by Ashlyn Chase
“Is there any medication I should be taking?”
“Not yet. I’ll let your neurologist and Dr. Ingalls decide what to prescribe and when.”
“Will I ever be able to dance again?”
“You’ll probably be able to waltz, depending on how you feel. But anything more strenuous than that may become progressively more difficult. What you have is relapsing-remitting MS or RRMS.”
She made herself concentrate on his words, despite her mind’s desire to wander off on its own.
“RRMS is characterized by clearly defined attacks of new or increasing neurologic symptoms. These attacks—also called relapses or exacerbations—are followed by periods of partial or complete recovery called remissions. During remissions, all or most of your symptoms may disappear. However, there is no apparent progression of the disease during the periods of remission. Approximately 85 percent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with RRMS. So you have the most common type.”
“Yay, me,” she muttered sarcastically.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. If you have any questions at all, you can call me, but I think working with your neurologist will be more important going forward.”
“I’m okay. I think it’s just the shock of it all.”
“I’ll get a nurse to help you out.”
Misty felt as if she were walking through a fog as she was escorted to her next appointment. She latched onto Julie as they walked through the waiting room. After she’d made it through the new waiting room, the nurse she was handed off to made her stop at the restroom and give a urine sample.
She hadn’t gone to her gynecologist in the suburbs for a few years, so when she was making appointments for everything else under the sun, she took the nurse’s advice and scheduled that too. By the time the appointment rolled around, she’d been experiencing nausea, and her always reliable period was absent.
Misty didn’t smile or answer some question she barely heard, and Julie frowned. “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, you know…MS, new mysterious symptoms, the whole nine,” she said as she changed into the hospital gown.
“You definitely have MS?”
Misty nodded.
Julie stood there with her mouth hanging open for a moment. “What new mysterious symptoms?”
“Nausea. And I should have gotten my period by now. My internist didn’t want to commit to anything, so he’s letting Dr. Tingles give me the news.”
Her friend remained quiet for once.
A pretty redhead in a white lab coat entered the room and introduced herself as Dr. Ingalls. Misty had to remind herself not to add the T to her name—ever! She had Julie stick her nose in a magazine during the internal exam, but it was over quickly.
Her gynecologist confirmed the bombshell Dr. Warren had dropped earlier by saying, “You’re pregnant. Congratulations! That means I’m your new best friend.”
Julie’s eye rounded, but she quickly hid behind the magazine again.
“I’ll let you get dressed, and I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ll prescribe some prenatal vitamins, but you shouldn’t take anything else unless you check with me first,” the doctor said as she whipped off her exam gloves and tossed them into the trash bin.
Now Misty lay on a cold exam table in nothing but a hospital gown. “How the hell did this happen?” she asked in a trembling voice.
Julie’s eyes widened. “Um, you don’t know? Well, when a man and a woman like each other very much—”
“Shut up.” Misty draped an arm over her face as she lay on the exam table. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes.
I have multiple sclerosis and I’m pregnant. How the hell do I deal with this?
Since her feet were still in the stirrups, Julie patted Misty’s bent knee. “Cheer up, Mist. It could be worse.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if this were happening during the zombie apocalypse? The doctors and nurses would be way busier, and you’d have to wait forever to get an appointment.”
“Oh God!” The mention of nurses reminded her that Gabe’s sister-in-law worked in this hospital. “Sandra must know. She’s a nurse here. Or maybe she doesn’t. Is there any way you can find Dr. Ingalls? I need to ask the doctor if she can keep it to herself.”
“I’ll try. Will you be okay by yourself?”
Misty moved her arm and stared at her friend. “What do you think I’m going to do? Give myself a coat-hanger abortion while you’re gone?”
“I…oh, hell. I don’t know. I was just trying to… Never mind. I’ll go find the doctor.”
“I’m sorry, Jules. I’m angry, but not at you.”
Julie left, thank God. Misty had to think. What could she do? This was a disaster. If only she didn’t have MS too. It would still be a disaster, but less of one.
Why did things have to happen all at once? She was just preparing herself for the diagnosis of MS. Now this. She’d almost rather deal with a zombie apocalypse.
A few moments later, Dr. Ingalls returned, with Julie right behind her.
Misty waited until her friend had closed the door. “Sandra Fierro is the father’s sister-in-law. I’m not ready to tell him yet. Does she know? Is there any way you can keep her in the dark for a while?”
Dr. Ingalls gave her a sympathetic look. “I don’t know if she’s aware of it or not. I can’t keep her from peeking at your chart if she decides to.”
“Isn’t there something about doctor–patient confidentiality?”
“That pertains to people outside the hospital. Hospital personnel have to communicate with each other regarding patient care. They sign a form saying they’ll keep any information they learn about patients confidential. I can remind her of that.”
Misty nodded sadly. “Thank you.”
“May I ask why you’re not ready to tell the father?”
Misty was tempted to say “No, you may not.” But there was no reason she couldn’t tell her doctor that Gabe had just been released from another hospital with bad news of his own. He couldn’t work until the fire department’s doctor cleared him. And he wasn’t happy about waiting around and twiddling his thumbs.
