Page 38 of Missing Marcus

Kassie smiled. “Yes. I’ll call immediately. She’ll most likely rest all evening. You can call the hospital for an update every couple of hours if it’ll ease your fears,” she informed him.

He glanced at the curtain separating him from his wife and nodded. “Thank you.” Saint led him away.

Gabby heldher breath while the doctor completed the exam. “I’m keeping you on the fetal monitor. The baby appears fine for now. You need to avoid stress right now and lower your BP. I don’t want to put you on bed rest, but I will if you continue down this path. If you want a healthy baby, I need you to follow my instructions,” the doctor informed her.

Gabby nodded. “I will. I promise,” she hastily replied.

Dr. Beecham smiled and patted her arm before leaving.

Gabby caressed her stomach. “I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to get angry and wouldn’t risk you for the world. I hope you know how much I love you. You’re the best part of me and your daddy. You’ll always remind me of how much love can overcome. Hey. Let’s make a deal. You stay all nestled inside my tummy and let me worry about the outside world. I’ll promise not to stress myself out if you agree to stay put.” As if the baby agreed, she felt it kick, making her smile.

Kassie entered the room. “I’m heading home for the evening. I have two little girls waiting for me to tuck them into bed. Annabelle is in charge of your care.”

“Oh, I thought this was your first.” Gabby nodded to Kassie’s protruding belly.

Kassie smoothed the scrubs over her stomach. “No. I have Emma, who’s a precocious seven-year-old and Tori’s turning six months old.”

Gabby peered at her quizzically. “May I ask how far along you are?”

Kassie beamed. “I’m twenty-seven weeks.”

“Wow, you didn’t waste any time,” Gabby laughed. “I can’t imagine how I’ll manage caring for one and you’ll have two under a year.”

Kassie laughed. “Actually, I’ll have three under the age of one. I’m expecting twins.”

“There’s a word for people like you. It’s called overachiever,” Gabby giggled. “Maybe you need to pull up a gurney and store up on sleep.”

Kassie shook her head. “I’m not worried. My family will help out. Chase and I signed up to take Lamaze classes with Bryanna and Samantha, and another friend of ours. It’s something you might want to think about. Usually, people bring a partner, a sister, or a friend. I know things seem pretty tense between you and Knight right now. How do you plan on handling custody? My friend, Claire, works as a psychologist here. She might have some advice if you plan on co-parenting or sharing custody.”

“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought. I tried telling Marcus. He sent me to his lawyer. After the divorce proceedings, I didn’t reach out again. I’m not forcing him if he doesn’t want to participate in this baby’s life.”

Kassie neared the bed. “Did he say that? He seemed torn up when they brought you in here and Saint practically dragged him out of here. He kept watching the cubicle for you.”

Gabby lay back against the pillow and sighed. “No. He mentioned he wanted to stay involved.”

“I understand your anger. But if you want this child to grow up knowing its father, you’ll have to figure out how to get along with Marcus for the next eighteen years. Do you want it handled peacefully for the child or full of resentment? I’m not taking sides. I’m only giving you something to mull over. This baby will arrive sooner than you know. If you can find some common ground now, will it make things easier for you later?”

“I’ve stayed caught up in figuring out how to raise this baby on my own, the move, and now running for my life. I’m not sure how to proceed with Marcus,” Gabby admitted.

“How about I ask Claire to stop by? If anything, she may show you some breathing exercises to help you remain calm. This can’t be easy for you, but don’t forget how far you’ve come,” Kassie reminded her before leaving the cubicle.

She remembered bits and pieces of when she felt the sharp pain in her abdomen as she yelled at him. The hurt, resentment and pain bubbled to the surface. Especially when she saw him crying. Marcus never showed emotion. Gabby turned on her side and punched the pillow. Did she want to spend eighteen years raising a child in hatred when they conceived it in love?

Marcus betrayed her in the worst way. Could she set aside her feelings for the greater good? She listened to the low sound of the baby’s heartbeat. Regardless of how Marcus treated her, nothing changed the fact he remained the father.

Letting the rhythm of her baby’s heart lull her to sleep, Gabby pondered over her options. If she fought him on custody, it might drag out their divorce. With the date rapidly approaching, she didn’t want anything to hamper it. Maybe it was for the best if she compromised with him. It’d allow him to remain part of their child’s life and she’d find a way to continue on with hers.

Knight sat on the couch,listening to Bryanna and Nugget giggle as she readied her daughter for bed. Saint returned from the kitchen, holding two beers in his hand. He offered one to Knight before sitting in the recliner opposite him.

“Thanks,” he murmured as he gazed into the bottle of amber liquid.

“I’ve only met you over a handful of times. Bryanna makes us family. I’m not sure where to begin, but in this house, when someone screws up, we don’t abandon them. We help them back up. My team’s decided you’re an asshole and I can’t say it’s far from my mind. I’m willing to listen if you want to talk about it,” Saint offered.

Marcus swiped along his jaw and hung his head. “A little over two years ago, things felt off. My team and I got along for the most part. Zepher and I butted heads more than once. The more time that passed, the more I felt separated from them. I did my job, checked off another deployment and waited for my contract to end. I can’t tell you my missions, but as a sniper, I felt the weight of my job more and more. I don’t even know what caused the intense arguments with Zepher, but it got back to my commander. When I went in for my review, he gave me another option with a black ops mission. I took it. In exchange, my contract terminated once I finished the job. With two years left, I leapt at the chance. I felt like an outsider with my teammates. Gabby and I seemed happy enough. She worked as a waitress in a diner and took classes in the evening.”

“Then why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?” Saint asked.

Knight groaned. “I don’t know. The past year, we spun up nonstop. I rarely saw Gabby between school and work. We made the most of our time together. Then, it felt like she pulled away from me. Then I returned and found her in bed and another man in our bedroom.”

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