“I’m not convinced it’s a complete tear. But I’d still recommend surgery.”

Complete tear. Partial tear. It didn’t matter. All I knew was that this was the same injury that ended Ben’s career. It was the same injury that forced dozens of baseball players into early retirement.

I wasn’t sure what to do. These goddamn drugs were making it hard for me to think. It was like trying to wade through the Florida swamps.

“What did Doctor Pete say?”

“He reviewed your file. But I’m sure he’ll also recommend surgery. It’s the best option for injuries like these.”

“Fuck that. Until Doctor Pete says surgery, I’m not letting anyone near my knee.”

Waiting for the team’s orthopedic surgeon was its own kind of special hell. The hours crawled by at an incredibly slow pace, and the fucking nurses wouldn’t leave me alone. The game had gone on without me and had finished up hours ago. A few of my teammates had made it to the hospital to check in on me, but I was waiting for Kevin.

“You know there are easier ways to get some time off,” Kevin said as he walked through the door.

“You know me. I don’t do easy. What took you so long?”

“Coach kept the starters after the game.”

“Already planning my funeral? Did you at least call Emily? Did you tell her not to worry?”

He shook his head and pulled my phone out of his pocket. “I tried to call, but she didn’t answer.”

“Fuck. I hope the press hasn’t started hounding her. The last thing she needs is to deal with those assholes. She doesn’t need that kind of stress.”

It wasn’t like her not to pick up. It was possible that she’d left her phone at home. Just the other day she confessed to having what she jokingly called baby-brain. She said she was getting more and more forgetful. But still, it wasn’t like her.

“Don’t worry. Greg got her number from Joni and has been leaving messages.”

Like that was supposed to make me feel better. Greg didn’t mince words. I wanted her reassured, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat the injury.

I tried her cell myself, but it went straight to voicemail. I disconnected and pulled up the number for the shelter, deciding that might be the best way to reach her.

“Tony, it’s Cooper. Is Emily around? I can’t get her on her phone.”

“She probably hasn’t landed yet. How are you? Emily said you needed surgery.”

“Wait. What?” I couldn’t have heard that right. “What do you mean, she hasn’t landed yet?”

“She left for the airport about five hours ago, but I’m not sure when her flight was or when she was due to land. All I know is she’s headed down to see you.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. I wanted her with me so bad, but not like this. She had enough to deal with, she didn’t need to take care of me, too.

“I’m going to be fine. She didn’t need to make the trip. I’ll make sure she gets a good night’s sleep and send her back to you in the morning.”

“That’s a good one.” Tony laughed, and I imagined the big man shaking his head. “You’ve obviously never seen Emily in action when she’s really focused on something. She’s a force of nature. There’s no stopping her. And right now, my friend, you’re her primary focus.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

A little over an hour later, that hurricane of light brown curls came bursting through my hospital room door.

“No one will tell me anything,” she announced. “I spent the last two hours on the plane reading up on ACL tears. Surgery is a good option, but it’s not your only one. Has Doctor Pete seen you yet? What does he want you to do?”

Despite the pain and stress from my injury, the sight of her made me smile. She looked tired and a little harried. I wanted to send her to my place for a nap, but I recognized that determined set to her jaw. She wasn’t going anywhere until she got answers.

“Hello, sweetheart. I’ve missed you, too.”

She strolled over and kissed me. Her eyes drifted to the brace, and I saw the fear. I slipped my hand in hers and squeezed.

“It will be okay. I’m sorry you came all this way. They’ve already released me. I was just waiting for you. I called Ben and he told me your flight landed about forty minutes ago. You made good time.”

“They’ve released you?” She sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding my hand. “What about the surgery?”

“I’m flying back to New York tomorrow to follow up with Doctor Pete. He thinks it’s just a partial tear, but even if he suggests surgery, I have to wait a week or two for the swelling to go down. I’m sorry you wasted all this time.”

“It wasn’t a waste. I had to come. I couldn’t let you sit here all by yourself.”

“The guys have been keeping me company, but I’m glad you’re here,” I said and kissed her forehead. “And now I’m ready to go home.”

“That’s something I can help you with.”

She hopped off the bed and flagged down a nurse to bring in the obligatory exit wheelchair. As the nurse got me situated in the chair, Emily went to get my plastic bag of belongings. Halfway across the room she stopped and put her hand on her side.

“What’s wrong,” I said, trying to get out of the chair and get to her. “Is the baby okay? Should you have been flying? Did you call your doctor first?”

“I’m fine. The baby has been really active today. Most of the time, it’s just a little flutter, but occasionally she hits the wrong spot.”

She walked back over to the chair and pressed my hand to her side. “I don’t think you can feel it yet.”

“How far along are you?” the nurse asked.

“Almost nineteen weeks,” she said, adjusting my hand to another spot.

The nurse patted my shoulder. “Give it another couple of weeks, and you should be able to feel something.”

I rubbed the hard ball of her abdomen. The stress of the day hit me like a hammer in my gut. I wouldn’t know for weeks if I was going to be out for the whole season or just most of it. And having Emily here by my side visibly pregnant, drove home the fact that I had more to lose than just my job.

Baseball was all I knew how to do. Without it, I had nothing to offer her or our child. I needed to do everything I could to get back on the field. I had a family counting on me now.