Empty Net

by Toni Aleo

  “No, I need to see Dr. Richards, Sr, or Bryan, ASAP.”

  “Okay, darling, my goodness, you got my hands shaking!” Linda turned quickly to the nurse standing behind her, “Put her in room 3. Tell Bryan to see her next. Audrey, honey, Matthew is sick today, so Bryan will have to work.”

  “That’s fine, thank you so much, Linda,” Audrey said as the door opened and she followed the nurse to room 3.

  “Anything for you, honey, I hope you’re okay,” she heard Linda say as she entered the room. Audrey sat on the foam bench and looked up at the ceiling. She felt bad for making Linda think she was dying, but Audrey needed to see someone who knew her cooter, and that person was Dr. Richards, or Bryan. They had both been there, Dr. Richards had been her OBGYN since she was 16 and Bryan used to…well, they dated for a very long time. Bryan had graduated from Vanderbilt last year, and had started interning here with his dad’s practice. She knew that he was more than qualified now. He had always wanted to deliver babies and she was proud of him for living his dreams.

  Kicking her legs back and forth, Audrey looked down to see her hands settled against her stomach. She slowly poked her stomach as her eyes pooled with tears. Was there a little someone in there? Was it to have Tate’s eyes and her hair color? Was it a girl or a boy? Audrey felt the tears come hot and fast down her cheeks as her heart skipped a beat. Could this be her chance? Did God bless her with a miracle?

  When the door opened, Audrey looked up to see Bryan Richards standing with a worried look on his face. Bryan was a beautiful man. Sharp angles to his face, light green eyes, and blonde hair that was cut high and tight. He had a friendly happy face, and was overall one of the best guys Audrey knew. The whole Richards family would basically do anything for her.

  “Audrey, are you okay?” he asked coming in and shutting the door. He came over to hug her tightly. She basked in the hug. She needed it. When they parted, she looked up at him and said, “I was just told I’m pregnant.”

  Bryan paused, and then lowered himself to a rolling chair, “Okay? That isn’t an emergency, honey, it’s a part of life.”

  “No, Bryan, Dr. Richards told me I couldn’t have kids because of that crappy abortion I had all those years ago,” she said through shuddering breaths, “I’ve gone almost nine years thinking I couldn’t have kids. Crying because I thought I wasn’t a complete woman but apparently I am! And I’m pregnant now!”

  “Okay, wow, this is a lot to process,” he said, “I didn’t know you had an abortion, It’s not in your file.”

  “Yeah, I did, Derek knocked me up and left.”

  “Well, hell, okay, so bad abortion leads to what?”

  “Blockages of the fallopian tubes and severe irregularity, apparently. I haven’t had a period in four months, but I know damn well I ain’t four months pregnant.”

  Lord, she hoped not, that would mean it was Levi’s baby.

  Holy fuck.

  “Okay, calm down,” he said, looking over her chart. “You were here in November for a screening, everything came back good, and you weren’t pregnant then.”

  Oh yeah, thank God! Audrey thought as she nodded, “Yeah, had unprotected sex with my now boyfriend, back when he was the one night stand.”

  “Wow, you’ve been busy,” Bryan said with a grin.

  Audrey laughed, “Shut up!”

  Bryan chuckled some more, “Okay, so who said you were pregnant?”

  “Doctor’s Care said they did a pregnancy test and it came back positive.”

  He nodded as he stood, “Okay, we’ll do one now and also take some blood samples to send off. I’ll meet you in the ultrasound room.”

  “Ultrasound?”

  “I know you, you won’t believe this ‘till you see it, so let’s see if we can see this baby.”

  “But, Bryan, I can’t have kids,” Audrey insisted, tears rolling down her face.

  “Well, Audrey, apparently something was overlooked or something changed. It’s been nine years, a lot changes in your body during that time.”

  “Oh my God,” she whispered as she wiped away her tears.

  “Why are you crying, this is a good thing.”

  She looked up as the tears ran faster down her cheeks, “I want this so bad, Bryan, but I can’t let myself get excited ‘cause what if everyone is wrong and this is just some mean joke nature is playing on me?”

  Bryan came over, cupping her face before wiping her tears away. She could have loved this man her whole life, but God had a different plan for them. He was meant to be with his partner and she was meant to be with Tate. She was okay with this, but a piece of her heart would always belong to Bryan. He was her first everything. Bryan smiled as he held her gaze with his and said, “Audrey, come on, let’s get this stuff done so we can have your answer.”

  Thirty minutes and a positive pregnancy test later, Audrey was looking at a fuzzy screen showing her uterus, from what the tech, Rachel, had informed her. It was extremely uncomfortable getting a long stick, that was the ultrasound probe, shoved up in her cooter, but she had been here before. Only last time they were looking at what was damaged while this time, they were looking for a baby. Bryan stood behind Rachel as Audrey lay with her legs wide open and Rachel’s hand between her thighs.

  It wasn’t very comfortable.

  Audrey watched as Rachel pressed buttons and then moved the probe deeper and then up. Audrey’s eyes cringed a little, in pain, but she wouldn’t take her eyes off that screen for anything. When Rachel stopped and pointed, looking back at Bryan, Audrey said, “What? What’s that, what’s wrong?”

