Page 39 of Slap Shot Surprise
“It’s definitely for sure in there, but it’s only the size of a pea. You can’t see it yet.”
“You’ve seen a doctor?”
“Yes. I’m almost eight weeks along.”
I cocked my head. “But the wedding wasn’t that long ago.”
“Pregnancy math is weird,” she said. “It starts from the date of the last period, not the date of conception.”
“Oh.” Jesus, I knewnothingabout this stuff.
Mabel hugged herself. “It’s real, Joe. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s real.”
I went back to mopping up the spill, like a stain on the rug was my biggest problem at the moment. I knew she was scared, and instinctively, I wanted to reassure her. But dammit—I was so out of my element. I felt lost.
“Say something,” she begged.
I knew what I was supposed to say. What a better man would say—or ask. But the words weren’t coming.
“Give me a minute,” I said instead.
She rose to her feet and sat on the couch again, while I went over to the kitchen, rinsed the towel, and set it aside.Wiping my hands on my jeans, I came back to the couch and sat down next to her.
“Sorry. I should have asked this sooner,” I said. “Areyouokay?”
“Yes.” She nodded, but then she promptly burst into tears.
I got up again, found a box of tissues, and set it on the coffee table.
“I’m sorry,” she said, removing her glasses. “I’ve never been a big crier, but my emotions are all over the place.”
“Don’t apologize.” I lowered myself to the couch again. My emotions were all over the place too—I was furious the condom had failed, terrified of the future, guilty as fuck for putting her in this situation. And her tears were killing me. Reaching for her, I pulled her into my arms. “Hey. Come here.”
She wept against my chest for a minute, but then pulled herself together. “Oh God, your shirt. I made a mess of it.”
I looked down at the wet splotches. “I don’t care. The shirt can be washed. We’ve got bigger issues than laundry.”
She plucked a tissue from the box. “True.”
I steeled myself for the answer to my next question. “Have you decided what you want to do?”
“Yes.” She blew her nose and took a breath. “I’m going to have the baby. And I’m going to keep it.”
“Okay.” My stomach lurched. “Where do you want to live?”
“In Cherry Tree Harbor, where my family is.”
“Do you think we—I mean, should we get—” The last word stuck in my throat.
“No,” she said firmly. “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is absolutely not. Times have changed.People don’t have to be married to have a baby. That’s not what I want. And I know it’s not what you want.”
“Okay.” Not gonna lie, I breathed easier. Being a dad was one thing. Being a husband was another. One sucker punch was enough. “I just feel like such an asshole, Mabel. I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry.”
“You’re not an asshole. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She put a hand on my leg. “Neither of us wanted this, Joe. And I know how focused you are on your career right now. It’s okay—this won’t get in the way of your dreams.”
“What about your dreams? I don’t even know what they are.”
She sat up a little taller. “To be honest, I’ve achieved a lot of my professional goals already. I came back home to focus on family, and while this definitely wasn’t Plan A to start my own, it’s what happened. Maybe there’s a reason.”
