Page 116 of Lucas & Melissa Falling in Love
“I love you, Melissa, with all my heart. Dream about me. I’ll be dreaming of you.”
“I will. I love you too,” I whisper. We disconnect. And I heave a long shaky breath and close my eyes.
* * *
Lucas callsin the morning and is surprised I’m not in the office. I couldn’t make it because I can’t stop heaving.
But I say to him, “I slept in like you suggested. I didn’t dream our phone conversation last night, did I? We’re still moving in together. Right?”
“Don’t worry. I would never let you off the hook that easy. I want you with me as soon as you can manage. Next weekend. Assuming you’re feeling better.”
“I’m going for the toast cure in a minute. I’ve already tried Pepto. I think I made it worse.”
“Sounds like you need a doctor. I’ll come over and pick you up.”
“Don’t you have things to do? I can handle it. I’m a grown woman.”
Silence for a beat.
“Okay. I’ll call you at lunchtime. If you haven’t seen a doctor or things haven’t improved, I’ll come over then. I love you, Melissa.”
“I love you too,” I say without a cell of hesitation, without a blip of nerves or second thoughts. I hear him breathe and then he says something beautifully Italian before we end the call.
I’m still sick at eleven and remembering Lucas’s deadline of noon, I let Margo call the Regal family physician who makes house calls for the family.
The doctor arrives at Margo and George’s at eleven-thirty a.m. and checks me out. Thankfully Margo gives us privacy and leaves us alone in the guest room because the doc asks some very personal questions. I do my best to answer him honestly, and because I’m in business mode I handle it admirably in a detached way. After a moment of pressing on my belly a few times and some ruminating, he pronounces me, of all things,pregnant.
“Impossible.” I sit up and shake my head in confident denial. “What else do you have?”
He pulls a foil-wrapped stick from his bag, opens it and hands it to me.
“Go to the bathroom and pee on this stick, then bring it to me.” He looks like someone’s stern grandfather and I doubt he’s a gynecologist, but I do as I’m told to prove him wrong.
A pint of pee and two sticks later, I prove him right.
