love you.

I stared at the screen for a second longer than I meant to. My heart thudded like it always did when he said it so plainly. Not over the top. Not dramatic. Just the truth.

I quickly tapped out my reply. I love you too.

I set my phone down, crawled into bed beside the pretty little box. “You’re going to have the best dad in the world.”

The next few weeks might be a whirlwind, but I wasn’t scared of the chaos. I was ready for it. All of it. I saw a beautiful warm light at the end of the tunnel. The last year had been hell, and now I saw nothing but happiness ahead of me.