Willow was forever in love with Jake. It was something magical in her mind. Jake treated her like a queen and couldn't imagine life without her
This was only one month after they were married. However, willow's mind wasn't on Jake today. Her mind was racing with thoughts. Her doctor's appointment didn't go as well as she had hoped.
She stayed home from work after that, claiming to her boss a family crisis. Her boss favored her, so of course he let her go home.
Willow sat in the kitchen, an odd place for her to sit. Her stomach was starting to bulge some. Enough to make her two sizes larger in clothing.
When Jake got home from work, he found her still in the kitchen. "Willow? You're home early. Is everything all right?"
Willow looked at him. She looked like she had been crying. Her forehead was wrinkled in sadness. He came over and sat next to her. "What happened??"
"I went to my doctor appointment today..."
Jake's face grew very somber. "Don't tell me something is wrong with the baby..?"
"Not yet... the doctor said that I am a carrier of LCA... it stands for Leber's Congenital Amaurosis... if you are a carrier as well, that gives our baby a 25% chance of being born blind..." She squinted her eyes to prevent tears. "Blind, jake! I don't know if I can handle that!"
He sat silent for a minute. Then he put a hand on her hand. "We will get through it... just like we've gotten through everything else..."
She looked at him, doubtfully. "But what if-"
"There's no reason to be thinking that. We can get through it, I promise."
Willow's tired out body started to slump. "I don't know how you can be so strong..."
He slightly smiled. "Because I have you for backup."
~~~
They took some tests a few days after. Jake got tested for LCA. They were still waiting for test results, however. Jake found himself to be more nervous than Willow.
He always wanted a son or daughter who loved to paint or draw or some form of art. But a child who was blind...
He always answered the phone now, however. He was concerned that the doctor would call Willow first. He didn't want that. He wanted to tell willow.
A few weeks later, his phone rang. He wasn't near it, as he had just stepped away to go to the bathroom. Willow reached over and grabbed it and answered.
It was their mutual friend, Kyle. She started talking with him, normal chit chat.
Nate walked back out and saw her on the phone. He rushed over. "Who is that?!"
She shooed him, listening to the phone. He tried to grab it from her but she slapped his hand, and he retreated.
He had to wait until she finished and hung up, which was about 45 seconds more because he kept bothering her.
When she handed the phone back, she stared at him. "What's wrong with you, Jake???"
He put his phone in his pocket. "What do you mean?"
She glared at him. He sighed. He'd been caught. "I just... I thought it was the doctor with the test results and I just..."
"You wanted to know first and keep it from me if it was bad?!" Willow got mad... real mad.
"No- I-" He stammered.
"I can't believe you!!!" Her hormones were racing through her body, making this a thousand times worse. "When I learned the news, I told you as soon as possible and This is how you repay me!???"
Jake tried to touch her arm to calm her down, but she pushed him away.
"I thought you trusted me..." Now she was going from Mad to Hurt.
"Oh, willow, I do trust you... that why I wanted to know first. I wanted to tell you myself. I didn't want you to get hurt."
She started crying. Jake sat awkwardly for a moment, before bringing her in to an awkward hug. She leaned on him and cried and whined out, "You're so sweet! That you would do something. Like that... for me!"
Jake's eyes were wide and he was freaked out by all her emotions. Willow was never like this. "I- uh-- sure."
This was her first real crazy emotion moment. And he hoped it was the last. Willow cried out her emotion, then sat back up. She was calmer now.
"That still doesn't make me less angry that you would try to hide the results from me."
Jake sighed. "I know, but it's only because I love you so much."
She nodded. The phone rang and they both jumped. It ended up being the house phone. Jake was the first to it and he picked it up.
"Doctor Amsbury?"
There was a bit of a pause.
"You have the test results..." Jake looked at willow with a little bit worried look.
Willow pressed her ear up to the phone in time to hear:
"Sent to inform you that you are also a carrier of Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. This, as you should know, gives the child a 25% chance of being born blind."
It sounded like the information had been rehearsed a lot of times. Like they had to say it to a hundred other soon to be parents. But willow knew facts and that it was pretty rare for this to happen.
Willow didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. She sat on the couch again while Jake finished talking with the doctor. She stared at one spot on the wall until Jake came and sat next to her.
Willow leaned on him as he put his arm around her. They stayed quiet for a long time. Then Jake spoke.
He cleared his throat and spoke low and soft. "Like I said... we can get through anything. We just have to... Hope."
