the two of them talking about it. Having it all be relived again and feeling like she could put it behind her.
Or maybe it was more the fact that she finally felt like she could just be free of it all.
But nope. She realized she was late and took a home pregnancy test.
The first thing she should have done was tell Brian when she saw it was positive, but she couldn’t.
Even after he said he didn’t want secrets. She needed a day to process it. Then one day turned to two, then three and now it was a week later.
The longer this went on, the worse it was going to be. Only she had no idea how to tell him.
Not only that, would he think she did it on purpose? Didn’t he say how Alex told him she’d do anything to have a child?
Which wasn’t true.
Sure, she wanted a baby. She’d made no secret of it. Brian made no secret that he wanted kids too. He was excited over his sister’s pregnancy.
She’d like to think he’d be excited over hers.
Instead she was worried he was going to say she trapped him.
Like all those other ex-clients of his were trying to do.
There was no way to get out of this in her eyes. She just had to be honest and tell him.
But she needed some encouragement first. It was her day off so she was going to call her brother.
This was another conversation she was dreading. “Robin,” he said. “We haven’t talked in a few days. How is all that snow doing there?”
“Very funny,” she said back. Rick had always hated the snow and the cold.
“I heard you’ve got some more coming tomorrow.”
“We do. That’s not what I called for though.”
“I didn’t think so. What’s up?”
“You sound pretty cheerful. Like you’ve been getting more sleep?”
“I have been. The project we’ve been working on is in the last phases. It’s being tested now so I’m not pulling as many hours.”
“And you still aren’t going to tell me what it is?”
“Nope. No reason to,” he said. “Now you’re stalling. You called me and I know that tone of voice. There is something you want to say.”
There was no easy way to say this. No way to ease into it either. She found herself starting to sniffle and her eyes filling. When she finally accepted the fact she was pregnant, she was thrilled, but there was still that fear in the back of her mind. “I’m pregnant.” There was dead silence on the other end. “Rick?”
“Why are you crying?”
“Because I’m scared.”
“What does Brian think?”
“He doesn’t know.”
More silence, then, “Do you plan on telling him?”
“I need to.”
“You think?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. I told you what Alex said to him and then I find out I’m pregnant.”
She’d called Rick right away because he’d always been there for her and she felt like she could say whatever she wanted and he’d listen and give her good advice.
“If he thinks you did this on purpose then I am flying there and kicking his ass.”
“I don’t think he will,” she sobbed out.
“Then you wouldn’t be crying over this. So, what is going on?”
“I don’t know. I’m so emotional. I wouldn’t have felt this way if Alex didn’t say that to him.”
“And you said that Brian wasn’t even fazed by it so you are making more out of this. And if Brian is pissed off then too damn bad. You are pregnant and there isn’t much you can do about it. I know you, you want a child.”
“See, even you know I do.”
“There is nothing wrong with that. You’ve never hidden that fact from anyone. Not even Alex.”
Which was another thing she realized. When she and Alex were dating she’d always said she wanted kids and he’d never once said he didn’t.
“I know.”
“Then pull yourself together and tell Brian rather than driving yourself insane and second guessing everything.”
“I know. I need to. I just hate that whenever I think I’m strong, I find out I’m not.”
“Stop it. You are strong and I’m getting sick and tired of you beating yourself up over things. Have you been to the doctor’s yet? Are you feeling okay? Wait. Does Mom know?”
“She doesn’t. I know she’ll be excited and I just figured I should tell Brian first.”
“Yet you called me,” he pointed out.
“That’s different. You don’t live here. You won’t see Brian or anything.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you should tell him right away. How far along are you?”
“I’m not sure. I’m like three