Billy turned the key in the door, holding it open and waiting for her to walk through. He watched her intently and she stepped over to the couch.
She sat on the edge, her hands clasped tight in her lap, her face still streaked with tears. Her shoulders trembled as she took stilted breaths. She felt his body as he sat down beside her and the warmth of his hand on her neck finally broke the shreds of composure that remained.
"It's okay," he whispered, trying desperately to convince her of something he still struggled with himself. "I'm here. I'm always gonna be here. We'll be ok." He felt her shake, her body still racked with sobs.
Gently he pulled away, his eyes staring into hers. "You gotta try to calm down, ok? This isn't good for you or the baby."
She took a breath, looking up at him, his words a gentle but poignant reminder of all that now connected them. "Our baby," she whispered.
"Let me." He reached out and gently took the clipboard and pen from her hand, squeezing her hand in his and kissing it softly before turning his attention to the forms in front of him.
Phyllis sighed. "I won't always be like this. I'm just..." She gripped her hands together, unable to stop the trembling. Each second brought another thought, each more worrisome than the last. This baby was a chance-a gift. What if...what if she wasn't allowed that happiness. She didn't deserve it after everything she'd done.
Billy watched her, her eyes betraying the private war she fought. He fought a similar battle when he lost Delia, one where he wondered if the pain and loss was a part of some divine plan. If Delia had to die so that he could somehow pay for his sins-so that he could hurt as much as he'd hurt others.
"Phyllis Abbott," the nurse called.
Billy extended his hand to her and he smiled as he felt her take it. They walked into the office.
"The doctor will speak with the two of you first. Then you'll be moved into an exam room," the nurse responded before exiting.
Phyllis nodded, taking a seat in a chair across from a large mahogany desk.
Billy sat beside her, his hand grasping hers again. "You ok?"
She squeezed his hand tighter, taking a deep, forced breath. "I'm trying to be," she admitted, looking over at him, her eyes meeting his.
"I know you're scared," he said quietly. "That's ok. You don't have to pretend with me."
There was something about the way he looked at her. It was as if he knew everything she thought and felt before she even said it.
"I couldn't if I wanted to," she said softly, "I think you might know me better than I know myself."
The sharp knock on the door brought the conversation to an abrupt end and they both turned as a middle aged man entered the room. He paused in front of both of them, extending his hand, and shaking their hands in greeting before walking behind the desk.
"Good afternoon," he said with a smile, "I'm Dr. Pittard and you must be Mr and Mrs Abbott."
Phyllis hesitated, her eyes darting over to Billy.
"I'm Billy Abbott," he said, quickly, "but we aren't married. I'm the father of the baby and we're..." He looked over at Phyllis, unsure how to qualify their relationship.
"It's all rather new." She felt the words tumble from her mouth. "It's complicated".
Dr Pittard raised his hands, a kind smile playing upon his face. "Please, don't feel like you need to explain. The only thing I'm interested in here is making sure your pregnancy isn't complicated."
Phyllis nodded, a relieved sigh escaping her lips.
"And trust me," the Dr. continued, "you couldn't shock me if you tried." He smiled at the two of them before opening the chart in front of him. "Now then, Dr. Rayburn sent me your chart and I've reviewed it. I understand you've had a history of miscarriages in the past and you had a bit of an issue recently with your blood pressure and your blood sugar. Is that correct?"
Billy piped up, "She passed out. That was last night..and today she hasn't been feeling well. She's been unsteady and nauseous...and you've been trembling."
Phyllis shook her head. "There's been a lot going on. I'm okay...honestly."
She watched as the doctor made notes on his chart.
"So you've been under stress recently?" he asked, glancing up at her?
The air left her lips in a quick huff. "Yeah, you could say that." She stopped for a moment realizing how cavalier her comment sounded. "But I know that's not good and I'm trying to stay calm. I don't want to do anything to put this baby in any jeopardy."
Dr. Pittard put his pen down. "Of course not. Based on what I've seen in your charts, I do think it's a good idea that Dr. Rayburn referred you here. We specialize in high risk pregnancies and we're going to do everything we can to make sure everything goes smooth for both of you."
He stood. "If the two of you are ready, we'll get you set up in the exam room." He turned to face Phyllis. "You can change into the gown and I'll be in in just a minute."
Phyllis stepped into the room. Billy stood in the hallway, his eyes following the doctor as he chatted with the nurse for a moment.
"Dr. Pittard," he said, his voice hushed so Phyllis wouldn't hear. "Do you have just a second for me to ask you a quick question?"
He led him down the hall a bit, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Phyllis was still inside the room. "What you said in there," he paused, swallowing hard, trying to take the advice he'd been constantly giving to Phyllis, "you called this a high risk pregnancy. What exactly does that mean?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Abbott. I didn't mean to alarm you-there's no reason to assume that anything is wrong at the moment. A high risk pregnancy is simply a term we use in the medical field to describe a pregnancy that is...somewhat predisposed to complications."
Billy felt his heart race faster. "Wait so you're saying that there's more of a chance something could go wrong?"
"Mr. Abbott, the only thing you need to worry about right now is keeping that one in there from worrying too much." He pointed to the exam room and smiled. "We are going to keep a very close eye on Mrs. Abbott and your baby and, if you'll let me get in that room, you'll be able to get your very first photo."
Billy nodded, following the doctor into the room. He walked over to the side of the exam table where Phyllis sat, her legs hanging over the side, her hands busily twirling her hair. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his chest. This was their chance. This was their time. This could be the beginning of their happily ever after.