Taking a Chance

Chapter 36

Months went by and everything was going well in the Dixon household. Gabrielle had long since recovered both mentally and physically from her ordeal. Her small marketing company was doing well. She had over a dozen independent businesses working with her and everyone was pleased. Her business was still growing all the time. Between her income and Daryl's they were no longer living paycheck to paycheck. There was a little extra money to put in the bank and some to spend these days.

This was the first time in his life that Daryl wasn't worrying about money. It was such a relief not to have to figure out where to get the rent money from and to always have a full refrigerator was a luxury he was getting used to. He was so happy with his life that at times he kept waiting for reality to step in and kick him to the curb. The best thing he ever did in his whole life was go to Las Vegas. That trip completely changed his life and while the beginning was a bit rough, it had all worked out better than he could have ever dreamed.

Gabrielle had been feeling a bit run down lately and she didn't know why. She was eating well, went running several times a week and had no reason to be feeling this way. Without telling Daryl she made an appointment with a doctor, hoping she just needed vitamins.

The appointment seemed to be going well as she sat on the cold examination table in a paper gown. The doctor had just finished taking her vitals when there was a light knock at the door. The nurse came in and handed him a piece of paper and left.

The doctor looked at it and smiled. "When was your last period, Gabrielle?"

"Last month, no make that...hmm, I'm not sure. I've never been too regular, even on birth control pills. Why?" she asked as her heart started to race.

"The urine sample you have us today came back positive. You're pregnant."

Gabrielle just sat there in shock. That couldn't be right, she was on the pill and she never ever missed a dose. "But Doctor, I'm on the pill and I swear I never missed one...ever. How can I be pregnant?"

"Gabrielle, nothing is one hundred percent. This proves it, but just to be sure, let me run another test and do a vaginal exam to be certain. Okay?"

Gabrielle nodded her head yes and the doctor left to order the blood test and get a nurse to assist him. Meanwhile, she just sat there in shock. The one thing that she and Daryl had never talked about was kids. She had no idea how he would react to this. Would be he happy? Or would he be angry at her thinking she did this on purpose? Why had they never talked about this?

She had always figured that after her career was well on its way and she was established as a partner at the agency, she would marry and most likely have one child, but that was not anything she had thought about in a long time. In the last year, her life had completely changed and she really hadn't thought about having a baby. She should have since she and Daryl were married, but she really hadn't. It was odd, but the one thing they never spoke about was kids.

After the exam confirmed she was indeed pregnant, Gabrielle sat in the parking lot in her car letting the weight of everything hit her. She was pregnant with Daryl's baby. Her hands went automatically to her stomach and stayed there thinking of the tiny person growing inside of her. Then it hit her, she wanted this child more than anything in the world.

Gabrielle wanted to give the baby the love she received from her mother and get that unconditional love back. It was a piece of both her and Daryl and she needed that in her life. She just wished she had an idea on how Daryl would feel about this. She was absolutely clueless, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted this baby.