One Night's Mistake With My Adopted Brother

Anna's P.O.V

“Anna Reed!” A voice called out in the cold waiting room and I sat upright on the metal chair. “The doctor will see you now.”

Feeling my heart beat rapidly, I stood up from the chair and directly entered the doctor's office. The door shut behind me and I came face to face with a kind-looking woman in white slacks.

“Hey, are you Miss Reed, dear,” she asked me with a soft smile and I timidly shook my head.

“Come on in and take a seat, dear.” She waved at me.

Like a deer caught in headlights, I darted closer into the room and finally took a seat when I was sure nothing bad would happen.

She smiled at me again and reached for a folder. “You took a few tests some days ago.”

I nodded, hugging my arms as the cold persisted.

“The results are out.” She pulled out a couple of papers from the folder, scanned her eyes over it, and then glanced up at me. “Congratulations Miss Reeds. You are four weeks pregnant.”

You're pregnant.

The words hammered in my skull and my breath hitched in my throat, the air suddenly thick and suffocating.

Panic seized me, a cold terror clawing its way up my throat. I couldn't breathe no matter how hard I tried.

"Are you okay, Miss?" I heard the doctor's voice from a distance.

Gasping for air, I clutched at my chest, the doctor's concerned face blurring before my eyes. The room spun, and the floor seemed to tilt. A strangled gasp escaped my lips before the world dissolved entirely.

When I woke, a white ceiling greeted me, harsh fluorescent lights burning into my eyes. My body felt heavy, stuck to the bed under me.

Suddenly, a woman in blue scrubs appeared at my side, her smile strained. "Thank God you're awake now."

Her hands checked a machine beside the bed, her smile fading into concern as she glanced at my face. Without a word, the nurse bustled out, returning soon with the doctor from earlier.

"Miss Reeds," the doctor greeted kindly. "You fainted after hearing the good news. Are you alright?"

Good news? My eyes welled up with tears threatening to spill over. I shook my head mutely unable to speak as my throat constricted with a choking sob.

"Do you know the child's father?" she asked gently.

I nodded, the motion shaky and weak. My body rocked back and forth on the bed, a silent plea for the ground to swallow me whole.

"I see," the doctor said, a sad knowing glint in her eyes. "He won't be enthusiastic about this, would he?"

A broken laugh escaped my lips, a hollow sound devoid of humor. "He hates me," I whispered, the words tasting like ashes. "He would never accept it."

The doctor's gaze softened, and she held my hand in a comforting gesture. "Do you want to keep the child, Anna?"

Her words shattered the fragile dam holding back my tears. They streamed down my face, blurring the already hazy world. "Maybe," I croaked, my voice barely above a whimper. "I just... I want to go home."

Seeing the state I was in, the doctor didn't argue. She released me with a list of instructions - rest, a healthy diet, prenatal classes. The words went in one ear and out the other, my head a swirling mess of fear and uncertainty.

At home, my mother greeted me with a warm hug. "Is everything okay, baby?" She asked me.

But I couldn't bring myself to confess the truth that clouded my heart.

Instead, I mumbled about being sick for a while, the lie hanging heavy on my tongue.

As we sat together in the sitting room, my gaze fell on her face. She looked gaunt, her usual vibrancy dimmed. Slowly I began to realize that for the past few months, I've been stuck in my own issues and after that unforgettable night with Simon that led to this, I've barely seen my mother...like really see her.

A knot formed in my stomach, a terrible feeling gripping me.

"Mom, are you alright?" I asked, fear crawling into my voice.

A shuddering breath escaped her before she burst into tears. "Anna," she sobbed, "I have cancer, stage four. There's not much time left."

My world crumbled around me. The doctor's words, my unwanted pregnancy, all faded in comparison to this devastating blow. Now it all made sense.

My father left for good due to the divorce.

He left my mother because of his inability to handle a wife less than perfect. When she needed him the most, he abandoned her! Anger flared inside of me, but it was quickly consumed by an overwhelming wave of grief. My mother had cancer.

I pulled her into a tight hug, tears soaking us both. I'd been so selfish that I didn't even notice a damned thing. Seeing how broken she was, I promised to spend the rest of her days with her.

But God it came sooner than I expected.

Two days later, the inevitable happened. My mother's condition worsened, but she refused to go to the hospital. I could only sit beside her, sobbing quietly.

As she lay on her deathbed, her breath shallow, a figure appeared at the door - Simon. His face was stoic, and he was looking at any other place but me.

My mother reached out, her voice weak but firm. "Anna, Simon," she rasped, "promise me you'll both get married to each other." Her eyes flickered between us, holding a pleading urgency. "That's my dying wish for you both. Please. You both need each other."

What?