“Oh,” Kate said. “Uh, congratulations? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Because you sound like it’s a bad thing.”

“Christ, I don’t know.” I rubbed my forehead, where a headache was forming.

“Wait,” Kate said suspiciously. “Is this why you ran off and got married?”

“No,” I replied quickly. “Hell no. We got married because we wanted to get married. No other reason.”

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word. “Well, you’re married, so you’re both clearly committed, and you both have good jobs. What’s the issue?”

“Sarai,” I said, hating myself for throwing her under the bus like that, but dying for some support.

“What is she worried about?” Kate said, her voice low and calming.

“I don’t know,” I replied, thinking of the look on Sarai’s face when she’d found out she was pregnant. “She just keeps saying that she had an IUD.”

“Ah,” Kate murmured.

“What?”

“I can understand that.” Kate had accidentally gotten pregnant when she and Shane had a one-night stand. Everything worked out in the end, but it hadn’t started out well. “Try to imagine it from her point of view. She thought she was protected from pregnancy, and now she’s growing a human she hadn’t planned for. Pretty scary.”

“Did you—” I wasn’t even sure what I was asking. “How did you react?”

“I yelled,” Kate said. “I think I called Shane a bunch of dirty words. Threw up a couple of times.”

“Sarai just went silent,” I replied. “After arguing with the doctor.”

“She’s just in shock,” Kate said soothingly. “Give her a little time, and then see where her head’s at.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“Where are you?” Kate asked. “Still at the hospital?”

“Yeah, I walked outside for a few minutes,” I replied. “Sarai’s dehydrated, so they’re giving her some fluids.”

“Well, get back in there, Dad,” Kate scolded. “She’s probably scared out of her mind, and you’re outside calling me.”

“Shit,” I muttered.

“It’ll all work out,” she promised. “Give Sarai a hug for me, and tell her to call if she wants to talk or anything. I’m kind of an expert on babies.”

“Will do.” I turned back toward the doors. “Hey, Kate—”

“I won’t tell anyone,” she said, cutting me off. “It’s your news to share.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“Anytime.”

I hung up the phone and dropped my head back, staring at the dark sky. Sarai’s behavior made me antsy and anxious. There was something about the way that she refused to believe in our new reality that scared me, but I couldn’t figure out why. She’d calm down and everything would work out—I knew that—but it didn’t stop the knot of fear in my stomach from growing.