"Miss Deveraux, Mr. DiMera, I have the results of the pregnancy test." Dr. Garcia smiled at the couple as she walked into the exam room, carrying a clipboard.
Abby looked up at EJ. He looked as nervous as she felt. How Abby actually felt about the impending news was hard for her to define. On one hand she was hoping for a negative result. She loved children and looked forward to one day having a family, but she felt she was nowhere nearly ready enough to have her own baby right now, especially with the added complication of it being the result of her affair with an engaged man. On the other hand, when she did picture her future children, there was only one father that she could imagine them having, and he happened to be the tall, handsome, oh-so-taken man standing next to her. It left her torn. EJ had assured Abby that if she was pregnant he would claim the child as his own, but Abby knew that was the extent of his promise. He would always belong to Sami. He made that abundantly clear when he ended their affair.
EJ swallowed hard as his hands instinctively went to the back of Abigails' neck and shoulders. He could feel the tension in her taut muscles as he rubbed them in an attempt to sooth her. For the millionth time he chastised himself for getting into this situation. He didn't regret their lovemaking. It was an unexpected gift, the memory of which he would cherish forever. But he'd never meant for them to be left with a permanent reminder of their undeniable, uncontrollable connection. It wasn't like he was an inexperienced teen who simply forgot to use protection. He was a grown man – a man who knew perfectly well what might happen. Yet he got so caught every time he was near her that common sense didn't just fly out the window, it migrated south for the winter.
He was anxious for a negative result, of course because that would be the simplest outcome. He'd dodge a potentially fatal bullet. But if he was truly honest with himself, part of him was hoping that Abigail was actually pregnant. She would be an absolutely amazing mother, kind and loving, generous with her time and her affection. Their child would grow up knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he or she was thoroughly loved.
It was a future he could only dream of for his other children. Samantha tried, but in the pecking order of her world, she came first, followed by her firstborn, Will and his daughter Arianna Grace. Occasionally EJ liked to think that he and their kids came third, but the mess with Kristen and Eric, had shown him that her twin stood above them. Given the sheer amount of times that Samantha had threatened to take Johnny and Sydney away from him, he knew that they fell into the next spot on priority list. He supposed that Allie would have been there too, if not for Lucas. Samantha didn't need to make her eldest daughter a priority because Lucas always would. On good days, like the ones they had before Brady's wedding to Kristen, EJ felt confident that at the very least he ranked above Samantha's exes, Lucas and Rafe. On bad days, he knew better. There had been a lot of bad days lately.
It was a sobering thought, one that lingered in the back of his mind as he waited for Dr. Garcia to say the words that might change everything.
Dr. Garcia opened her clipboard and scanned the page. With a smile on her face she looked at Abby. "Congratulations. You are pregnant."
Abby gasped and felt her knees begin to buckle. EJ's arms swiftly moved to encircle her waist, steadying her against his body. She felt his lips kiss the top of her head. "Pregnant? I'm really pregnant?"
"Yes you are."
EJ's heart thumped wildly in his chest and his mouth suddenly felt dry. "You're absolutely sure. 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt?"
Dr. Garcia nodded at him. The odds of a false positive are extremely miniscule with the type of test I administered. Of course if you're still in doubt, we can do a vaginal ultrasound to confirm it, but I really don't think that's necessary. Abigail, based on the symptoms you described, I am confident that the test results are correct."
Abby forced herself to take a deep calming breath. EJ hadn't let go of her, which was helping her maintain a semblance of calm. "So what's next?"
"Well." Dr. Garcia explained. "Mr. DiMera mentioned that you have your own family doctor. It's up to you whether or not you want to keep seeing me for the remainder of your pregnancy or not."
Abby turned her head and gave a questioning look at EJ, half expecting him to insist on her staying with Dr. Garcia.
EJ met the challenge in her gaze and replied sincerely. "I meant what I said before. Now that we have the results, you can see whichever doctor makes you feel comfortable. The only thing I will say is that if you stay with Dr. Garcia you can guarantee that no one at University Hospital will find out. Dr. Garcia practices out of Salem General Hospital. But again Abigail, the decision is entirely yours."
Abby had been weighing the pros and cons of seeing her family doctor while they waited on the results. For her it came down to privacy. As much as she loved the hospital that her grandfather had practically built, she couldn't deny that it would be extremely difficult to keep her pregnancy a secret for long if she went to her own doctor – a doctor that her mother also visited on a regular basis. And besides that, she liked Dr. Garcia. She was professional, yet approachable. "I'd like to stay with you Dr. Garcia."
"Alright then. So I will write you a prescription for prenatal vitamins, which I recommend you fill today. And if you stop by my nurse's desk on the way out, she can book you in for your first ultrasound, four to six weeks from now. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a telephone consultation scheduled. I'll see you in a few weeks Ms. Deveraux. Feel free to call me before then if you have any questions."
Abby and EJ waited until she'd left the room before looking at each other. To say they were stunned, was putting it mildly. It reminded EJ of the moments immediately after their first time in the cabin, when they'd both been too overcome by the enormity of what they'd done to speak. "Abigail, you have to believe me when I say that I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean to take advantage—"
She cut him off. "We've had that conversation before, EJ. Don't you remember?" At his wordless nod, she continued. "You didn't take advantage of me then and any other time we were together. I was a willing partner and now we have consequences to deal with."
"We need to figure out what we're going to do." EJ agreed. "But we can't do it here."
"Smith Island?"
"I'll call for the boat."
They left the doctor's office together, stopping only to make the ultrasound appointment, which EJ insisted he was going to be at, and to pick up Abby's vitamins along the way. Neither spoke on the boat ride as both were still coming to grips with the fact that with one small sentence from the doctor, everything had changed.