“It’s just bad timing. I’ll tell him as soon as the time is right.”
Dr. Ingalls patted her arm. “If you need anything, give me a call.”
I need a miracle, Misty thought. She couldn’t get an abortion—this was Gabe’s child, and on a deep, secret level, she wanted it. Desperately.
It might be the only part of Gabe she could have and love long-term. She wouldn’t expect Gabe to marry her. Others might, but that’s not how she wanted her relationship with him to play out.
The doctor left as soon as she was confident Misty was in a stable frame of mind. Julie agreed to stay with her all afternoon. Misty got up off the table and made Julie turn around while she put on her underwear.
“Seriously? We’re both girls here. I’m probably going to be your birth coach, and I’ll see a whole lot more of you, if you know what I mean.”
Misty halted with her arm half in her sweater. “What makes you think you’re going to be my birth coach?”
“I thought Mr. Handsome disappeared after the night of your party, never to return. Did he come back?”
“Yeah. He came over the next day. He was there when my house blew up.”
Julie smiled. “I’d say something about the sparks between you two setting off that explosion, but it’s probably too soon.”
Misty pulled her sweater over her head. “Ya think?”
“So, how are you going to tell him? And when?”
She sat down to put on her jeans. Her balance was still questionable. “As I told the doctor, I don’t know when. And I don’t know how either.”
Misty started tearing up again. She tried some deep breathing and fanned he
r face.
Julie looked over her shoulder. When she saw Misty falling apart, she rushed to her and put her arms around her. “It’s gonna be all right. It’s okay to cry. I’ll be here for you no matter what happens. Okay?”
Misty swallowed the rest of her tears. “I know. Thank you.”
Julie was sweet but not who she really wanted. Then she remembered someone else she had to tell.
“Oh, crap.”
Julie leaned back and gazed at her. “What is it?”
“Parker. I’ll have to tell Parker too.”
She took a few more deep breaths and pulled her jeans up as far as she could before standing. When she rose and tried to pull them up the rest of the way, she wobbled and grabbed Julie’s arm.
Misty burst into tears. “Oh, I can’t do this. I just can’t.”
“Relax. I’ve got you,” Julie said. She held her shoulders steady while Misty zipped up her jeans. “You see? We can do this together. We can do anything together. We’re women, dammit! Hear us roar!”
Misty appreciated the feminist leanings of her friend but doubted her own at that moment.
There was a knock at the door, and it opened partway without her saying Come in.
Sandra peeked around it. “Are you decent?”
Misty gave her a halfhearted smile. “Depends on what you mean by decent.”
Sandra entered and shut the door behind her. She strode over and enveloped Misty in a warm, tight hug. “I want you to know I won’t tell anybody anything. Not even Miguel. I won’t even say you came in today.”
Misty exhaled a deep breath. “Thank you. I appreciate your telling me that.”
Sandra stepped back and rubbed Misty’s arms. “How are you holding up?”
Misty dropped her gaze to the floor. Tears threatened to spill again.
“Oh, honey. I know how you’re feeling, but it’ll be all right.”
Misty glared at Gabe’s sister-in-law. “What do you know about how I feel?”
Sandra smiled, albeit sadly. “I imagine you’re overwhelmed, scared, and feeling alone. I’ve seen this before, Misty.”
She sagged. That’s exactly how she felt. Misty nodded. “You forgot feeling sorry for myself, but other than that, you nailed it.”
“I know one person who won’t be sorry.”
“Ha. If you say Gabe, you’re dead wrong.”
Sandra tilted her head. “I was going to say Gabriella. She wants a grandchild so badly, she’s bugging all her younger sons to get married and have kids. The older married ones have already said they won’t be providing her with grandchildren.”
“Well, she’ll be disappointed on that front with Gabe. He has no intention of getting married. Ever.”
Sandra lifted her chin as if sure of something. “He’ll do the right thing.”
“I want him to do the right thing for him. For all of us. That doesn’t mean marrying me out of pity. He’ll resent me for it. He might even resent the baby too.”
Sandra’s lips thinned. “Okay. I can’t predict the future, but there’s one thing I know about the Fierro men. When the chips are down, they’ll come through. Only an asshole would walk away from your situation. These guys are not assholes.”
Misty nodded sadly. “I know that. I’m afraid of that, actually.”
Sandra tipped her head and gazed at Misty for a moment. “Don’t be. I can’t divulge the details of the conversation I had with Gabe recently. But I think you may be surprised by his reaction.”
Misty’s brows shot up. Had Gabe had a change of heart? Oh Lord, I hope so.
Chapter 12
Gabe paced the length of his studio apartment, going stir-crazy. It had been a week since his discharge from the hospital. Couldn’t the captain at least assign him to light duty? Nope. He was off the roster until cleared by the fire department’s doctor.
He needed a distraction. Some pleasant company would do the trick. Misty popped into his mind right away. It would fit in with his plan of getting to know each other better.
