Page 8 of The Unexpected Lineup (Lost in Translation #2)

TOO BAD I CAN’T WRITE FIRST NAME MASKED, LAST NAME MAN AS A FATHER ON THE BABY’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

HAISLEY

Present

Early January

The day after the trade news

“ Y ou’re pregnant.”

Everything in me freezes upon hearing those not-so-little words. It can’t be true. No way in hell. Just no.

“Haisley, did you hear me?” Dr. Pearson asks.

After staring at my worried doctor for what feels like an eternity, I whisper, “Excuse me?”

“We ran a few tests to see what could have caused your symptoms. Your pregnancy test came back positive?—”

“But I have an IUD!” My voice rises, disbelieving. I press my nails against my palms, mostly likely leaving marks. The dull pain grounds me in the situation I have found myself in.

“That’s another thing we need to check,” she says calmly. “If you still have an IUD, it can be harmful to the fetus, and we need to consider your options.”

“I don’t need options—give me answers.”

“I understand.” Her expression softens further. “I’ll ask a sonographer to do a routine check for you. It might take some time until she can get here, so try to relax.”

Relax? She’s expecting me to relax during the most shocking news of my life? No way in hell. I think I manage to say something incoherent in agreement.

Dr. Pearson takes a few steps toward me, gently squeezing my shoulder. “I promise it’ll get easier after you’ve processed the news. For now, we need to make sure everything’s okay.”

My throat feels too tight to form words, so I only manage a stiff nod while a tear runs down my cheek.

Another tear escapes as the door clicks shut behind her, signaling that I’m finally alone.

Then another follows, leaving a little wet trail behind it.

My chest heaves as the dam breaks inside me.

The tears blur my vision as I clutch my arms around my stomach, where a new life could be growing right now. A baby.

My baby.

The thought echoes in my mind, both a comfort and a weight I can barely carry.

I’ve wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember.

The memory of playing house with my dolls flashes behind my eyes—how I cradled them, wrapped them in blankets, and sang lullabies that I learned from my biological mother before her passing.

Back then, the entire dream of motherhood was innocent and untouched by reality .

I never expected it to happen, not in the way it did.

Still, I can’t ignore the flicker of hope building inside me.

This tiny, fragile possibility of a new life might be what I’ve been waiting for.

My reason to make changes in my life. The tears don’t stop with that realization, but the heaviness eases.

They aren’t tears of fear and uncertainty anymore.

They’re mixed with something else now—something that resembles love for my unborn child and hope for our future together.

With that thought, the urgency to have my best friend by my side for the ultrasound fills me. I can’t imagine going through this journey alone, and Soph would jump at the chance to be here for me. Her unwavering support is exactly what I need right now.

My fingers fumble through my overpacked bag in search of my phone.

Why do I always carry so much shit and useless junk around?

Tossing an old receipt, my headphone case, and a half-eaten protein bar onto the table beside me, I keep digging into my big, forest green tote bag from last year’s collection by my favorite designer.

Finally, my hand closes around the bright purple phone case, and relief floods me. With shaky fingers, I unlock the screen and call Soph. The phone rings twice and she answers.

“What’s up? How was your appointment?”

Her voice calms me instantly, even if I don’t know what to reply to her. When I don’t say anything, only letting a choked sob escape, her voice takes an edge.

“Haisley, is everything okay? Do you need me to come to get you?”

“P-p-please do,” I stammer between my tears. “I need you. ”

“Is it something bad? Fuck, are you dying?”

I shake my head instinctively before realizing she can’t see me. “No, but I’m in shock.”

“What is it?”

“I’m p-p-pregnant.”

The silence falls on the line. It’s deafening, making my heart race even faster. I pull the phone to check to see if the call disconnected. But no—it’s still on.

“Seriously, Haisley, did you just say what I think you did?” Soph finally asks, disbelief evident in her voice.

The absurdity of the entire situation makes me laugh. A shaky, tear-filled sound leaving my mouth catches me off guard. “Yeah, I’m pregnant.”

“Are you still at the doctor’s office?” Soph asks.

“Yeah,” I mumble. “They need to do an ultrasound to see what’s up with my IUD.”

“Oh shit, I forgot you had that!”

“Me too. But somehow, this stubborn baby decided to make me a mom anyway,” I say with another chuckle leaving my lips. “They’re headstrong from the start.”

Soph snorts, and the sound is like a balm to my nerves.

“Wait a sec,” she says, and I can almost picture her narrowing her eyes in question. “Who’s the father?”

Shit. I was so in shock with the news that I didn’t even stop to think about that before. But there’s only one possibility.

My cheeks flush as I whisper, “Masked Man. ”

The line goes silent again until Soph bursts into laughter. Her cackles are loud and unapologetic, a perfect reflection of her. “Fuck, H. I’m sorry for laughing, but your reply was pure gold in my eyes.”

“Tell me about it,” I say again, with the corners of my mouth twitching upward despite the situation I have found myself in. “Too bad I can’t write first name Masked, last name Man as a father on the baby’s birth certificate.”

