it doesn’t always work out the way you plan, but we’re interrupted by the attending physician. “Good news, Freedom,” he says as he comes into the room. “Most of your lab work looks good.”
“Great,” I reply, ready to get up out of this bed.
“Wait, what do you mean most of her lab work?” Harper says, stepping up and taking my hand.
The doctor smiles. “Well, you’re a little dehydrated, and your blood sugar was very low. I’m certain that’s why you passed out. We see that a lot in the early stages of pregnancy.”
Well, I didn’t eat much today because—
Wait.
What?
I glance at Harper, whose eyes are locked on me, her mouth hanging to her chest. Okay, so my hearing is going bad already. Swell. I could have sworn he said—
“Pregnant?” Harper asks.
The doctor smiles. “Yes. I’m assuming by the shocked look on your faces, this wasn’t something you already knew.”
Slowly, I shake my head.
“Can you tell me again what you ate today?” he asks, pulling out the chart with the test results.
“Uhh…well, I didn’t really eat anything,” I say softly, wishing the bed would swallow me whole.
“Are you throwing up? Nauseated?”
“I’ve been nauseous a few times in the last week or so,” I recall, my eyes dropping down to my still-flat stomach.
“Well, I’m going to prescribe prenatal vitamins for you. If you can get that filled tonight still, that would be beneficial. Start taking them tomorrow morning. I’m also going to suggest you make an appointment with an obstetrician. Let them know of your ER visit today. I’m sure they’ll want to schedule you just to check everything over. If you don’t feel like eating much, make sure you’re still drinking plenty of fluids. But at the least, try to eat small meals and snacks. Crackers, breads, things like that. Do you have any questions?”
I shake my head, my eyes still glued to my midsection.
“Well, thank you, Doctor,” Harper says, reaching her hand out for him to shake.
“I’ll get your discharge papers in order and have the nurse bring them in.”
“Thank you,” I whisper before he leaves the room.
The silence in the room is deafening. I can no longer hear the beeping of the machine, no longer hear the busy commotion in the emergency room vestibule. All I can hear is the rapid beat of my heart. The swoosh of blood through my ears. Pregnant? How is that possible? I mean, I know exactly how it’s possible, but…pregnant?
“Freedom?” Harper whispers beside me. She takes me hand, careful not to jar the IV sticking out of my hand. When I look at her face, I see a mixture of shock and excitement, and I’m certain it rivals my own. “Are you okay?”
Am I okay? That’s the million-dollar question. I just found out I passed out because my blood sugar was crazy low, I was dehydrated, and apparently, pregnant to boot. Am I okay?
I realize quickly the answer is yes. Yes, I’m more than okay. I’m ecstatic and scared and worried. Worried I’ll be an absent parent, like my own. Worried I’ll make too many mistakes and mess up an innocent life for the rest of theirs. Worried I’ll have to do this alone.
But as quickly as that thought creeps in, I dismiss it. Samuel won’t let me do this alone. I know it in my bones. He may not have signed up for this, but he’s loyal and committed to a fault. So even though he may not be mine anymore, I know he’ll be there for his child.
Our child.
The tears are falling before I can stop them, and this time, I don’t. I let them slide, unchecked, down my face, as the weight of the day finally sets in. Strong arms wrap around me as Harper practically climbs onto my bed and holds me tight. She doesn’t say a word, just lets me cry and is there for me. Like she always is. The one person I can always count on.
No, that’s not true.
I know Mary Ann, Marissa, Jensen, and the rest of their gang is there for me. They have been since I was a teenager with knobby knees and mismatched clothes.
And Samuel.
He’s always been there too, even if I didn’t really notice it at the time. But now, looking back, I see him, waiting in the corner, always willing to lend a helping hand, even if he grumbled about it first.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, wiping the wetness from my eyes.
Harper grabs a Kleenex from a nearby counter and brings