*****

Lucas paced his apartment, once again glancing at his watch. He’d decided to wait until Amy left before going into work himself. He’d put his guard on alert to notify him during the night, at any time, if she left the building.

When it was past the time they should’ve been to the office and she still hadn’t left the building, he was furious. So she figured now that she was pregnant, she could skip work. Over his dead body! She wasn’t avoiding him to try and come up with more lies.

He marched over to her apartment and let himself in. She wasn’t in the living room or kitchen. He was even more furious. She hasn’t even bothered getting out of bed, he thought. Well, she’d gotten the husband, so he figured she didn’t want to work any longer. Why work when you could get all you wanted for free?

He walked to her bedroom and swung the door open, ready to pull the covers off her and have a rip-roaring fight. He needed to vent his anger, and she was the expected target. He was angry about everything, and he desperately needed something to take out his frustrations on.

When he opened her door and the bed was empty, he began to feel his first stirrings of unease. Had she left without his knowing? That wasn’t possible. He had a secure building. She wasn’t a prisoner, but his staff would’ve told him if she’d left. He double-checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t somehow missed a call.

He turned to go into the living room when he noticed her bathroom door was shut. He walked over and listened for a moment. There was no sound from inside. Without thinking of her privacy, he opened the door and walked in.

Lucas was terrified when he saw her small body lying on the floor of the tub, covered by only a few small towels. Had she taken her own life?

No!

He ran to the tub, dropping to his knees as he bent over the side. When he saw the slight movement in her chest showing she was breathing, he felt his heart slow a bit and released the breath he’d been holding. She was shivering, even in her sleep, and she had dark purple smudges underneath her eyes.

He took a good look at her and noticed how small she looked. She’d dropped significant weight. Weren’t pregnant women supposed to gain weight? How had he not noticed the changes in her body?

That was an easy question to answer. He hadn’t noticed because he’d done all he could to avoid looking at her too closely. He’d avoided her as much as possible so he wouldn’t take her right there on her desk.

As he sat frozen beside her, shame consumed him. He knew no one could fake this kind of illness. He’d put her through too much the night before. She was in no condition to be yelled at or threatened. Thinking back, he could see where she’d looked exhausted, and he hadn’t cared. He’d only cared that she was trying to deceive him.

He could’ve handled the situation differently. That didn’t mean he’d changed his mind on their getting married; it just meant he possibly should’ve gone about it a different way. He’d learned often in life, though, that the only way to get what he wanted was to demand it.

Lucas wrapped his arms under her body and lifted her from the tub. She immediately snuggled closer against him, seeking warmth, even in her sleep. The towels fell away, and his gut clenched in shock.

She’d lost even more weight than he’d first thought. She obviously wasn’t having a good pregnancy. He should’ve been paying attention. He laid her on the bed and covered her, while her body curled into a tight ball. He noticed the slight bulge of her stomach for the first time just as she let out a soft moan of pain.

Wow, he thought, that’s my child. The realization that he was going to be a father in six months slammed into him with such force, it took his breath away. Now that his anger had fled, the idea of a son was amazing. In six months, he’d be holding his baby. He’d be bouncing him on his knees and then later throwing balls with him.

Lucas was shocked to find he already loved his unborn child. He loved the precious baby growing inside her. He wouldn’t let anything happen to him, or his mother.

Lucas called his family doctor, and then climbed into the bed and pulled Amy close. He simply wanted to warm her up. He needed to protect both of them. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the moment of terror at seeing her lying in the bottom of the empty tub. She was a part of his family now, she and the child she carried.

Nothing and no one could make him let go of them.

She curled around him and let out a sigh. After a few minutes, her shaking subsided. He continued to engulf her in his warm embrace and rubbed her back, willing her and his child to be fine.

When Lucas heard the doorbell ring, he let the doctor in, then stood back and waited while he pulled out his instruments. Lucas was sure it was nothing more than morning sickness, because he couldn’t imagine an alternative.