  All Audrey could see was an empty space and what looked like a ball. Squinting her eyes, she waited for an answer from someone but they were both looking very closely at the screen, not paying her any mind.

  Was that a baby?

  Her heart had beat at a rapid speed since that morning, but now it was in overdrive, and she felt light headed. Hell, she felt like she was going to puke.

  “Audrey, look,” Bryan said a grin forming on his face, “Rachel, zoom in closer please,” he asked as he bent over her, pointing at the screen. Looking back down at Audrey, he said, “that is the yolk sack, and that is the embryo.”

  Embryo? Embryo! That meant baby!

  “I’m pregnant?” she asked as the tears filled her eyes before running down her face. Rachel smiled at her as Bryan nodded.

  “Yes ma’am, your baby has a nice strong heartbeat of 126 beats per minute.”

  “My baby has a nice strong heartbeat?” Audrey asked, “I have a baby in me.”

  “You sure do, buttercup, congratulations, it looks like you are six weeks along, making your due date,” Rachel looked down at a little wheel and then smiled up at Audrey, “August 3.”

  “I’m due August 3?”

  “Yup,” Rachel said with a grin, “so this was a surprise I see? I bet daddy is going to be excited.”

  Audrey couldn’t breathe as she watched the little spot on the screen twitch. Not even a couple days ago, she asked how life could get any better and here she was. A girl’s hand up her cooter and her baby on the screen. Her baby! Her little person who was growing inside her! She had waited for this moment for the past nine years, and it was happening! She was going to be a mommy, and Tate was going to be a daddy. To their baby. She choked on a happy sob as the tears rushed down her face. When she looked up at Rachel and Bryan, the biggest, brightest grin ever came across her face as she gushed, “He’s gonna flip.”

  ***

  Where the hell was she?

  Tate paced through a hotel room as an interviewer was finishing up with Shea. He didn’t know where Audrey was, and he had even called Piper and Fallon to see if they knew. No one knew. Everyone was just as clueless as he was and it drove him insane. He knew she went to the doctor and the last text he got was asking him to tell her what he had to tell her. After that nothing. He was not only getting pissed but worried too.

  Tate turned to say something to Lucas, but he was on
the phone, yelling about something. Tate turned back to where Shea was being interviewed, and sat down in the chair that was next to him. Taking in a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair and let it out as his leg bounced. Tate looked back at Lucas to see that he was still on the phone, and appeared to still be yelling. He didn’t know what was going on but he hoped everything was okay because Lucas’ face was bright red and a vein was popping out on his head.

  Tate reached into his pocket, making sure his phone was on.

  It was.

  Letting his head fall back, he let out another breath as his mind wondered. What if something happened and she was lying on the side of the road, dead? What if she had some kind of crazy stomach bug that ate away her stomach and came out looking like an alien and it killed her? Tate sat up, holding his head as he shook it. He needed to get it together, he had an important interview with the NHL network about the All Star week, and he couldn’t worry himself with what ifs. They wouldn’t help the situation.

  But he couldn’t help it, through Shea’s entire interview and a little into Lucas’, Tate sat there coming up with the most horrible scenarios that took the love of his life away from him. He hated when he did this, he would always think of what could happen instead of just thinking that maybe they gave her some great meds and she is knocked out. Or maybe, she is dying in the hospital and they didn’t know who to call so she was just going to lay there and die without him there telling her how much he loved her.

  Tears filled his eyes and he looked down, trying to push them back. He felt like he didn’t get to tell his mom, dad, and Matilda enough that he loved them. When they were taken from him that was one of the hardest things to cope with. Did they know that he loved them more than life itself? Did his father know that Tate wanted to be him, and that he was the best father in the world? Did his mother realize that his childhood was the best because of her kind words and loving smiles? Did Matilda know that Tate couldn’t have had a better sister and that he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world with such an amazing talent? He would never know but he learned from that situation and knew that a day wouldn’t pass without him telling Audrey that he loved her, and that she was the most beautiful person on the inside and out.

  He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

  Letting out the breath he was holding, Tate glanced up to see Shea watching him. “You okay?” he asked.

  “I can’t get a hold of Audrey. I don’t know where she is.”

  “Isn’t she sick? She is probably sleeping. It’s okay. She’ll call you.”

  Tate nodded, “I hope you are right.”

  Just then his phone rang. Tate rushed to get his phone out of his pocket almost falling out of the chair he was in. When he saw Audrey’s smiling face on the display, he answered quickly, “Baby, you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said breathlessly, “I’m sorry I’ve been at the doctors, and didn’t have service.”

  “Oh, okay, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything is fine.”

  “Did they give you the medicine?” he asked, she sounded weird and it was making him nervous.

  “Um no, they said I didn’t need it. That I would be okay.”

  “Okay,” he said with his brows coming together, “so you are okay?”

  “I’m good, I’m great actually, are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a grin as his heart settled, “I was worried about you. I love you.”

  “Oh, Tate, I love you more, I’m sorry to make you worry.”

  “It’s okay, I’m just glad to hear your voice.”

