63. This is fucked up.

TONY.

"He's here, sir." The young lady in corporate wear and a lab coat on it, who had attended to me earlier on, said to the doctor. His office door was open, so I was able to hear what they were saying.

"Let him in, Rachel. Why did you have to inform me first?" I heard him reply to her.

"I'm sorry sir." The lady said and walked out of the office to meet me. "He said you should come in right away, sir." She said to me and I nodded slowly to her with a small smile on my face. "Here, sir," She said to me as she ushered me into the doctor's office. As soon as I walked in, she excused herself and closed the door behind her.

"Luke!" I exclaimed as soon as I was ushered in by the lady, who I assumed was his secretary.

"Man, look at you!" The doctor—Luke by name—stood up from the chair he was initially sitting on, dropped the test report he was holding on his table and came to meet me. We hugged each other briefly, with beautiful and genuine smiles on each of our faces. "It's been so long, man," Luke said to me as we both retreated from the hug.

"So so long. Thought you weren't returning to the country again, man." I said as I made myself comfortable by sitting on the fancy chair opposite Luke's chair, his office table between us. Luke also went ahead to sit on his chair.

He laughed at what I said about him not returning. "Why wouldn't I return? India sure was good. But you know what they say about people's homes? There's no place like home, man. None at all."

"Hmmm, that's my man!" I joked and we both burst into laughter. When we were done laughing, I spoke again. "How's Raya and the kids?"

"Raya is doing fine. She's one of the reasons I returned this early. She's been troubling me that she has missed the atmosphere here and all our people too, her friends especially." Luke replied.

"You call this early?" I asked and scoffed. "Do you know how many years you've been away? That's like four years going to five now, man. And you call that early? You must be kidding me."

"Right. Right." Luke replied and laughed. "So, what about our fiancée?" He asked when he was done laughing, simultaneously wiggling her eyebrows at him.

I giggled at his question, "she's fine, man." Despite him not being in the country, he had kept in touch with me. He constantly asked me about my fiancée and our plans. When we were preparing for my wedding with Lara that got called off, I had invited him. He got to the country, only to hear that my wedding had been called off. He had to return the next day due to work, but he constantly made sure I was okay.

When I got back with Lara, I didn't tell him about it, because I knew what his reply was going to be. It would be what any sane friend or person would tell me; not to accept her back. But I loved Lara a lot, and she claimed to be carrying my baby. It would be so wrong to push her away because of her mistake while she was carrying my baby and I still loved her.

"I hope she was able to make you get over the bitch from the other time that ditched you on your happy day? And hope you're planning the wedding with her already?" He asked with raised eyebrows, a small smile on his face. I could tell that he was trying to tease me.

"You two talk about marriage like it's an easy thing to step into," I replied and shrugged. "Well, I'm still with her, and that's why I'm here today."

A look of surprise appeared on Luke's face, and I understood it right away. He didn't expect me to date Lara again after what she did to me then. "You're still with her? Wow," he simply said. "So, you want to give me an invitation? That's why you're here today, yeah?" Luke asked, even though I knew he was aware that it was most likely far from whatever I wanted to say.

I chuckled. "Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah, I was." He replied and we both laughed. "What's up though? Got a lady pregnant?"

I laughed again and Luke joined in. "You know me too well, man. Sounds like something I'd do."

"I wonder how you still haven't, anyway."

"Well," I said and sighed. "That's basically why I'm here. My fiancée is pregnant."

"Chill, chill," Luke said as he tried to process what I had just said. "You're expecting a baby? From that same woman? Damn, that means she's changed for the better now!" He flashed me a huge smile immediately. "I'm so happy for you, dude."

"Thanks, man," I said and paused. "Well, there might be a teeny weeny bit of problem." I cleared my throat.

"What's up? Is she having prenatal difficulties?" Luke asked with a serious expression on his face as he sat up.

"Nope."

"Then, what?" Luke asked.

"I have a bad feeling about it. I think she might not be carrying my baby." I explained.

Silence ensued in the room immediately after I said that. From the look on Luke's face, I could tell that he was trying to figure out what I had just said. "Are you saying… she pinned a baby on you?"

"Well, I ain't sure yet. That's what I'm here for. To confirm if her baby is mine or another man's."

"This is fucked up, man," Luke said and shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "I'm sorry you have to go through this. That only means she still isn't fully honest with you in the relationship." He muttered the last part to himself, but I heard him loud and clear.

"I guess," I simply said.

"Uhm," Luke started, then thought about something for a couple of minutes before replying again. "We'll need to have her here, to be able to collect the due things that are needed to undergo the test. When will you be able to come with her?"

"Can we do that today? I came ready." I said and shrugged.

"Ehn, I mean, this can't be done without your fiancée being available. She has to be here for it too." Luke stated.

"Yeah, she is. She was the woman I came here with. I had told the female doctor that attended to her for her antenatal that I had to do a paternity test on the unborn baby, and she collected some blood samples from me. She said she'd get some stuff from the baby through her and she'll do it. She also said I'd have to wait a bit later for me to get the results." I said. Then, I added. "I was going to wait in the waiting room when I heard that you were back from the states and you're in your office. And that explains why and how I'm here."

"Oh, wait." He said with seriousness in his tone of speech as if trying to recall something. "I think I've seen your fiancée today. I was the one that placed the samples in the lab for the other doctor to take care of. I had no idea it was yours. I'll get to the lab now and we'll do the necessary things to do, then I'll get you the results. Could you wait a bit?" He asked me.

"Take your time," I replied to him and he nodded before walking out of his office.