Chapter 23 #4
“Well, that about covers it!” Dr. Baker announces, holstering the ultrasound wand before giving Andi a paper towel to clean the gel from her stomach.
“Everything looked great; all measurements were right on track for your gestational age, and the due date you were given of December 24th is still accurate, based on my findings. It’s been so nice meeting you, Andi.
I know your life has been tumultuous, and there are still hurdles you have to clear, but I want you to reach out to me personally if any issues arise.
“I’ll make a note that your appointments are to be with me alone, since the other obstetricians employed here are male.
We don’t usually like to assign patients to a specific provider because there’s no guarantee they’ll be on call when it comes time to deliver, but I think these are extenuating circumstances, and I just returned from my honeymoon in the Maldives, so I have no vacation time for the next year.
” Andi laughs, gripping my forearm so I can help her to a seated position.
“I really appreciate that, Dr. Baker, and it was great to meet you as well,” Andi responds, her entire body loosening as the last of her nerves finally begin to fade.
“Make sure you’re taking a prenatal and drinking lots of water.
Here’s my number in case you need anything before your next appointment.
Otherwise, take care, and I’ll see you soon.
” She scribbles the information down and hands it to Andi, leading us back to the lobby so we can make arrangements with the receptionist.
“Your next visit will be in four weeks, but please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns,” the woman behind the front desk informs us, writing the date on a reminder card–as if I’ll forget. “Is there an insurance policy we can bill today’s visit to?”
“No, we’ll be self-paying for now,” I answer, handing over my credit card without a second thought.
“I’m sorry, what?” Andi squeaks out, her eyes wide with shock.
“Self-pay? As in, I pay for it myself. You know how money works, right?” I snark, acting like an asshole in hopes of her being too stunned to fight me about it.
“Excuse us for just a moment,” Andi whispers, her polite smile a complete juxtaposition to the death grip she has on my arm while leading me a few feet away.
“Good grannies, woman,” I hiss, rubbing at the indentations her fingernails have left on my skin. “Do we really need to do this right now, with people watching?” I gesture to the waiting room, half-filled with pregnant women and their partners watching us suspiciously.
“We wouldn’t need to do this at all if you’d stop swiping your card like it’s Monopoly money,” Andi grits out, her indignant scowl the cutest thing I’ve ever fucking seen.
“Angel, if you don’t have insurance, how’d you think we were going to pay for this?” I wrap my hand around hers, hoping my touch will aid in taming some of her feistiness.
“Stupidly, it hadn’t occurred to me. I’ll pay you back,” she promises, deflating before my eyes when she realizes there’s no other option.
As much as I love being the one she relies on, it doesn’t sit right with me that she has to.
I need her to want my help, not begrudgingly accept it because her choices are so limited.
“I’m going to sort out the insurance problem before my next appointment, so this is a one-time thing, okay? ”
“Sure,” I concede, being purposely ambiguous. “But I can think of a way to fix the issue rather quickly.” My words are spoken beneath my breath, but Andi still catches them.
“I doubt I want to know what your idea of fixing is.” She sighs, returning to the woman who’s still waiting to check us out. She definitely doesn’t, though I happen to think it’s a rather brilliant solution. The two of us could be married in the span of a few hours, if she’d only agree.
“Could you please sign this?” I scribble my signature across the receipt, not bothering to check the total.
There’s no amount I wouldn’t pay to have peace of mind that both Andi and the baby are healthy.
“Thanks so much. We’ll see you next time!
” I nod, shoving my card back in my wallet before taking Andi’s hand.
It’s almost noon, so there’s plenty of daylight to finish the errands I have planned.
“Now what?” Andi asks, climbing inside the SUV while I hold the door open.
“First, we grab some lunch. You and the baby have to eat. Then we’re going shopping.
You need some shit that actually fits you, and nothing you currently have is going to be suitable for court tomorrow.
” I swear Andi’s eye twitches, but predicting her rebuttal, I quickly shut the door, cutting off any argument she was planning to make.
I’ll be super fucking glad when she finally stops fighting my need to take care of her.
I know there’s a shit ton of traumatic history clouding her head, but I’m going to stand steady in my choices until there’s no room for doubt to weasel its way back in.
One day, Andi won’t even remember a time when she questioned my place in her life.
It’s going to be as evident to her as it’s always been to me, and I’ll wait as long as I need to for the two of us to finally be in sync with one another.