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I don't say anything, but I reach ive him a return squeeze

"I'll check in with you later," Brian tells ine a dad voice would sound like I wouldn't know since I never had a father figure in h she had dated soardless, this is very new to me

"Okay," IGray to her office like I'm on a death march

My sister's office sits at the end of the hall that extends from the lobby It's not posh and opulent the way Brian's is, but rather cluttered with books, binders, and loose papers all over the place It's large and expansive, but it see it a slightly cra About the only nod to the fact that Gray is soer of a professional hockey team is that the credenza and hutch behind her desk has fralance and I see a photo of her husband, retired goalie Ryker Evans, as he hoists the Stanley Cup above his head There's another photo of just her and Ryker together, hihtly around his wife, and both of theer picture of Gray and two little girls, and I have to assuhters froranddaughters and talked about the

"You can just clear one of those chairs off," Gray says briskly as she sits behind her desk, which I take tofirst and foremost

Just before I turn to the nearest chair, I see a small black-and-white picture, ainst a row of binders on the hutch I can't help the slight smile that comes to my face as I realize it's an ultrasound picture, presu

I nod toward the picture, which I figure is an early one, since it looks like nothing more than a blob "When was the ultrasound done?"

For the first time, Gray's face softens while in my presence and she turns to look back at the picture "Just a few days ago"

"And how far along are you now?" I ask, although I know the answer to this based on my conversations with Brian He's only far too happy to talk about Gray and her first child

"Twenty weeks," she says as she turns back to aze is deterain and takes hers behind the desk

I turn quickly as I leta stack of four books off a chair, I bend to set them on the floor before I sit down Just as my butt hits the cushion, I try to keep the personal conversation alive as I ?"

I also know the answer to this, but I' to make a connection

"We're going to keep it a surprise," Gray says matter-of-factly, and in a way that lets nancy

Still, I try one ender-neutral baby clothes at this point, huh?"

"Mes that, and then she makes it absolutely clear that the warm and fuzzy conversation is over when she says, "I' you with a contact"

I wince slightly, and that's just fucking great I' "I'm sorry I kneas late to practice and I just sort of blurted it out before I thought He was just being nice andconversation That's all"

Gray studies o, because her gaze becomes more focused

More intense

"I'm not ready to accept who you say you are," she says briskly Almost formally

"I understand" is all I can say to that Because I totally understand where she's co from

"Assu that the paternity test that you and my dad have taken," she says with pointed emphasis on the word my, "what are your intentions?"

"Intentions?" I ask, confused