Chapter 3: Waiting
"Hey, Lee, you in here?" Nick opened the bedroom door and looked around the room. "Where are you, baby?"
"I'm in here, Nicky," Leah's voice came from the adjoining bathroom. She opened the door and stepped from the steaming bathroom, a towel wrapped around her otherwise nude body.
Nick sighed as she smiled at him before grabbing her lotion off of her dresser, bending over, and applying it to her legs. Finally, all of the family and friends, who had been inhabiting their house since long before the wedding, were gone. They were alone... except for the fact that it was a little hard to concentrate on each other with the thought of Nick's son looming in the air. But Leah's half-naked body, and the fact that they hadn't made love in quite a while, was definitely making it easier to forget life's little dilemmas... or rather large ones.
"Hey, baby? You wanna maybe get rid of that towel?" Nick smirked and stepped to Leah, taking her in his arms and running his hands up to her bare neck.
"Nicky," Leah laughed and held the top of the towel, having a feeling that Nick was going to yank it off of her at any minute. "We have somewhere we have to be."
Nick sighed at the sudden serious expression on Leah's face. Yeah... they had somewhere to be. At a doctor's office, finding out if he had a son with another woman. Definitely had somewhere to be. He sighed dramatically before reaching down and quickly unwrapping Leah's towel.
"Shouldn't have let your guard down," Nick snickered at Leah's wide eyes and gaping jaw. "C'mmon," he whispered, sliding his hands over her heated skin. "We can hurry."
"Oh, that's romantic!" Leah laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "First time we've made love in weeks and, lucky us, 'we can hurry'!"
"Sorry," Nick blushed and looked away.
Leah giggled and pulled away, moving to her dresser and pulling out some clothes. "No problem. I know your hand just ain't the same... right, sweetie?"
Nick rolled his eyes and plopped down on the bed, dangling his feet over the edge. "Girls have no idea what it's like. I miss you, baby."
Leah looked up at the sincerity in his voice. Okay, if they weren't already going to be running five minutes late, she'd be taking him right then and there.
"Tonight, baby boy... tonight."
~ * ~
Nick glanced around the doctor's office, wiping his palms against his pants.
"You nervous, honey?" Leah leaned into him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "It'll be okay, baby."
"I'm sweating, Lee."
"Everything will work out."
"I may have a son..."
"Whatever happens, happens."
"...with the ex from hell." Nick tensed as a woman cleared her throat behind him. "Think she heard me?" he whispered as he leaned over closer to Leah's ear.
"Yuuuup."
They turned around to see Lisa with Nathan on her hip. Lisa looked away, afraid to make eye contact. It was the first time really setting eyes on Leah again. When she'd gone to their house to tell Nick about Nathan, Leah had run out of there so fast she'd hardly seen more of her than a blur. She looked good though... and tired.
"Hi, Lisa," Leah nodded politely and stood from her chair, pulling Nick from his.
Lisa tried to smile but found it hard. "Hi."
They all stood silently, awkwardly, until finally, by the grace of God, "Thompson" was called. It was not a good idea to go by Carter in public... let alone while getting a paternity test. They followed the nurse into an available room. And then came waiting together once again... awkwardly.
"The doctor will be in, in a minute," the nurse had said, before leaving the room. Of course, fifteen had passed and still no doctor.
They were all so nervous. The only thing keeping them sane was Nathan, who was talking up a storm. Nick sat there, watching him and holding Leah's hand. Lisa stood at the other side of the room, occasionally running over to Nathan when he'd start to get into something he shouldn't be. As much as Nick didn't want to admit it, from what he'd seen, Lisa was a good mother.
Finally, the doctor came, the tests were taken, and once again they had to wait... only this time, they were sent home to do so. They would get the results the next day by phone.
~ * ~
"Are you worrying about tomorrow?" Leah asked as they drove home from the doctor's office.
Nick was uncharacteristically quiet and it was starting to disturb Leah. Things had been so stressful lately... above all, she hoped Nick was going to be okay.
"Not really," Nick sighed as he continued to drive, keeping his eyes on the road as he talked. "Actually, I was just thinking about Nathan. Were you listening to him back there?"
"Yep."
"Just watching him and listening to him in that office... I dunno, I just suddenly felt like everything would be okay. Y'know? As long as I have you, by my side, holding my hand, like you were back in that office... well, I'll be all right. We'll be all right... right?"
Leah looked over at him and reached out, squeezing his hand in hers. "Yeah, baby. We're gonna be just fine."
"Think Lisa will let me call him Nate?"
"Why not? He's your son, too."
They looked at each other. For the first time, Nick being a father had been mentioned without either of them shuddering.
