Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 222 -

Весса.

My heart was pounding as I got into the car with security in tow. I needed to confirm this with the hospital clinic, and luckily they could see me right away. A bright, happy smile was plastered on my face as we drove through the city to where I'd hopefully be told the test was right.

We pulled into the garage and parked. I got out, trailed by security, which helped me feel extra safe. James had offhandedly mentioned moving from the large family compound we were in to a smaller one, so I hoped we'd start that process soon. I'd be less stressed for sure.

We entered the hospital, my hand over my heart as I worked to calm myself down. Nothing was set in stone yet, and being disappointed right now would be horrible. The worst news, rather. I needed to keep my expectations realistic, after all. The test could have shown a false positive.

Still, I just couldn't help but have a bounce to my step. As we walked through the hospital toward my room, I looked around, noting people acting very differently from what I was used to, but not in a bad way at all.

The rooms I passed had at least a dozen relatives outside of their door. I heard conversations that included family business or drama, being spoken loudly. Their voices carried down the halls, causing me to furrow my brow.

I didn't understand what was happening, and not all the voices were happy. There was a mix of enthusiasm, anger, and sadness, depending on who I passed. One family was openly and loudly weeping, causing me to wince and wonder what could have happened.

I couldn't slow down to see what was going on, but I did pause and watch as I went by. Sympathy crossed my face as words of a terminal illness passed between the family. I was glad, at least, that the person with the illness had so much support from family.

Another group of people I passed by was openly celebrating, their cheers echoing down the halls and clashing with the people who were sobbing. "He survived. We made it, he survived!" one of the women exclaimed, letting out a cheer that caused me to nearly jump as I went by.

Eventually, I got to the waiting room, though I could hear the sounds of people talking loudly still when the door was closed. The nurse didn't seem to be phased by any of this at all, as if it were an everyday occurrence. Perhaps it actually was. I tried to wrack my brain for why things were so different. To be honest, I didn't mind it one bit. I knew hospitals in the States wouldn't have a situation like that. Nurses and doctors working in a hospital wouldn't tolerate families being so loud. I chuckled to myself and shook my head. Why, though? Family was so important, and expressing it in that way was wonderful. The more I thought about it, the more I absolutely felt thrilled to have seen this here.

The last time I went to the hospital, I was too out of it to notice things like this. I had no large family to wait for me, just James.

James.

I teared up a little, feeling so happy to have him now. We'd gone through so much, and it took a lot for me to come around, but now I was so happy that I did. This would be the last time I'd go to the doctor alone for this baby. I just wanted to confirm it before a big reveal.

James would be with me every step of the way. He loved his children, and he loved me. I was starting to realize he did his best in every way that he could. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here together. I wished I was a bit nicer to him in the past, but we got through it.

Now, we were a family, and soon to be a growing one, if the test was positive. Once again, I had to tell myself to calm down and keep my expectations realistic. I was jumping to conclusions and planning things out in my head already. After showing me where to leave a urine sample, the nurse guided me to a smaller room with a bed, giving me a smile and saying, "Oh my, expecting some exciting news? I hope I'm the one to give it!" I smiled back, nodding with excitement. She took my vitals and then said,, "Let me run a quick test for you, then we will know for sure. Sit tight, dear."

She left the room as I sat there eagerly waiting. I'd need to set up a bedroom for the new baby, and I thought Sophia would want to host a shower, too. Who would come? I felt a pang of sadness as I thought of Layla, who was now gone. Madeline was nice, and she would likely be willing to help Sophia set things up. I didn't consider her a friend quite yet, but maybe we would get there someday. I had a small fear in the back of my mind things might turn out like Layla, but we had no major people after us right now.

Well... aside from the Cartwrights. I bit my lip, none too pleased that my thoughts were going into darker territory as I waited for news as to whether or not I was pregnant. I needed to keep my children safe, though, and the Allison incident told me we weren't.

I wasn't angry at James at all. he'd helped me through this and had been here for me. I just hoped he did go through with that idea to move to a smaller family compound. That would put me at ease, and I didn't mind a smaller spot, anyhow. We didn't need something huge for our family. Sure, I had a lot of money, but once we settled in and took care of the new baby for a while, I could return my focus, somewhat, to the charity I was looking to set up right along with my family. It would be the right thing to do.

Without considering actually moving to Guatemala now, of course. Especially if the doctor confirmed I was pregnant. I was already treating it like sure news, but Sophia seemed so certain. She had that glint in her eye even before the test came back as positive.

A knock on my door caused me to tense up and widen my eyes. This was it. The moment of truth. I hoped all of my planning and excitement was accurate. A new light in my life would be wonderful not only for me, but for James, Alessandro, and Dahlia.

"Come in," I said, trying not to bounce in my seat.

The gynecologist entered with a huge smile, the nurse in tow, probably eager to see my reaction. I already knew the news in that very brief second of time, but the doctor's words confirming it set my world on fire in the best of ways. "Congratulations, Ms. Woods. You have a baby on the way," the doctor said in an overjoyed voice. My eyes lit up, and I quickly stood from my chair and ran over to give her a hug. She chuckled, accepting the hug and saying, "We will set things up to monitor your progress."

"Thank you so much!" I gasped, letting a few happy cheers spill from my lips. A sense of warmth and happiness rushed through me. I felt myself tear up, and when I pulled away from the doctor, I sat down and began to cry tears of joy. The gynecologist waited patiently for me to do so, that smile of hers never leaving. Eventually, I calmed down, taking several deep breaths. She asked, "Are you married to the baby's father?" She began to take some notes on her clipboard as I found the words to answer.

Technically, I didn't, so I said, "No, we're not married."

"We have some government aid then, dear, that I can set you up with-if you need it. Let me replace you a pamphlet, it's over here-" she began, but I cut her off by raising a hand and shaking my head. I should have specified from the beginning, but here we were.

"Oh, I'm not alone or single. I have someone, we're just not married yet," I explained, and the doctor furrowed her brow. She studied me for a moment with a strange look that made me feel as though I was being scrutinized. I didn't like it. "I see. You have two children already, ma'am?" she asked, tilting her head. I nodded, running my tongue over my lips nervously. Was she judging me? She gave a nod and wrote something down on her clipboard. At least her smile never faded. "Noted. If you do take that step, good luck with the wedding. I am sure your partner will be thrilled to hear the news of the child in that case. If things change, I can still set you up with aid, just let me know," she said. I most definitely wouldn't need it, but I nodded anyway.

As I gave her more details on our situation in general and set up some visits, my thoughts turned to marriage. James and I should be married for our children, that was true. We'd been going through so much lately it was probably at the back of our minds.

Would James want to be married? I knew in my heart that was a huge yes. Did I want him as a husband? Also yes. I realized how much I loved him over the past few months together, and how my doubts had been disproven about him countless times.

We got into a lot of trouble together, but we always got through it. He was my Stallion, someone I could rely on. My doubts about Italy were slowly starting to fade too, despite the incident with Allison. To be honest, that situation had been brought over from the States anyway.

I had a feeling it wasn't over, either, but couldn't focus on that. I really wanted a wedding, and for the kids to be there, too. I smiled, thinking about walking down the aisle with James, my heart singing for the idea.

"Ma'am?" the doctor asked, snapping me back to the present. "I just need you to fill out a couple more forms for me." I nodded, my face flushing in embarrassment, as I accepted the paperwork and started to work on it.

I needed to focus on the present. James would need a reveal for this new baby. It would be hard not to just burst into tears, cheers, and tell him right away, but I wanted this to be special.

As I finished up with the appointment, I had an epiphany. I knew exactly how I wanted to tell James that a new baby was on the way.