Chapter 27

27

Kara

I wake up in Silas’s arms, still riding high from the night before.

“How’s my little country star?” he says, kissing my head good morning.

I hold him tighter. “I can’t believe this is my life.”

“Believe it. You deserve all of the success.” He motions for me to move so he can get up. “I’m sorry, but I have to go to work today.”

“No problem.” I move to the pillow and cuddle up with the blankets.

He kisses my forehead. “Don’t feel like you have to get up. You can stay in bed for as long as you want.”

I close my eyes and get even comfier. “I might take you up on that.”

He walks to get in the shower, and I realize just how thirsty I am, so I move to get up just as a wave of nausea hits me. I lie back down, taking a deep breath in, and wait for it to pass, then try to get up again.

I make it to the kitchen slowly and get myself a glass of water. Standing over the sink, I take a drink and instantly throw it up.

I place my hand on my stomach, thinking about how I felt this way the past few days, but thought it was just nerves. Now that the show is over, confusion starts to set in because I don’t feel sick any other way, and I don’t know of anyone being sick around me.

I make my way back to the bed and crawl in, wanting nothing more than to lie down and get back to the comfort I felt before I tried to get up.

Silas turns off the water, and I pretend like I never got up and that I didn’t just throw up in his sink. I just don’t want him to worry about me since he has to go to work this morning.

I lie there with my eyes closed, drifting in and out of sleep while he gets ready.

When he’s ready, he comes over and kisses my forehead. “Enjoy your morning.”

“Mmm …” I say, fluttering my eyes open. “Be safe out there.”

He chuckles. “I will.”

He kisses me again and leaves while I fall right back asleep.

When I wake up again, it’s because my stomach is turning, so I race to the bathroom to throw up again. Sitting on the floor, I take deep breaths in, praying my stomach settles itself long enough for me to get home because the last thing I want is to be sick in Silas’s home without him here.

I make my way to my feet, gather my things, and make it to my car. By the time I sit down in my seat, I’m feeling a little better, so I close my eyes, inhale then start the car.

My parents stayed at my place last night, but they had to get back to Ohio and left really early this morning, so I know they’re gone by now. I don’t want to worry them so I call Nikki to see if she knows of anything going around and if she can possibly bring me some crackers.

“How’s my country singer star this morning?” she says as her hello.

“Sick,” I say matter-of-factly.

“What?”

“Yeah. Thank God it didn’t hit full force until today, but I’ve been feeling queasy the last few days. I thought it was just nerves, but I just threw up, so it has to be more. I figured you’d know what’s going around.”

“I’ve literally had zero patients with the stomach flu.”

I let out a deep breath. “Great. I wonder if the girls are sick. I must have caught something from them.”

“Or …”

“Or what?”

“When was your last period?”

“You know that shit isn’t regular. I’m on birth control mainly for that reason.”

“Yeah, but we both know nothing is one hundred percent. When was your last one?”

I think about the last month and how much of a whirlwind it was. I’ve been so busy planning for that show that I have no idea when my last one was.

And that’s when it hits me.

I haven’t had my period since they called to invite me to join them, and that was a little over a month ago.

“Nikki …” I say, fear laced in my voice.

“Do I need to go to the store and come over?”

“Can you?” I plead.

“On my way.”

We hang up, and my mind races the entire way back to my house.

Could I be pregnant? We had sex that one time, but I’m on birth control. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind, but now, I’m honestly worried this could be what’s going on.

I walk into my house and instantly pick up my phone and pull up the calendar, trying to match the date to when my last period was.

By the time Nikki walks through my door, I’m in full panic mode, and it only takes one look at me for her to realize it.

She places her hands on either side of my arms. “Okay, let’s breathe. Don’t panic.”

“I’m panicking.”

She hands me the bag she’s holding. “Well then … let’s find out for sure before you panic then. No need to get all worked up until you know.”

I take it from her and walk to my bathroom, shaking as I open the test. After I use the bathroom, I place it on the box and head back to the kitchen, where Nikki is standing, waiting for me.

“It’s done. I can’t look. Give it a minute, and then you have to go in there and check,” I say as I head to the couch and plop down.

She sits next to me and places her hand on my knee. “Do you want to talk about it beforehand? Sometimes, it’s nice to know your thoughts before you know for sure.”

I shake my head, staring straight ahead, not saying a word.

She’s right. I’m not going to think about it until I know there’s something to think about.

The next few minutes go by slower than I thought humanly possible. Each second feels like ten, and each minute feels like an hour.

When she gets up to go check it, my stomach sinks.

This is it. The rest of my life comes down to what a stick I just peed on says.

She doesn’t say a word, so when I turn to face her, I see she doesn’t need to say anything.

Her face says it all.

I take a large inhale and nod my head slowly as she comes to sit next to me.

“What are you thinking?” she asks and gives me time to reply as I let everything sink in.

I close my eyes and let out another breath. “I don’t know.”

“You have options,” she says timidly.

I shake my head. “I’ll never judge anyone who goes through with that, but, no, it’s not an option for me.”

She rubs her lips together as a slow grin grows across her face. “Then, we’re having a baby.” Her voice rises slightly with every word. “I get to be an auntie.”

A tear slips from my eye. “I’m having a baby.”

“You’re having a baby!”

She wraps her arms around me as I nod, still in disbelief.