Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
“Steph rarely needs anyone.” That was the entire problem. She never reached out or asked for help. The only reason he knew about his child now was the fact that she’d finally found a problem she couldn’t solve on her own. Even then, she hadn’t come for him. She’d come to ask Liam for help.
“Oh, she needs you. I think she needs you more than she knows. Listen and tell me if you still think the same thing.” Adam offered him the mobile. “Hell, listen because this is a piece of the story you don’t know yet. Listen because you weren’t there and you owe her.”
“You had no right to listen to these.” He looked at the mobile like it was a snake that could bite him, injecting him with noxious venom.
Adam shrugged. “And yet I did. Someone should. Someone should know what she needed, how she cried out, how she didn’t stop hoping you would answer. Someone should know what she went through.”
He placed the phone in Brody’s hands, turned, and went back to sit with his wife, who threaded her fingers through his while Jake held her other hand.
They were a family. He was surrounded by them, happy couples who had found each other and managed to get through all the trials life gave them to make it to the point that they were more than the individuals they’d been before. For a moment today everything had fallen away and it had been clear to him that being a family with Stephanie Gibson was his natural state.
So why was he afraid that it would all fall apart?
It took bravery to love someone, really love someone. He’d told her he was worried neither of them was brave enough to do it right, but bravery was a choice. It was the conscious action a man took when he realized life was worth the pain, that no matter the cost, he had to try.
He touched the screen where Adam had queued the recording up and put the mobile to his ear.
“All right, so you’re not answering and you were serious.” She sounded deeply irritated, her voice flat. “Fine. I know I wasn’t supposed to call you. I get it, but we have a problem, Brody. I don’t know what went wrong. I am a damn doctor and still this is happening to me. Damn it. Okay, here it is. I know we were supposed to have our fun fling and walk away unscathed, but your sperm met my egg and they had different plans. I’m pregnant. Call me.”
He felt his lips curl up. She sounded annoyed and he could almost see her frowning at him, her brows creasing. She was adorable when she was frustrated, though he tended to not tell her that because those words would take her from frustrated to mad.
“Okay, so it’s been a week and you haven’t called. I’m going to pretend something went wrong with your voice mail.” Her tone was bland as though she was simply trying to get through this call with as little emotion as possible. And yet he knew that when her voice went monotone, she was usually roiling on the inside. “I’m going to handle this in a professional manner. Let me see how I can explain this to you without dragging a bunch of emotion into it. I know you don’t like that so here goes. We are two human beings who engaged in a biological function that has produced a result. That result is rapidly forming a fetus in my uterus and I would like for you to contact me in order to discuss this situation like rational adults who both have a stake in the outcome. Thank you and I look forward to your call.”
Yes, there was the anger he’d expected. He couldn’t blame her for it, either. The recording switched to another voice mail.
He grimaced because Steph knew a whole lot of swear words and she wasn’t holding back. He was relieved when that particular one ended and another began. Her tone was softer this time.
“I don’t know why I’m calling you. You don’t care. I do understand that, but I thought since it had been a while, you might be…I don’t know…curious at least. I’m six months along. I thought about whether or not I should go through with this, but I couldn’t see myself ending the pregnancy. I’m still not sure if I’ll keep the baby. I would be a pretty crappy mom. I should talk to Avery about it, but I’m ashamed to call her. Anyway, I had a sonogram today. I went into Freetown and saw an actual OB. He’s nice and seems knowledgeable. His equipment isn’t top of the line, but it’s better than anything I have.” There was a pause on the line before she continued, her voice softer now. “I got to see him. Yeah, I said him. It’s a boy. I thought you might like to know. I’ll call again and let you know what I decide to do with him. I’m trying to make the best decision I can for his future. If I put him up for adoption, I might need you to sign some papers. Good-bye, Brody. I miss you.”