Page 99 of One Night in Hawaii

Archer stayed close, holding my hair back and offering comforting words as I emptied my stomach, feeling humiliated and grateful at the same time. Seasickness was never something I’d struggled with, but today, it had chosen to make an unwelcome appearance. I lived on the water. I didn’t understand what was happening.

Once the worst had passed, I slumped against the railing, feeling drained and embarrassed.

“Let’s get you downstairs,” he said. “You’re in no condition to be doing much of anything.”

He was right, which only made it worse. He helped me below deck. I quickly went into the bathroom to wash my face. I looked in the tiny mirror and understood why he looked so concerned. I looked like shit. I walked out of the bathroom just as the boat lurched. I closed my eyes and forced my stomach to behave.

Archer handed me a bottle of water. “Take a few drinks,” he said. “Not too much and not too fast.”

“Thank you.”

“Maybe exploring Alaska by car can wait,” he said softly, understanding in his voice. “Let’s focus on getting you feeling better first.”

I nodded, grateful for his support. As I looked into his eyes, I knew that even if our plans had to change, as long as we were together, any adventure would be good. And perhaps, someday soon, we’d be able to take that road trip through Alaska.

“I’ll be fine,” I told him. “I’m just going to lie down for a bit.”

He followed me into the bedroom and got a second blanket. He tucked me in and stretched out beside me, stroking his hand over my hair. His gentle, soothing touch actually helped.

“Are you pregnant?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for an answer.

I took a moment to think, my mind racing with possibilities and uncertainties. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “Maybe, I guess. It’s a possibility. I didn’t even think of that, but it’s not like we’ve been using anything.”

It had been more than a year and I had not gotten pregnant. We weren’t pushing it but did talk about going to a doctor when we got back home after the Alaska excursion.

His concern deepened, and without hesitation, he took charge of the situation. “We’re going into town,” Archer declared firmly. “We’re getting a hotel room for the night. You need to be warm and comfortable.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, offering me reassurance through his touch. “And you need a pregnancy test.”

I nodded gratefully. A hotel room sounded like a haven compared to the swaying deck of the research vessel. “I’m not going to argue,” I told him. “A stationary bed sounds very good right now.”

He kissed my head. “I’ll take us into port.”

I was glad he was capable of driving the boat. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through one wave of nausea after the next. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew I heard people talking and the boat was no longer moving.

We went into town and rented a house for the night, which was even better than a hotel room. Archer tucked me into bed once again.

“I’ll be back,” Archer said. “I’ll get some ginger ale and a pregnancy test. If you’re not pregnant, we’re going to the doctor to figure out what’s going on.”

His unwavering support brought tears to my eyes. I knew we would face this together, no matter the outcome. “Thank you. I’m fine. If I’m not pregnant, I really think it’s just a bug. I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling better being on land.”

He left the house and me alone with my thoughts. We did want a family. The timing could have been better. If I was pregnant, I hoped the nausea would be temporary. I couldn’t be seasick. I needed to get home. I didn’t want to ride out my pregnancy in Alaska. Plus, we had to get back for Ryder and Penelope’s wedding at the end of summer. They would kill us if we missed it.

The timing wasn’t perfect, but it was good. We were settled into our lives. Archer only had to go into his office about once a month. We made a few trips to the new west coast office, but he was able to work from home. He barely did that anymore. We spent most of our time together enjoying and exploring. We talked about kids and decided we wanted at least two but would take whatever God gave us. Our home was complete and ready for a baby.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hope I was pregnant or not. I wanted to be pregnant, but I didn’t want to be miserable for the duration of our trip. I decided I was just going to have to suck it up. I would see a doctor and ask if I could take Dramamine. If it hurt the baby, I would tough it out. Thankfully, I had a strong man that could pick up the slack and get me home safely.

It wasn’t long before Archer returned with a few bags of groceries. Archer handed me a pregnancy test and a Gatorade. “You can take it now, or don’t. It’s up to you.”

“How are you feeling about it?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I want a baby, but I hate seeing you miserable.”

I smiled. “I think that’s just part of the process. We have to trust the process.”

“If you are and it’s the sailing that’s making you ill, I’m putting you on a plane home. I’ll bring the boat back.”

“No! You can’t do it alone.”

“I’m not going to watch you suffer,” he said firmly.

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