Page 27

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Crystal, Shar, and I tucked ourselves into our upstairs bedroom while the boys celebrated below us. Crystal shut the door and flipped the lock as Shar settled on my bed cross-legged and snatched a pillow to hug. Her face was blotchy, her eyes red-rimmed, but her breathing had settled.

Crystal perched beside her and I sat at the edge of the bed. “So . . . your due date would be when?”

Sharla sniffed. “Probably November sometime? I don’t remember exactly when my last period ended.”

I counted out the months from June. Rob would be back in September, so that was good.

Shar twisted the corner of the pillow between her fingers.

“I was going to tell Rob when we got back. I had this plan. I knew I was late. I took a test before we left and the line was super faint, but I still bought this little Douglas baby hat and was going to give it to him after I checked again but—” Her voice cracked.

Crystal leaned her head on Shar’s shoulder. “Nothing has changed, babe.”

Shar shook her head. “It has. You saw his face. He has this opportunity—once in a lifetime. And even though it’s only three months, if he does well, there will be more?—”

“But you can go with him,” I countered.

“Not unless I want to drop out of school! And with a baby?” Her eyes filled again, but she blinked fast, pressing her fingers against her temple. “He won’t be able to focus. I can’t take that from him.”

I blew out a breath. She had a point. “Okay. Let’s game this out. Look at the options.”

Crystal nodded. “Yes, please.”

I chewed my lower lip, thinking. “Option one—the obvious one—you keep the baby, and Rob still goes. You stay in school. You figure it out here.”

Shar’s jaw tightened. “Alone.”

“Not alone,” I said firmly. “You have us. Rob’s family.” I wasn’t going to mention hers since she hadn’t fully ironed things out with them yet, and I didn’t blame her. “You’d have support. But it would be hard.”

She nodded slowly, not arguing.

“Option two,” I continued, “you have the baby, but you go with him. You take a semester off. Maybe defer some classes. You’d be there for the start of everything with him.”

Shar’s eyes flicked to the wall, considering.

“But that changes your path,” Crystal added gently. “Graduation and everything. It puts that on hold.”

Shar blew out a breath. “And we’d probably have to pay for our own housing. I'd be pregnant in a new place, trying to figure out healthcare in another province.”

I nodded. “Yeah. So then there's option three. You don’t keep the baby. There’s adoption or . . . “

The room fell silent.

Shar blinked hard, looking down at her lap. “No. Neither of those are options.”

I exhaled slowly. I wasn’t going to judge her in the least for considering them. “Okay. Then I think you have to tell Rob.”

Shar’s lip trembled. “Rob wants to be a dad.” She leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. I gave her a minute. “I don’t want to tell him yet. I want him to just be happy. He’s worked so hard . . . ”

Crystal rubbed her knee. “Then don’t. Tell him when you want to.”

I opened my mouth to agree with her when the door handle jiggled. All three of us jumped.

“Hey, Mads? Is Shar in there?”

Rob’s voice. Crystal and I stared at Sharla.

“Yep! Just chatting.” Shar tried to make her voice sound cheery and mostly succeeded.

There was a pause. Then Rob said, “You okay?”

Shar teared up again, and another knock sounded. “Mads, open the door.”

I gave Shar a questioning look. Tears welled in her eyes, and she motioned for me to open the door. “You sure?” I whispered. Shar nodded.

“Mads—”

“I’m coming, geez.” I dropped off the bed and walked to the door. As soon as I flicked the lock, Rob turned the handle and stormed in. He scanned the room fast. Sharla. Crystal. Me. The tissue box. The puffy faces.

His jaw tightened. “What the hell is going on?” He rushed forward, dropping to his knees at the side of the bed. “Is this about the offer? I can?—”

“No.” Sharla swiped at her cheeks, then turned to him. “I’m so proud of you, Rob. I can’t even—” She pursed her lips, sucking in a shaky breath. “I didn’t want to tell you today. I didn’t want to make this day about anything else.”

“Tell me what?” Rob searched her eyes.

She pulled the test from her pocket and handed it to him. “I’m pregnant.”

For a long moment, he didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Then his hand lifted, cupping her jaw. “You’re . . . ?”

“I’m so sorry. This messes up everything—” she started, but Rob held a finger to her lips.

“You will not apologize right now.” His voice was raw, his breath stilted. “Holy shit,” he murmured, then stood and scooped her off the bed. “I’m going to be a dad?” He wrapped her in his arms. “I’m going to be a dad?” he repeated into her hair.

I stepped back, tears welling in my eyes. I felt like I was intruding on something sacred, but I couldn’t look away.

Rob pulled back, planting kisses over Sharla’s forehead, her cheeks, murmuring “I love you,” over and over again, then raised his voice and yelled, “Boys, get your asses up here now! I’m going to be a frigging dad!”

_____

By the time I pulled into my apartment complex, it felt like Friday night had happened in another lifetime.

After much discussion over the weekend and with Shar’s insistence, Rob had made his decision.

He was going with the travel team. The opportunity was too rare to turn down, and they were sure they could figure out the logistics.

I was emotionally spent when I stepped out of the truck and took my bag from Axel, setting it on the curb.

I walked up to the familiar brick of the building but paused at the walkway.

My Rabbit was parked in its usual spot beneath the half-dead maple tree, but something green fluttered against the windshield.

I frowned, left my bag next to the grass and crossed the street. A Post-It note clung to the glass, stuck under the wiper on the driver’s side.

I plucked it free and found two words. Miss You.

I blinked and read them again. My eyes scanned the car, heart already speeding.

The first thing I noticed was the wipers. They were aligned. Snug against the windshield. Then I noticed another flash of green on the passenger seat and yanked open the door. What the hell?

Resting on the seat was a swirl of black plastic, and there was a piece of tape on one end with a handwritten note that said, Old and very cracked vacuum hoses. Dangerous. I laughed out loud, thinking of Chase digging under the hood after our first committee meeting.

I picked up the second Post-It. Please lock your car.

I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth to smother the laugh threatening to escape. My cheeks burned from the grin that spread like wildfire across my face as I scanned the street, wondering if he was still there, watching.

Chase. I missed him so much it hurt. I couldn’t wait to see him at our study sessions and at the same time had been dreading it.

Because we still hadn’t solved anything.

I was still chasing a future across the ocean, he was still not on the market for a student like me, and he still didn’t know where he was going next.

Still.

I grinned and grabbed the hoses and his notes, then pressed down the locks on the door, and ran back to the sidewalk.

Somehow I survived until Tuesday afternoon. My heart was nearing palpitations as I crossed campus to the North Centre. I walked in early, praying that I’d find Chase alone and could talk with him for a second before anyone showed up.

But as I swung the door open, every hopeful thought slipped through my fingers like water.

Lamont stood at the chalkboard, his hands on his hips.

He smiled approvingly. “Maddie. Prompt. I like that.”

I blinked. “I . . . didn’t know you were attending today.”

Lamont strode toward a table at the end of the row. “Last minute change, I’m afraid. I’ll be here the rest of the semester.”

The air seemed to thin. “Oh, really? Why is that?”

“Coach Kaplan’s wife was in a serious accident last week. Broadsided downtown. He’s taking an indefinite leave to care for her.”

My heart lurched. “That’s terrible. Is she okay?”

“She’ll recover, but it’s going to be an uphill road. She’ll need full-time help. Coach Wilson stepped in as assistant coach. Just confirmed it yesterday. Which means I’m stepping in for him.”

I nodded, too stunned to speak.

Lamont patted the chair next to him. “Please. Fill me in.”