No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 30

Lucy sat in the stiff, uncomfortable chair of the doctor's waiting room, nervously tapping her foot against the tile floor. Her fingers were laced with Henry's, his hand warm and steady in hers. They had both been quiet since arriving, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for the results. She kept glancing at the door, half hoping the nurse would come out and tell them it was all a mistake, and half terrified of hearing the opposite.

Henry sat next to her, his thumb gently rubbing circles on the back of her hand. He was calm, like always, but Lucy could feel the tension in the way his fingers gripped hers just a little tighter than usual.

"I wasn't expecting you to be so calm about this," Lucy said suddenly, breaking the silence between them. She glanced at Henry, her voice soft but laced with anxiety. "When I first told you about the test... I thought you'd freak out. Or be upset, or—well, pretty much anything except saying 'it would be logical to get married.'"

Henry turned his head to look at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "You thought I'd freak out?"

Lucy shrugged, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know. I just... I guess I wasn't expecting you to be so calm. You're always calm, though, I should've known better." She laughed a little, but it was nervous, unsure.

Henry tilted his head, thinking. "I was surprised, too," he admitted. "It's a big thing. But it just seemed like the next logical step. We're in a relationship, and if we're going to have a baby..." He trailed off, his gaze dropping to their joined hands.

Lucy shook her head. "That's the thing, Henry. This... this is huge. It's not just some step we can plan out, like opening a restaurant or starting a project. It's a baby. It's our whole future." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "But when you said we should get married, I didn't know what to think. I mean, if you really believe that's the best idea... then we should do it."

Henry's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly composed himself. "You think we should get married?"

Lucy nodded, biting her lip as she tried to find the right words. "I think... I think we're in this together. And if we're going to do this—if the test is right and we're having a baby—then we should be all in, one hundred percent. Marriage is... it's a big deal, but I trust you. If you think it's what we should do, then yeah, I think we should."

Henry was quiet for a moment, processing her words. His face softened, and he leaned in a little closer. "Lucy, I don't want to rush you into anything. I said we should get married because it made sense to me. But it has to make sense to both of us. I don't want to make you feel pressured."

Lucy squeezed his hand, her gaze steady on his. "I don't feel pressured, Henry. I just... I want to make sure we're doing this for the right reasons. And I think we are." She smiled, though it was small, tentative. "We're not perfect, but we're good together. And if we're having a baby... then I think we could figure it all out, like you said. One step at a time."

Henry's lips curved into a soft smile. "One step at a time," he echoed, his voice quiet but reassuring.

The door to the waiting room opened, and the nurse stepped in, holding a clipboard. Lucy's stomach flipped as the nurse called her name.

"Ready?" Henry asked gently, squeezing her hand.

Lucy took a deep breath, nodding. "Yeah. Ready."

Together, they stood up and walked toward the nurse, their hands still firmly intertwined, both bracing themselves for whatever came next.