  “It’s good to hear yours.” She then paused before saying, “So what are you doing?”

  “Interviews.”

  “When are you going to be home?”

  “My plane leaves after this, I should be home by 5.”

  “Okay, are you coming straight home?”

  “Of course, I haven’t seen you in nine days, I plan on keeping you very busy tonight,” he said with lust lining his words. His need for her was great and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.

  “Mm, I can’t wait,” she cooed causing his dick to come alive and press hard against the zipper of his jeans.

  “It is crazy how you only have to say that and all the worry from before vanishes and I find myself harder than a rock,” he whispered gruffly into the phone.

  “Stop teasing me, Tate, I want you so bad,” she said breathlessly.

  “Not as much as I want you,” he groaned but when he received an amused look from Shea, he laughed before saying, “But that will have to wait. I need to tell you something.”

  He hadn’t had the chance to tell her about Elsa calling him. Audrey had been so sick, and busy, while he had been slammed with stuff for the Assassins. He knew it wasn’t the best time, but he didn’t want to let her go, and he knew that if he didn’t change the subject, the NHL network wasn’t going to receive an interview from him. He would be on the first plane home to ravish his love.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I talked to Elsa the other night.”

  “Elsa? Your ex?”

  “Yeah, she called because apparently my parents had a storage unit that the lawyer forgot to tell me about. Or it got lost in the paperwork or something like that. I don’t know. Anyways, my lawyer is her brother and he asked her to get a hold of me.”

  “Oh wow, what did she say?”

  “Well, she needs me to come back home and claim the unit to get its contents. So I am going home after the playoffs, I wanted you to come with me. If you want.”

  Audrey paused for a moment and then said, “Yes, of course. I would love to go with you.”

  “Awesome, I can’t wait to take you home. I know you’ll love it,” he said, the grin on his face so big and bright, it could probably blind someone.

  “I know I will too,” she gushed, “That’s so awesome.”

  “I thought so,” he answered as he nodded. Shea looked over at him, nodding his head towards the interviewer who was wrapping up with Lucas. Tate nodded and stood up, walking over to where a girl was motioning for him before saying, “I need to go, baby, it’s my turn to be interviewed.”

  “Okay, so you are coming straight home right?”

  “Yeah, why?” he asked, she sounded weird again.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  Tate paused mid stride, and said, “About?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. But I need you to come home as soon as possible, please.”

  “Are you okay?” he found himself asking again.

  “I’m fine, I promise, I just need to talk to you,” she said and he could tell she was about to cry. She was doing that quick intake of breath, and she was sniffling.

  “I’m getting worried again,” he informed her.

  “Don’t, just come home please.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible, okay?”

  “Wonderful, don’t worry, okay? Everything is fine, I love you so much, Tate. So much.”

  His heart skipped a beat as the girl motioned for him again. He ignored her and said, “I love you, more. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  He hung up the phone and paused. It couldn’t be anything bad that she needed to tell him because if it was, she wouldn’t have told him she loved him. It had to be something about the cupcake place, which was awesome. With a wide happy grin, Tate made his way to the interviewer. He was in love. He was taking her home. He was going to introduce her to his family, and then he was going to ask her to marry him.

  Tate wanted to ask her now, but it wasn’t time. She needed to meet his family and they needed a little more time to fall more into love. He had no doubt they weren’t but he wanted her to feel they were completely and blissfully in love before he asked her. He didn’t want her to question anything, he wanted the yes to fly from her mouth when he asked. He didn’t want her to pause or even think. He wanted her to know in her soul that he wa
s the person to give her everything. And she was the one to give him everything he wanted and needed.

  Tate loved her with every fiber in his body and he couldn’t wait to make her his.

  ***

  When Fallon opened the door with her eyes wide, Audrey figured it was because she had showed up uninvited. Audrey always called before she came, but today was totally different. Audrey wasn’t thinking clearly.

  “Hey,” Fallon said. Audrey waved and pushed past Fallon. “Come on in,” Fallon said jokingly.

  As she laughed, Audrey swore it was a nervous laugh, she didn’t know why she thought that, but she did. When she turned to face her sister, tears started to fill up in her eyes and Fallon stopped laughing, “AA, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m pregnant,” Audrey said quietly. Fallon eyes got real big and she took in a sharp breath.

  “Pregnant?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I thought you couldn’t have kids?”

  “I thought so too, but I am. I just spent the morning at the Doctors Care where they told me I was and then with Bryan Richards who he confirmed it with this,” Audrey said pulling out her first picture of her little chicken. She came up with the name because they said her baby was sleeping beside a yolk. It was silly but it meant the world to her.

  “Oh my God,” Fallon took a hold of the picture glancing at the picture, “you’re pregnant!” Audrey nodded as the tears rushed down her face. She expected Fallon to hug her or something, not take Audrey’s hand and pull her through the living room to the large staircase of the house. When they reached Fallon and Lucas’ room, Audrey was completely confused as Fallon dropped Audrey’s hand and went into the bathroom. Fallon dropped to her knees and started throwing boxes over her shoulders; Audrey saw that the little boxes Fallon was throwing were pregnancy tests.