Secret Plunge - Jasmin Miller Page 0,23

cat poop can be harmful to an unborn baby.

Poor thing.

Thursday, I amazed both of us. Did you know your heart pumps forty to fifty percent more blood, continuously increasing during pregnancy? Harper made a good point when she replied. Where's all that extra blood coming from?

Friday, Harper made me choke on my water when I came home from training. Did you know a woman's vagina can change color during pregnancy? It can turn purple or blueish. Ryan. I'm going to have a Smurf vagina.

I cried. I laughed so hard I cried. This woman. This. Woman.

Saturday, I was in awe. Did you know you can talk to your baby once the ears are developed? They can actually hear you from the inside. Harper's reply felt like needles in my chest. Wow, that's amazing. I can't wait.

Will I ever be able to talk to my baby while he or she is still in Harper's belly? We haven't talked about anything that's related to us. The pressure on my chest intensifies when I think about missing these milestones.

And what will happen now? Do I want to be involved and around before the baby is born? This week has cemented that decision faster than I thought, because I like Harper.

She's easygoing and funny. She's taken the stress of my busy life off my mind a bit every day, and I've started to look forward to our daily text exchanges.

Sunday would normally be Harper's "day," but I beat her to it.

Ryan: What are you up to?

* * *

Harper: I'm dead. On the floor. Just did a prenatal workout.

I don't think about what I’m doing and push the call button.

Harper answers right away. “Help.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” She exhales loudly. “I’m just dramatic. This was supposed to be an easy workout but I’m exhausted.”

“Is this normal?” I lean back in my office chair, pushing back from my desk for more room.

“They mentioned it in the video, but I’ll ask the doctor tomorrow too.” She pauses, and loud gulping sounds come through the phone. Is she drinking a whole liter? She sighs when she’s done.

“Better?” I chuckle.

“Much.”

Silence.

Weirdly enough, it’s not awkward.

“So, what’s up?” She sounds tired.

“Not much. I wanted to make sure you were okay after your text.”

“I am.” She pauses. “Thanks for checking on me.” Her voice has softened. Is she smiling?

Why does that possibility make me so happy?

“What are you doing today? Fun plans on your day off?” Noise accompanies her words, and I imagine her walking around. Maybe going to the kitchen and making a post-workout snack? Harper seems like the kind of person who’d clang and bang around with kitchen items. “Oh shit. Can you hang on a second? I spilled something.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

When I first met her, she was outgoing and friendly. Funny, and so damn sexy. I was drawn to her from the moment I laid eyes on her. And she wasn’t trying to seduce me, which was a plus in my book.

That same attraction was back when I next saw her, but then disbelief and shock took over when she told me about the pregnancy. Now that I’ve had a few weeks to digest the news, I can focus on what’s important again. Making sure Harper and our baby have everything they need.

Some people might take longer to get used to such a monumental change, but once I think about a situation and make up my mind, I move forward, focusing on the future.

In our case, Harper has already made the decision for me. She’s keeping the baby.

Am I happy about that? Yes.

I thought about it long and hard. Lying awake at night in bed, my thoughts jumping to the news during training sessions.

Is the situation ideal? No. Not one bit.

But, now that I know the end goal, I can work on the rest. See how Harper feels, how the baby is doing. Getting to know her better. Maybe she’ll visit again? Or I can visit her. Why not?

If we want to make this work between us—whatever this is, undetermined as of now—it has to go both ways.

I will do whatever I can to be as involved in her life, in this pregnancy, as I can.

Whatever it takes.

“Ryan? Are you still there?” Harper’s out of breath. “Sorry, that took longer than I thought. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting all this time.”

“No worries. Is everything okay?” I get up from my chair and walk to the window. There isn’t much to see in my side yard, but it’s nice