Mom leans on the walking stick for support and, with the other hand, threads it through my arm. "Whatever happens at this appointment, know that I love you."

I stop walking and look closely at her. "Mom, is there going to be something wrong with you? Have you been keeping secrets from Dad and me?"

She shakes her head. "I would never keep a secret from you. You know I share everything with you about my health. But, something could show up on the MRI scan. The last time something happened, the Doctor prescribed me some medication that I take every day." Placing her hand on my face. "Don't be scared for me, Eliza. I've lived a good life, and you and your siblings are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

I'm scared for her now after she mentioned that. Why did she have to leave negative things in my head?

We walk into Doctor Clifford's surgery. A receptionist is behind the desk, and she looks up as we approach. Her brown hair is falling into her face. Grabbing the elastic band from her hair, she fixes it before saying. "Hello, how are you?"

Mom smiles at her. "I'm okay. I have an appointment to see Dr Clifford today."

"Name?"

"Amadene Donoghue." She places her hand on the table as we wait for the receptionist to type stuff into her computer.

The receptionist smiles before saying. "Take a seat. Dr Clifford will be with you shortly."

"Thanks," Mom says as she leads the way to the waiting area and takes a seat in the front row.

Looking around the room, I see pregnant women with their partners, children playing with puzzles, and books being read.

A ball rolls over to Mom and me. Picking it up, I wait for a cute little girl with blonde hair and pigtails to walk over. She looks at the ball and then at me. "Excuse me. Can I have the ball, please?"

I give her the ball and watch as she runs over to a girl who looks exactly like her.

She's a twin.

Mom places her hand in mine. "Are you okay, Eliza?"

"I'm good, Mom. Being in this room makes me think that being physical with Austin isn't good. We need to get to know each other again, but all the time we end naked in a bed or fucking somewhere and I forget that I should be getting to know him again."

She shakes her head. "That's terrible, Liza. I wish you had waited a little longer before getting back with him. I don't want to see you go through the pain you did ten years ago when he left. He was your first love, too, and any relationship isn't going to stand up to that. Your father was my only love, and I lucked out with him."

"Amadene Donoghue." Dr Clifford calls from across the room.

Mom stands up, and so do I. She looks at me and says, "I want to go in there on my own. I'll let you know if there's something wrong with me." She kisses my cheek before moving towards the doctor and his room. She enters the room.

Dr Clifford waits for Mom to walk into the room before closing the door, and I lose sight of my mother.

When I pick up a magazine, I start flipping through it, skimming over some stories. I stop at a story that interests me.

"Eliza?" someone says, from across the room.

Looking up, I'm greeted by a familiar blonde, blue-eyed woman. I try remembering her name, and then something clicks in my head. "Lolly?"

That was her nickname in high school. I think her real name was Lola, but the name stuck because of all the lollipops she ate at school.

She pulls a face at the nickname, but then she plasters a smile on her face. "I thought that was you. What are you doing here?"

"My Mom is getting a check-up. I brought her here for the appointment as she can't drive."

"Oh," her face drains of colour. "I forgot about that. How is your mother?"

"She's doing great. What about you? When are you due?" Taking in her stomach, I see she's about to pop. So, it can't be too much longer before the baby comes.

She throws her head back and laughs. "You ask too many questions in one sentence. To answer the first one. I've been great. I'm married to Alexander Mason."

Wow, she's married to one of the best Baseball players in the country. He plays for the Boston Red Sox.

"However, things will be better when this little one leaves me. It's terrible being pregnant during the summer. It's too hot, and I feel a lot more exhausted. My husband has been a lot of help, though. I don't think I'd be where I am without him."

Speaking of your husband. Where is he?"

The door to the surgery opens, and a guy with dark hair and blue eyes walks in. Scanning the room, his eyes land on Lolly, and a smile spreads across his face. "Hey, baby." He takes long strides towards her and then embraces her. How are you?"

She leans back and looks into his eyes. "I'm good. What took you so long?"

"Your mother asked me to do a few things before she let me leave her at the store. She wants to know what you want for dinner."

"Um," a smile spreads across her face. I want you to take me out on a date. It's been too long since we've been out together." Turning towards me, she says, "Do you want to come out with us?"

"I have a date with Austin tonight and we're having dinner with his parents."

"Austin Wilde?"

"Yep, the one and only."

Lolly steps out of her husband's arms. Taking a seat next to me says. "Have you the paper? There are a lot of stories about him in the papers. Some are true, but others seem fake."

"What kind of stories?"

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and types Austin's name into the search engine. A bunch of stories come up, and I take the phone from her.

June 11, 2020

Austin Wilde has been arrested for taking a bribe from one of his clients. The amount is being withheld because it is insignificant. He was walked out of his firm's office and suspended from the company while the charges are being investigated.

There's a picture of Austin with handcuffs around his wrists being escorted by two officers.

He's not going to tell me about this. I have to figure out how to bring it up in a conversation and see if it's true with what they've said about Austin. I don't want to believe a story like that.

I give the phone back to her, and I say, "Thanks for showing me this. I should look further into the stuff that he's into. I don't want to be put in danger because I wasn't aware of the dangerous things that he's involved in."

Lolly places her hand on my arm. "You're a smart woman, Liza. You should know what you're getting into."

"Thanks," she says, looking up. The door to Dr. Clifford's office opens, and Mom steps out of the room. She walks over to me. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she says, and she hands me a prescription. "We just need to stop by the drug store before going home."