He took his phone off the charger and called her as he paced around his apartment.
She answered on the second ring. “Hi, Gabe. I was hoping you’d call.”
“Oh yeah? I guess we’re on the same wavelength. How are you?”
Misty hesitated. “The question is, how are you? You’re the one who took a big bang to the head.”
“I feel a lot better physically, but I’m bored. If you’re free, we could go somewhere…or hang out and do something at my place.”
“Umm, I don’t know what you’re thinking of doing, exactly. I have to go to work tomorrow. I shouldn’t be out too late. And I can’t stay the night.”
Stay the night? “Whoa. That is not what I meant at all. I…I shouldn’t have called.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“I just meant doing something this afternoon. I…uh…have plans with Jayce this evening.”
“Gabe? There’s something I have to tell you.”
“Oh? Okay. So tell me.”
“It’s not a conversation for over the phone.”
“Uh-oh. Are you dumping me?” He laughed. “Not that we’re really a couple, even.”
She must not have found his joke funny. Her voice became stern. “How about if we meet for coffee and discuss it this afternoon?”
“That sounds good. Starbucks? The one on Cambridge Str—Oh, sorry. I was thinking of the one close to you in the North End. You must be at my parents’ house in the South End, right? I can pick up a copy of the local entertainment paper on the way.”
“Actually, I’m at my friend’s house in Saugus.”
“Hi, Gabe,” a faint voice yelled in the background.
He chuckled. “Hi, whoever you are.”
The voice got louder, as if she’d grabbed the phone. “My name is Julie. Actually, I’m one of the girls who thought you were a stripper. Sorry about that.”
“Ah. No worries. It was kind of flattering—I guess. Can you put Misty back on the phone?”
“Sure.”
He heard Misty frantically whispering to her friend to give her privacy. A moment later, Misty said, “Hi.”
“Maybe I can meet you out there—wherever you are.”
“Saugus. There are all kinds of places we can go, but why don’t you meet me here at my friend’s house and then we can decide where to go to talk.”
“Okay. Give me the address.”
Misty gave him the address and some simple directions.
“I just have to borrow a car. I’ll be there in forty-five minutes—maybe longer, if I have to rent one.”
“Good. I’ll see you in an hour or so. I would actually like some time to shower and change my clothes. I slept in them last night.”
“Should I be worried?”
There was a hesitation. Finally, Misty said, “No. Not for the reason you’re thinking. No walk of shame or anything.”
And before she could say any more, he said, “I’ll meet you there around eleven.”
She disconnected, leaving him to wonder what she was being so mysterious about. Whatever it was, he’d find out later. Right now, he had to call Dante and hope his little brother wasn’t using his beloved sports car.
* * *
Misty had just enough time to wash her underwear and blow-dry it. Then she showered, brushed her teeth and hair, put on mascara, and borrowed some clothes from Julie. She was glad they found something cute that fit. A pair of skinny jeans and a pretty magenta sweater. She was also glad she wasn’t back at the Fierro house waiting for Gabe.
She didn’t want to chat with her future child’s grandmother. Gabe needed to know first, and his mother seemed to have some kind of psychic power or something. She always knew what other people were feeling. And she had a way of getting them to spill their guts.
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When the doorbell rang, she jogged downstairs to answer it, but Julie had gotten there first.
“Surprise, Misty. It’s Parker!”
She froze halfway down the stairs. “Parker?”
“Hey, Sis!”
“How are you here? And how did you know where I was?”
“I have a short leave between training and shipping out.”
“He called me to arrange a little surprise for you. I didn’t know if I’d have to kidnap you to get you here, but fortunately, you were easy to convince.” She winked.
Crap. Now she’d have to tell Parker and Gabe at the same time. There was no way she could keep this to herself until she saw each one alone. In a way, it was a good thing Parker was here and not half a world away. He might need to see for himself that she was really all right.
“Don’t I get a hug?” he asked.
“Of course!” She ran into the foyer and hugged her brother hard. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too. More than you’d think.”
“Oh yeah? You must have been really homesick.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Holy shit!” Gabe exclaimed. “Is that Parker?”
Parker whirled around and met his best friend coming up the walk. They gave each other a man hug with many slaps on the back.
“Good to see you! Hey, Julie, I didn’t realize you knew Gabe.”
“I don’t. Well, not really. I thought he was a stripper, and then he ran off before proper introductions could be made.”
Parker’s brows rose.
“Jeez, Julie,” Misty interjected. “It’s not what it sounds like. I was having a party at my apartment for Julie and my friends from high school, and Gabe just showed up to check on me. I thought he was the pizza delivery guy and went into the other room to get my wallet and, well…the girls thought I had arranged something else—which I didn’t, by the way.”
Parker laughed hard. “So, I guess you’re still looking after my little sister, Gabe. Thanks.”
“What are you doing here?” Gabe asked. “Did you get emergency leave when you heard that Misty’s house blew up?”
Parker took a step back. He grabbed Misty’s arm. “Your house blew up? How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
