His smile was warm and immediate. “Good.”
He cupped her shoulder gently and leaned in for a kiss—Anna nearly had a heart attack, her pulse erratic and frantic. She closed her eyes, her lips waiting for the reward, and then it arrived, square on her cheek.
She might’ve been disappointed if it wasn’t so sweet, so warm and comforting, telling her that he was still letting her dictate their speed, even after he’d just put on a commanding performance. “Playing it safe?” She couldn’t hide her smile. The ways in which he’d figured her out were uncanny.
“Baby steps. Literally.” He placed his hand on her stomach gingerly. She felt his hesitation radiate from his core—he was holding back, employing restraint. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Seventeen
Jacob hadn’t even made it down to the lobby before he had a text from Anna. He did a double take when he saw the message.
Don’t leave. I’m spotting.
Was this really happening? Just when everything was finally going well? On my way up. What happened?
He stayed put on the elevator when it dropped people at the lobby, having to wait for what felt like an eternity as a new load of people boarded. It was just before nine, everyone on their way to work, which meant that nearly every button, for every floor, was pressed.
He took a deep breath. Stay calm. His heart wasn’t cooperating at all, nor was his stomach. Everything in his body was on edge. Why now? Why this?
Anna sent a reply. Went to the bathroom and saw the blood.
Good God. Just when things were getting better. Don’t worry. Be there soon.
He sent a text to his driver, instructing him to be ready to get them to the hospital as quickly as possible. Jacob would have to wait until he got somewhere private to call Dr. Wright’s office. He couldn’t announce in a crowded elevator that Anna Langford was in danger of losing a pregnancy. Nobody but Adam even knew that she was pregnant.
On Anna’s floor, he stormed past the receptionist and down the hall, rushing inside her office. “I’m here. Let’s go. The car is downstairs.” His heart was still pounding—seeing Anna and the panic on her face turned everything into an even harsher reality. They could lose the baby.
Anna nodded, putting on her coat. He put his arm around her shoulders, ushering her out of the office. They didn’t stop to say a thing to anyone. There was no time for explanations.
“I called Dr. Wright,” she whispered as they waited for the elevator. “They’re expecting us. She told us to come up to her office. Not the emergency room.”
“Good. Okay. It’s going to be okay.” He had no business guaranteeing anything, but he had to believe it. They were so close to putting things back together. He rubbed her shoulder—anything to calm her, let her know that he was there for her.
Jacob got Anna down to the car and they were quickly whisked through the city, his driver breaking a few traffic laws while dodging taxis, cyclists and buses. Jacob put his arm around Anna’s shoulder, pulling her close. She sank against him, turned into his chest, wrapped her arm around his waist. It was the only comfort he could take in that moment. They had each other. Whatever the future held for the two of them as a couple, or the three of them as a family, they would get through it. They had to.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jacob wasted no time getting Anna through the lobby and up to the sixth floor. The nurse was waiting for them and quickly showed them back to an exam room. Anna changed into a gown. Dr. Wright was in moments later.
“Ms. Langford. Mr. Lin. Before I say anything, I want to tell you both to take a deep breath.” She motioned with both hands for them to calm down. “I know you’re worried, but this isn’t always a bad thing. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Anna leaned back on the exam table and Jacob took her hand. She tilted her head, looking up at him as if he held all of the answers. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life—the two things he cherished most in the world were right here, Anna and the baby—and there was very little he could do to truly keep them safe. How he longed to tell Anna that everything was going to be okay and to be certain of it.
Dr. Wright wheeled back on her rolling stool. “The good news is that your cervix is closed up tight. Let’s listen to the heartbeat and make sure there’s no sign of fetal distress.”
Fetal distress. Those two words felt like a death sentence. The thought of their child in distress brought the most sickening feeling up from the depths of his gut. He hoped to hear that beautiful whoosh. Please God, let us hear the whoosh.
“Before we do this,” Dr. Wright started. “I want you both to understand that this is very early days. If the baby is in trouble, there’s not much we can do. I want to remind you that you’re both so young. You have your entire lives ahead of you. Today doesn’t have to be the end.”