Page 242 of Broken Saint
He’s yet to leave my side. He sat there and talked to me while I ate. I’m not sure if he was trying to take my mind off what I was doing, but honestly, he didn’t need to be talking to make that happen. Just having him sitting next to me was enough.
“I feel better,” I confess.
Sure, I still feel weak, and a little queasy, and exhausted. But I also feel hope, and that’s huge after the darkness of the last month.
“So, what did the doctor say?”
Colt squeezes my hand in encouragement.
While we’ve agreed not to tell everyone yet, we don’t stand a chance of not explaining everything to Mom.
Not only do I have every intention of returning to her house when I’m discharged from here, but after everything she’s done for me, she deserves to be able to celebrate this with us. Support us. Because hell knows we’re going to need it.
“Things aren’t as bad as they could be,” I explain. “My exhaustion and the reason for passing out wasn’t just because of my eating.”
Mom frowns. “Okay?”
“Mom,” I say, unable to keep the smile off my face. “I’m pregnant.”
Her chin drops and she blinks hard a few times as those two words rattle around her brain.
“You’re…p-pregnant?”
“Yeah. Eight weeks. Look,” I say, pulling the scan pictures from where they were hiding beneath the sheets.
“Oh my gosh,” she gasps, her eyes instantly flooding with tears. “You’re…you’re…that’s a baby, Ella.”
Laughter erupts from me, and it feels so fucking good.
“It’s a baby,” Colt agrees.
“And…” She looks between us. “You’re both okay with this? Happy? You’re?—”
“We’re both very happy,” Colt says for both of us before lifting our joined hands to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
“Oh my gosh,” Mom repeats before jumping to her feet and pulling me in for a tight hug.
A sob bursts out of her the second we connect, and I can’t help but do the same thing.
We hold each other for long minutes as this new development settles around us.
“I’m going to be a grandmother,” she says with her hand pressed against her chest like her heart is threatening to explode as she lowers herself back down. “Oh, Ella,” she sighs, shaking her head. “So, what happens next?”
“They want me to stay in here for a day or two, just to make sure everything stays stable and to help me regain my strength. I’ve got to see a therapist because while this may have been the reason for everything, I need to get back on track with my nutrition and?—”
“Because I’ve told her it’s non-negotiable,” Colt interrupts. “We’re both going to figure our shit out before this baby comes, aren’t we, Bombshell?”
Mom’s eyes go all sappy as Colt seals his promise with a kiss on my cheek.She doesn’t even attempt to chastise him for his language.
“We are. But we’re going to take our time, figure everything out, and get stronger together.”
“Are you going back to Seattle?” Mom asks, unable to keep the sadness out of her eyes at the prospect of losing me again so soon.
“Not yet,” I tell her. “If it’s okay with you, I want to come home and bring Colt with me. He’s going to need to go back and forth to Seattle, but I’m not ready to return yet.”
“But,” Colt adds quickly, “when Ella is ready, you are more than welcome to come with her. I know your home is here, but you have a second one in Seattle as well.”
“Thank you,” she mouths, unable to say the words out loud.