Reggie stood alone in the hallway, not sure what had just happened, but knowing in her gut that Harrison’s reaction to being stuck in the closet hadn’t been the ordinary concern the average eight-year-old might feel. He’d been terrified in a way that left her worried and chilled all the way down to her soul.

Twenty

Dena sat in her doctor’s waiting room, more excited than nervous about her appointment. The routine exams would be part of her life now, becoming more frequent as the baby grew inside her. She was feeling good, sleeping well, eating right, getting in plenty of walking. All the things she was supposed to be doing.

An older woman came in and gave her name to the receptionist, then took a seat close to Dena. She smiled.

“Less of a crowd today,” the woman said conversationally. “Mornings are the worst.”

“Are they? Good to know.” Until getting pregnant, Dena only saw her ob-gyn for an annual checkup. The medical practice was a busy one, with three doctors and a couple of nurse practitioners.

“Usually I’m surrounded by very pregnant women,” the other patient said with a laugh. “Just watching them trying to stand when their name is called makes me wince. I’m so glad those days are behind me. My kids are grown, with kids of their own.” Her gaze settled on Dena’s wrist. “But I see you’re just starting your journey. How far along are you?”

“What? How did you...” Dena glanced at the motion sickness bracelets she wore. “Oh, these.” She smiled. “Eleven weeks. I’m finally starting to feel better, but now that I’ve found these, I’m afraid to take them off.”

“A couple more weeks and you won’t need them.” She glanced at the door. “Is your husband parking the car?”

Dena held in a groan. People assuming she was married was something she was going to have to get used to. She reminded herself to keep her smile in place as she drew in a breath.

“I’m not married. I had artificial insemination. I’m having the baby on my own.”

“Oh, that’s very modern.” The other woman’s expression turned pitying. “I imagine you think you’re very brave, but don’t you worry about giving up on ever having a man in your life?”

“Why would you say that? Having a baby doesn’t mean I can’t find someone to be with.”

Although her reasons for getting pregnant in the first place had been guided by that assumption. Not that it would never happen, but that she was tired of waiting for a man to come along. She wanted children, and she’d been in a position to make that happen.

“Women with children get married all the time,” she added.