Page 64 of Reuniting with Lucy
“Once I realized what an idiot I’d been, I called for some advice and help. I want to be a part of the baby’s life, Lucy. I want to be a good dad.”
The disposable white paper crinkled as she laid her head back. He was the father. It was his right to be involved. He hadn’t said anything about her, but they could be good parents without being a couple. People did it all the time.
“All right,” she finally said.
The nurse hadn’t left the room and seemed to be gauging whether or not Jack was welcome. She glanced at Lucy with a raised eyebrow, asking if she wanted her to throw him out. The look on Lucy’s face must have been unmistakable. The nurse rushed to a cupboard, grabbed a basin, and held it under Lucy’s chin just in time for her to puke up all the Ritz she’d finally been able to keep down.
Jack grabbed paper towels from the dispenser and handed them to Lucy. She wiped her mouth and smiled meekly. “You sure?”
He rubbed her back. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you. I’m sorry you’re sick, and I haven’t taken care of you. I’m sorry for a lot of things, Lucy.”
The nurse rinsed out the small pink basin, dried it, and set it next to Lucy on the bed. “Just in case,” she said. “You okay in here, then?” she asked, glancing at Jack.
“Yes. It’s fine,” Lucy answered.
“Holler if you need anything. The tech should be in soon.”
As soon as the nurse left, Jack got down to truly groveling.
“Lucy, I owe you an apology for all the horrible things I said to you. For what I accused you of.” He plowed a hand through his hair. “I’ve been thinking of nothing else since I last saw you. It’s no excuse, I know, but I think my past, my ex, and my mother were just all in my head and messed up my mind. I should have taken a minute to think through the situation before reacting the way I did.”
Tears threatened to fall, but she held them in. “You hurt me, Jack.”
“I know I did, and that’s killing me.” He grabbed her hand again and squeezed tight. “After I cooled off and thought about things using my heart, I realized, of course, I trust you. Of course, you didn’t do this on purpose, and of course, I want to be involved with the baby.”
Silent tears made their escape, and she couldn’t stop them. He caught each one with his thumb and begged her not to cry. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you pain. Can you forgive me?”
The door opened, and the lab tech entered. “Good afternoon,” she said, holding Lucy’s chart under her arm. “Lucy Parker?”
“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered.
“That’s me,” Lucy said, wiping away the remaining tears. A crying woman was probably nothing new to the tech, and she took it all in stride, handing Lucy a tissue before washing her hands.
“Well, let’s get to it, shall we? Just a quick peek to make sure everything’s going smoothly.”
The tech lifted Lucy’s shirt so that her stomach was bare. “This might be a little cold,” the tech warned before squirting goo on her stomach.
She turned on a monitor next to where Jack stood. “Okay, Dad, you come stand over here.”
Jack’s eyes widened at the word, but he walked to where she’d pointed and picked up Lucy’s hand.
Lucy flinched slightly when the tech pressed the wand into the goo.
“We won’t be able to see the sex yet, but we’ll still take a photo or two.”
Jack and Lucy were glued to the monitor. This would be the first time he saw their baby. A rapid thumping noise came through the machine, and Jack swallowed hard before asking if that was the heartbeat.
“Yep, nice and strong,” the tech said. “Everything looks great. Shall I print a couple of pictures for you?”
“Oh, yes, please,” Lucy said, fresh tears streaming. “Does the crying ever stop?”
“I won’t lie. You’re in for a hormonal roller coaster ride, but eventually, you’ll be back to normal. Making babies is hard work.”
Lucy chuckled. Jack’s apology and expressed desire to help lifted a burden she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying. She would forgive him for what he said, and they would find a way to be friends. She’d meant what she said about going it alone and still would if she had to. But she had to admit, it would be nice to have him along for the ride.
“Let’s get you home to rest,” he said, helping her off the table. “Why don’t we leave your car here and come back for it later?”
Still feeling queasy and her eyes blurry from all the crying, she agreed. Jack helped her into the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver’s side. Climbing in, he asked, “Do you want to stop anywhere? Does anything sound good to eat?”