“Well, it’s better than a blank space, I guess?”

“If you say so.”

“So,” she says, her tone turning serious again. “What are you going to do about the father?”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought that far. I only got the news before I called you. But it would make sense to at least try to find him. He deserves to know about the baby.”

“Totally. Do you still want me to come over? I’ll be there in fifteen.”

My throat tightens as fresh tears spring to my eyes in appreciation of Soph. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll need all the support I can get.”

“Say no more. See you soon.”

“Thanks, chica. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The line goes dead, and I lower the phone to the table beside my other stuff. For the first time since hearing the news, I take a deep, shuddering breath and close my eyes, centering myself.

One step at a time, Haisley. Just one step at a time. You’ve got this.

Twenty minutes later, there’s a knock on the door, and a woman walks in. She’s dressed in pastel yellow scrubs with daisies, and her aura is very calming. I instantly like her. Behind her is Soph, who brings me peace with her presence.

“Miss Lavigne,” the woman says, glancing at the clipboard in her hand, offering me a warm smile after. “My name’s Holly and I’m here to do your first ultrasound scan. Your friend mentioned that you’d be alright with her joining us?”

“That’s right,” I reply and get up from the chair. “And please, call me Haisley.”

Holly sets her clipboard on the counter and wheels a compact machine closer to the examination area. While she’s getting the equipment ready, Soph steps forward, her arms already opening for me. I sink into her hug.

“I’m here for anything you need,” she whispers.

A smile trembles on my lips as I cling to her. Soph’s presence soothes the storm full of emotions inside me, though my chest still feels tight with all the nerves.

Pulling back, I swipe my damp cheeks with my shirt sleeve and glance at Holly. “What happens now?”

“We’ll ensure your baby is doing well and everything looks normal. Can you estimate how many weeks it’s been since the conception?”

My cheeks feeling warmer, I tell her, “It happened the weekend before Halloween.”

“I’ll confirm it later, but that was around ten weeks ago if my math is correct. In that case, we can do an abdominal ultrasound, if you prefer that one instead of transvaginal,” she explains as she arranges her equipment and gestures toward the exam table.

“Let’s try an abdominal one first.”

Holly nods. “Whenever you’re ready. Take your time.”

Soph helps me to the table, her hand never leaving mine. I lie back, the paper crinkling under me, and focus on the warmth of my best friend’s presence instead of the nerves twisting in my stomach.

Holly smiles reassuringly as she puts on a pair of rubber gloves. “If you lift your top a little and lower the waistband of your pants, we’ll get started.”

I do as she says, cool air hitting my skin as I expose my belly. A shiver of anticipation runs through me, and my eyes dart to Soph. She reaches out, her touch grounding me.

“This gel will feel a little cold against your skin,” Holly warns, holding up the bottle. “But it helps me to do the examination.”

Nodding, I turn to see the screen on my right. Soph gently squeezes my hand as Holly places the wand against my skin. The room fills with the soft hum of the machine, and I hold my breath as I stare at the blur of gray and white on the monitor.

Holly adjusts the wand with a slight, practiced movement. My breath falters in my throat as a recognizable silhouette fills the screen. I cover my mouth, totally stunned.

“There we go,” Holly murmurs, angling the monitor better for us to see. “That’s your baby.”

Soph gasps and I can’t take my eyes off the most beautiful sight in the world .

“It’s so small,” I barely get out.

“Oh my god, Haisley…that’s your baby,” Soph whispers, her voice trembling with awe.

My chest tightens more, this time with amazement and overflowing love, as I stare at the tiny little human I have created. It all feels surreal—my world has both expanded yet narrowed to this undeniable proof of new life inside me.

“Everything’s measuring as it should be at this point. The little one also has a strong heartbeat by the looks of it,” Holly says before continuing. “But I don’t see your IUD anywhere.”

“Wait, what?!” I whisper-shout as her words register in the back of my mind. “Where did it go?”

Holly moves the wand, double-checking the situation. “I don’t know what to tell you…other than it’s no longer there. Sometimes, IUDs can fall out during heavy periods, and women don’t even notice. It’s rare, but you’re not the first patient to have this issue.”

“Holy shit,” Soph’s whisper fills the otherwise quiet room.

Unable to speak past another lump in my throat, I reach for Soph’s hand again, squeezing it like it’s my lifeline.

“What’s next?” My best friend asks Holly on my behalf.

“We’ll go ahead and schedule Haisley’s follow-up appointments today. In the meantime, she’ll have time to consider her options. But for now, everything looks fine and how it should be.”

Hearing those words makes all the uncertainty disappear. “Thank you, Holly. ”

She hands me a paper towel and says goodbye. Once the door closes, I turn to Soph, my lips trembling. Her eyes are wide and tearful, yet her smile is radiant.

“You’ve got this,” she tells me, her voice firm and unwavering amidst all the emotions. “You’ll be the best mama for that baby.”

And she’s right. Because no matter what I decide, I’ve got this.