a seat. We’ll get started in a few minutes.”
“Did you hear that?” Garrick asked as they walked into the room. “I’m wonderfully supportive.”
“Be quiet.”
“You’re a lucky girl.”
“Stop it.”
But she was laughing as she spoke.
They sat next to a couple in their thirties. The very pregnant woman smiled at them. “Hi. I’m Jill and this is my husband Jack.” She held up a hand. “Please don’t say anything. We’ve heard it all before.”
“I won’t say anything,” Joylyn promised. “I’m Joylyn and this is my dad. My husband is deployed so he’s filling in.”
Jill looked at him. “Are you? That’s so nice. My dad would never do that. You’re really lucky to have him.”
Joylyn groaned. “So I’ve been told.”
Garrick winked at her. This had been a great idea. While he was always happy to help out his daughter, he hadn’t expected so much praise. To be honest, he was feeling pretty damned good about his parenting skills right about now.
The glow lasted nearly thirty minutes, which was about the time it took Serenity to get the meeting started and everyone to introduce themselves. Less than two minutes into the actual instruction part of the evening his stomach was in knots, and he had a very strong need to wait for Joylyn in the safety of the parking lot.
He’d been fine with the course outline at first. The birthing process was a given, and dealing with pain, while not pleasant, wasn’t a surprise. But “Common Complications”? That was wrong. Complications shouldn’t be common, and while he knew that wasn’t what the title meant, he didn’t want to think about any complications when it came to Joylyn and his soon-to-be grandson.
“Finally, we’ll tour the maternity ward and, if you’re having your baby here, get you preregistered.” Serenity smiled. “One less thing for you to deal with while you’re in labor.”
Joylyn leaned close. “Dad, are you okay? You’ve gone white.”
“I’m fine. Just paying attention.”
She didn’t look convinced. “If you’re this tense now, how are you going to get through the videos?”
“I have no idea.”
An hour into the evening, they took a fifteen-minute break. When Joylyn returned from her bathroom visit, she waddled back to her seat.
“I’m feeling so much better,” she said. “Having this information makes me feel like I know what I’m doing. Or I will. I should have signed up for a class a long time ago.”
He stared at her. “Are you insane? You’d want to know sooner? Why?”
She smiled. “I just told you. Dad, are you going to make it through this? We have three more nights.”
“I’m fine,” he said automatically.
He was doing his best to take in all he’d learned. The entire process was iffy at best, and they hadn’t even touched on “complications.”
“What was God thinking?” he demanded. “You can’t do this. There’s no way something that big can pass through any part of your body. There are major design flaws. And how does the baby tell your body it’s time? It’s a baby. It can’t communicate.”
Joylyn grinned. “Dad, there’s no talking. It’s a chemical thing, not an email.”
“Still. The whole process is beyond comprehension.” He looked at her. “You are the bravest person I know. I mean that. You, especially, but all women. Why would you do this? If it were up to me, the human race would be done. I’d refuse. There is no way I would go through any part of having a baby.”
She patted his arm. “I know. It’s okay. I’ve got this.”
“I’m glad someone has, because it sure isn’t me.”
* * *
WYNN WALKED INTO the kitchen the next morning to find Hunter already up. He was sitting at the kitchen table, still in his pajamas. His face was blotchy, and he looked like he hadn’t slept.
Her first instinct was to rush over and check if he had a fever, but she knew that wasn’t the problem. He’d been thinking about what he did and wrestling with the consequences. Now she was going to find out if she’d been right to trust him with the decision about what to do.
She sat across from him and waited. He drew in a breath, then looked at her.
“Can you meet me at the JROTC office after school?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m going to tell them what I did.” He swallowed. “I don’t think they’re going to let me into the program after they find out about how I lied and stuff, but telling them is the right thing to do.”
Relief was instant. She did her best not to show her