In the notes section of her iPhone, Natalie reluctantly typed the bank account and insurance information that Joe wanted her to have, pausing while a nurse to came in to check the bags hanging from Joe's IV stand.

"The anesthesiologist should be in to see you in a few minutes."

"Thanks." Natalie said to the nurse as she exited.

"I think that's probably all of the things you need to know to help you take care of the baby if I…" Joe trailed off.

"Stop that." Natalie said firmly, placing her phone on the table beside them. She moved out of the chair she was sitting in and settled next to Joe on the bed. "You're going to be changing disgusting diapers and stepping on Legos right alongside me. You're not getting out of this arrangement that easily."

Joe smiled weakly. "I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right. Haven't you learned by now that I'm always right?" Natalie forced more confidence into her voice than she felt.

Joe reached up and caressed the side of her face. "God. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Natalie said softly, as Joe moved his hand down to her stomach.

It had taken some time for Natalie to become used to the attention that Joe lavished on her baby bump. She'd always been self-conscious about having her stomach touched, but she'd eventually realized that he just wanted to bond with their child. She covered his hand with her own, pressing their hands more tightly to her body. Joe smiled as the baby kicked at their hands.

"He's moving so much now." Joe commented.

"Constantly. You still think it's a boy, huh?"

"Maybe."

"Still not naming our kid after Freddie Mercury."

The door swung open and a middle-aged man in green scrubs entered the room. "Hello, I'm Dr. Gannon. I'll be your anesthesiologist for your angioplasty today."

"So, you're here to knock me out?" Joe asked.

"Actually… You'll be awake during the procedure, but sedated. I want you to be pretty loopy by the time we get back there, so I'm going to begin administering some drugs to you now. We'll head back soon." The doctor slowly injected various syringes of medication into Joe's IV.

Joe looked up at Natalie drowsily a few minutes later. "If I live through this, will you marry me?"

Natalie laughed nervously and glanced back at the anesthesiologist, who was pretending not to hear their conversation by busying himself with writing notes in Joe's chart. "That was fast. What the hell did you give him?"

"Versed and fentanyl." Dr. Gannon replied.

Natalie turned back to face her boyfriend. "You're going to live through this, Joe."

"But will you? Someday?"

The thought of marriage made Natalie anxious; she'd only been divorced from Jason for a few months. There was no question that she loved Joe and wanted to have a life with him and their child, but something about making their relationship legal with a label frightened her. It was a decision that required more than an anesthesia-fueled, hospital bedside proposal.

But Natalie realized that as high as Joe was, there was a good chance that he wouldn't even remember asking her after the procedure was over.

"Okay. Someday." Natalie squeezed his hand.

While Joe was in surgery, Natalie sat alone in the waiting room, idly scrolling through her emails on her phone to keep herself busy. She didn't even glance up until someone sat down next to her and tapped her lightly in the leg. Startled, she jumped and was surprised to look up and see a familiar face.

"Jason!" Natalie exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"How's Joe doing?" Jason asked instead of answering her question.

"He's in surgery having an angioplasty. How did you even know? Don't tell me you're one of his emergency contacts, too."

Jason chuckled. "No, no… I was bringing over some paperwork to your office about selling the house for you to look at, and your secretary told me what happened."

"Oh good." Natalie grumbled. "She's fired when I go back to work."

"Don't be that way, Nat. She was worried about you, especially with being pregnant and… Wow." Jason's eyes widened as they finally landed on Natalie's stomach.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Thanks, just what every pregnant woman wants to hear."

"I haven't seen you in months." Jason pointed out. "You barely looked pregnant in divorce court, but you... I mean the baby has… Grown."

"That's what they do." Natalie folded her hands over her stomach.

"It suits you." Jason said quietly. "I always thought it would."

"Have you and Gavin thought about having kids?" Natalie wasn't sure why she was asking, but there was a part of her that was curious. "I know you wanted to be a father…"

"We've talked about it, but we think we'd like to get married first. We're an old-fashioned gay couple." Jason joked, making Natalie smile despite the situation.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are Joe and I crazy, Jason? Are we too old to be doing this?"

"I think you're several months late to be asking that question… So to speak." Jason gestured toward Natalie's round stomach, smirking a little at his own joke.

"Seriously. What if Joe dies now? What if one or both of us dies while this baby is still a kid? I'm not young, and he's several years older than I am."

Jason shrugged. "Life in general is a crapshoot. Your mom died when she was in her thirties. Joe could have this heart attack and still live to be 100. Who knows? Does anyone ever know?"

"I guess not." Natalie sighed.

"Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you always try to think of ways to keep from being happy?" Jason asked, locking eyes with her.

"I don't try to. I've had a hell of a year, you might recall, and now this." Natalie's voice broke as her eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose Joe too. I love him, and I… I can't raise this baby myself."

"I don't think there's much of anything you can't do, Nati." Jason murmured, looping an arm around Natalie's shoulders. "You've waited a long time for this. You're going to be a hell of a mom."

Natalie wiped the tears from her eyes. "All this time, I was so afraid of being pregnant and losing the baby that I never thought to be scared of being a parent."