Read Online Marine Ever After (Always a Marine) by Heather Long - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Long
Ads: Link
go.” Disconnecting the call, she dropped the phone on the counter and ignored the clatter in her race to flip the toilet lid up.
***
She tried not to fidget. She’d never experienced so much dread in her life as she did waiting for her OB to come into the room. Patricia Carter opened the door and her expression confirmed Lillianna’s fear. “I am pregnant.”
“Yup.” The doctor sat down on a stool and studied her. “Nearly three months, your HCG levels are pretty high, you’ve got symptoms….”
“Yeah, I know exactly when it happened.” Happy Anniversary, Becca. I got pregnant at your wedding. Sorry, I only meant to catch the bouquet .
“Well, the time to talk about options is right now.” Patricia didn’t sugar coat facts or ease into subjects, she took them by storm.
“I know my options.” It was all she’d thought about for the last four days since the three tests came back positive. She’d made an appointment with her OB and came in for blood work. Then waited for the results. In the meanwhile, she worked. It was what she had. Work.
Thirty years old and pregnant.
She chewed the thought of what it could mean over and over in her head.
“Okay, well, let’s talk pros—you’re healthy, you’re young, you’re physically in good shape, you have no major health concerns to worry about.” Sunny-side up really wasn’t the doc’s style, but Lillianna gave her points for effort.
“The cons, I’m single. I work terrible hours. I love my job. And this wasn’t planned by any stretch of the imagination.” Clasping her hands together, she studied her nails. They were blunt, clean of polish and rounded from regular filing. She didn’t have time for manicures and pedicures. Hell, half the time she didn’t bother to shave her legs. If it hadn’t been for the wedding, she wouldn’t even have put on cosmetics all those weeks ago, or a dress, or ended the evening in bed sexing it up with a hot guy in a uniform.
Of course, without the wedding she wouldn’t have met him either.
“Lillianna? This is a lot to absorb. Maybe you should go home and talk it over and see what you want to do….”
“No, it’s okay. Because I’ll go home and chew it all over again and come to the same set of conclusions—unplanned doesn’t mean unwanted. I don’t think I could ever have a baby and give him or her up. Yeah, not me.” Biting her lower lip, she shook her head. Nothing about the situation was ideal. Nothing.
She’d reached for the phone a dozen times to call her mother and stopped. They wouldn’t be disappointed or judgmental. But they would want her to contact the father. The father .
“Okay, well, abortion is one option….”
“I can’t have an abortion, Trish. I know it’s an option and I had one before. No, I won’t do that….”
“That’s not in your medical records?” Trish frowned and slid her glasses on to check the chart on the computer.
“I listed it, but I used a clinic near my college campus. It was a long time ago. I got drunk at some frat party and one thing led to another. I got pregnant, knew I couldn’t have it and—well it’s different now.” Lillianna scrubbed her palms against her face. “Okay, let’s break this down. It’ll be twelve weeks in four days, so—I need prenatal vitamins and what else?”
How the hell do I call a one-night stand and say, ‘hey, remember me? By the way, the condom broke and in about six months we’re going to have a kid …’
She barely listened to Trish as she outlined the prenatal care. A lot of things would have to change…she needed a support structure. The hospital had a daycare, but she wouldn’t want a newborn there, and then there was the delivery and the time off right after the baby came.
“Also, if you have the father’s medical records….”
“I don’t.” I can get them, maybe. But then…ugh. One bridge at a time. I have time .
“Okay, it’s fine. We’re going to work this out.” Trish
***
She tried not to fidget. She’d never experienced so much dread in her life as she did waiting for her OB to come into the room. Patricia Carter opened the door and her expression confirmed Lillianna’s fear. “I am pregnant.”
“Yup.” The doctor sat down on a stool and studied her. “Nearly three months, your HCG levels are pretty high, you’ve got symptoms….”
“Yeah, I know exactly when it happened.” Happy Anniversary, Becca. I got pregnant at your wedding. Sorry, I only meant to catch the bouquet .
“Well, the time to talk about options is right now.” Patricia didn’t sugar coat facts or ease into subjects, she took them by storm.
“I know my options.” It was all she’d thought about for the last four days since the three tests came back positive. She’d made an appointment with her OB and came in for blood work. Then waited for the results. In the meanwhile, she worked. It was what she had. Work.
Thirty years old and pregnant.
She chewed the thought of what it could mean over and over in her head.
“Okay, well, let’s talk pros—you’re healthy, you’re young, you’re physically in good shape, you have no major health concerns to worry about.” Sunny-side up really wasn’t the doc’s style, but Lillianna gave her points for effort.
“The cons, I’m single. I work terrible hours. I love my job. And this wasn’t planned by any stretch of the imagination.” Clasping her hands together, she studied her nails. They were blunt, clean of polish and rounded from regular filing. She didn’t have time for manicures and pedicures. Hell, half the time she didn’t bother to shave her legs. If it hadn’t been for the wedding, she wouldn’t even have put on cosmetics all those weeks ago, or a dress, or ended the evening in bed sexing it up with a hot guy in a uniform.
Of course, without the wedding she wouldn’t have met him either.
“Lillianna? This is a lot to absorb. Maybe you should go home and talk it over and see what you want to do….”
“No, it’s okay. Because I’ll go home and chew it all over again and come to the same set of conclusions—unplanned doesn’t mean unwanted. I don’t think I could ever have a baby and give him or her up. Yeah, not me.” Biting her lower lip, she shook her head. Nothing about the situation was ideal. Nothing.
She’d reached for the phone a dozen times to call her mother and stopped. They wouldn’t be disappointed or judgmental. But they would want her to contact the father. The father .
“Okay, well, abortion is one option….”
“I can’t have an abortion, Trish. I know it’s an option and I had one before. No, I won’t do that….”
“That’s not in your medical records?” Trish frowned and slid her glasses on to check the chart on the computer.
“I listed it, but I used a clinic near my college campus. It was a long time ago. I got drunk at some frat party and one thing led to another. I got pregnant, knew I couldn’t have it and—well it’s different now.” Lillianna scrubbed her palms against her face. “Okay, let’s break this down. It’ll be twelve weeks in four days, so—I need prenatal vitamins and what else?”
How the hell do I call a one-night stand and say, ‘hey, remember me? By the way, the condom broke and in about six months we’re going to have a kid …’
She barely listened to Trish as she outlined the prenatal care. A lot of things would have to change…she needed a support structure. The hospital had a daycare, but she wouldn’t want a newborn there, and then there was the delivery and the time off right after the baby came.
“Also, if you have the father’s medical records….”
“I don’t.” I can get them, maybe. But then…ugh. One bridge at a time. I have time .
“Okay, it’s fine. We’re going to work this out.” Trish
Similar Books
