While Caleb was in the other room getting his blood drawn, I stayed in the exam room, staring blankly at the floor. My mind was racing, the guilt clawing at me like a wild animal.
When he finally returned, he looked more relaxed, though there was a curious glint in his eyes.
“So, how did it go?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I ran into someone out there. Vanessa.”
My stomach flipped. “Vanessa? What was she doing here?”
“She was sitting in the waiting area with some guy,” Caleb said, frowning slightly. “Turns out he’s her stepbrother, Jake. I knew him from middle school. Crazy coincidence.”
“Her stepbrother?” I repeated, my voice tight.
“Yeah, he is joining our school this year before college” Caleb said, leaning back in his chair. “And Vanessa.. She looked... off, though. I asked if she was okay, but she just said she wasn’t feeling well and was waiting for the doctor. Jake didn’t say much either. Weird, right?”
I nodded slowly, my stomach churning. “Why would Vanessa be here?”
Caleb shrugged. “No idea. I didn’t want to push it. She seemed... I don’t know. Nervous.”
The thought of Vanessa being at a gynecologist’s office made my mind race with possibilities, none of them comforting. But before I could dwell on it, Dr. Foster returned, wheeling the ultrasound machine into the room.
“Alright, let’s take a look at these little ones,” she said, her warm smile breaking through the tension.
I lay back on the exam table, my hands trembling slightly as she prepared the machine. Caleb moved to stand beside me, his expression softening as the screen flickered to life.
“There they are,” Dr. Foster said, pointing to the screen.
Two tiny shapes appeared, their heartbeats flickering like small flames. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt Caleb’s hand brush against mine.
“Wow,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. The guilt was too heavy.
As we left the hospital, Caleb was unusually quiet, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. I could feel his eyes on me as we walked to the car, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze.
“You okay?” he asked finally, his voice soft.
“Yeah,” I said quickly, though my chest felt like it was caving in.
He nodded, but the tension in the air between us was impossible to ignore.
And as much as I wanted to push everything else out of my mind, one question kept replaying over and over.
Why was Vanessa at the gynecologist?