Page 134 of When You Blush

Hannah smiles. “Absolutely. You can do everything you’ve previously done—just stay away from alcohol, limit your caffeine and fish, and listen to your body. That little one is safe in there. Have all the fun sex you want.”

I nod and take a deep breath. “I should be more terrifiedthan I am.”

“Why?”

“Because this wasn’t planned.”

Hannah shrugs. “Sometimes the best things in life aren’t planned. You’re going to be a great mom, Harper.”

“Will I?” I bite my lower lip. “I don’t know. I hope so. Mine was pretty shitty, so I don’t know what it’s like to have a good mom in my life. But I already love her. And her daddy and I will figure it out.”

“You think it’s a girl?”

“I’m just calling her a her. I don’t really have any intuition one way or the other.”

Hannah passes me a print out of the image from the ultrasound, and I kiss it before tucking it safely in my pocket.

“Thank you.” Hannah pulls me in for a hug. “I appreciate the help. And I’m glad I got to see you while you were here.”

“I’ll be sure to call you next time, and we’ll plan dinner or something. If you have questions about anything at all, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“Thanks. Do you have a doctor here who you recommend?”

“Absolutely. I’ll text you names. You’ll want to get established with someone right away.”

After a few more minutes with Hannah, I head up to my unit, ready to clock in for my shift. I wish I had time to run down and see Blake, even if it’s just to hug him. Ireallywant to show him the ultrasound picture.

But we’re busy, and I’m thrown right into the middle of my duties as soon as I set foot in the unit.

“Baby Matthew needs to be fed,” Amy tells me with a smile. “And I’m heading into bay 6.”

I nod and set off to see how Baby Matthew’s doing. He came in the other day, so tiny and sweet. His is another situation where his parents aren’t able to come in for every feeding, so we take care of it when they can’t be here.

“Hey there, little guy.” I spend time with the preemie, change his diaper and give him a bottle, rocking him in the chair as he sucks and stares up at me with bright blue eyes. “You’re pretty darn cute.”

That’s the only quiet moment of the night because after that, I have to be on hand for delivery of a sick baby, and then I have to cover lunch breaks for my staff.

It’s almost midnight when I come up for air and check my phone, smiling when I see a text from Blake that came in an hour ago.

Blake: Miss you, baby. How’s work?

Me: I miss you, too. It’s been busy up here tonight. Is it a full moon?

Slipping my phone in my pocket, I walk into little Oliver’s room to check on him. His mom is asleep in the chair next to him, and I let her rest as I check his monitors. It’s almost time for a blood draw on the little man, so I turn to get some supplies for that when I’m suddenly hit across the side of the head and slammed into a cart, knocking the breath from me.

“Stay away from my kid!”

Fuck, the pain.My entire right side throbs from where I hit the cart, and I’m dizzy and disoriented from being hit in the head.

“No!” I think that’s Oliver’s mom yelling out right before I take another hit to the face and then a kick in the side. “Stop! Help!”

I hear running feet and more yelling, butshit, my side hurts.

Someone—another dad?—grabs the man who shouldn’t even be here, holding him against the wall with his arms pulled behind his back, and then security comes running in to restrain him and haul him away.

“I’m so sorry,” the baby’s mom says. “He promised he wouldn’t lose it again.”

“He’s not welcome here,” I tell her, trying to climb to my feet. “If you let him in again, you’re both out for good. I’m pressing assault charges against him.”