Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
L acie arrived at the salon early on Friday, wanting to catch up on admin and organise some work for Madeleine to do, knowing she’d have to leave early for her ultrasound appointment. At 9am on the dot, the door opened with its gentle ding, but her first client wasn’t due till 9.30am.
A person she didn’t recognise walked in with a bunch of colourful tulips.
‘Delivery for Lacie Appleby?’
‘That’s me. Wow, thank you.’ She stepped out from behind the desk and accepted the blooms with a smile.
When the delivery person left, she opened the attached envelope and read the card:
Thanks for brightening up many of my days, hope these brighten yours. Nathan.
Her heart fluttered and she couldn’t hold back the huge smile erupting onto her face. What a nice surprise!
She was glad Madeleine wasn’t here yet so she didn’t have to explain who they were from… a charming Aussie guy she kissed once who she couldn’t stop thinking about and whom there was no chance of having an actual relationship with.
She arranged them into a vase and placed them on the table next to one of the chairs in the waiting area, then she took a photo and sent it to Nathan.
Wow, thank you so much! You remembered my favourite flower and my business name. Thank you, they’ve certainly brightened my day. I wonder if there are any florists that will make up a bunch of lantana weeds so I can return the favour!
She was then hit with a sudden feeling of guilt, that she should probably tell him she was pregnant. Not that there was anything real between them and it wasn’t technically his business, it was just a nice long-distance friendship with a hint of attraction. But she should say something perhaps, at least after today’s scan, just so he knew.
She was about to text, hey – let’s have a proper chat sometime over the weekend , when the screen came to life with an incoming video call. She checked the time before answering, and pressed accept.
‘Hi!’ she exclaimed on seeing his face, which held a warm, orangey glow, like he was in a dimly lit room. ‘Another surprise.’
‘Good morning, I thought I’d stay up a bit and see if the flowers arrived safely.’
‘They certainly did.’ She angled the phone towards the flowers displayed beautifully on one of the side tables.
‘Nice. Just what I hoped they’d send. What’s your favourite colour tulip?’
‘Hmm, I do like the pink ones, but that other slightly watermelon colour is pretty too.’
He nodded. ‘Salon looks nice. You sent me some photos before, but it looks even better on video. I hope I’m not interrupting your work? I figured if I was, your phone would be on silent or packed away.’
‘All good. I have about twenty minutes before I start. Here, let me show you around.’ She panned the phone around the reception area of the salon, then opened the door to the beauty room; rich and opulent with burgundy walls and gold accents in the decor. ‘And this is where the magic happens.’
‘Amazing, so stylish. And,’ he yawned, ‘that massage bed looks especially good about now.’
‘Past midnight there?’
‘Yep. But the good thing about starting work early and finishing early is I sometimes have a little nap afterwards.’
‘Naps are the best.’ She was thinking she might have to start scheduling some into her work day as her pregnancy progressed. ‘It was nice to see your face again. I guess I should let you get some sleep.’
‘Nice to see yours too. We should do this more often. Video calls, I mean.’
‘Sure. I mean, texting is great, but I do miss our garden chats, so video is the next best thing.’
His eyes seemed more awake for a moment. ‘I do too. When your mum and sister’s not around, I only have the plants to talk to.’ He grinned.
‘And do you talk to them?’
‘Am I crazy if I do?’
‘Hey, no judgement from me. Almost-florist, remember. I think I used to talk to the flowers, things like, “oh, you’re going to look so great alongside these lilies, aren’t you?”’ She giggled.
‘I feel much better then. Nah, mostly I just hum and sing to myself, not that I can sing, just whatever random music pops into my head.’
‘When you hum or sing to yourself that means you’re enjoying what you’re doing.’
He smiled, then hummed a tune.
Lacie’s lips widened into a smile, knowing what he meant. ‘I enjoy talking to you too,’ she said softly. Their eyes locked for a moment and she wished she could reach out her hand and touch him, just a little caress of his face. She shook the thought away as the sound of the door opening brought her back to the present. ‘Gotta go, my client is here early.’
‘Okey dokey, goodnight. I mean morning.’ He gave a wave.
‘Night, sleepyhead.’ She smiled and ended the call.
She checked all was ready in the room then welcomed her client, while she tried to stop herself grinning from ear to ear like a teenager who’d just been asked out.
After three back-to-back appointments and a quick bite for lunch, Lacie left Madeleine to do her work, and set off for her appointment. She’d pop back in afterwards to pick up the tulips to take home, and lock up when Madeleine finished her shift.
Butterflies fluttered around her stomach, knowing how important this scan was. What if it was all a big mistake and there wasn’t really a baby after all? What if there was something wrong? She didn’t know what to expect. By twelve weeks the foetus would be fully formed, though small, and from then on it was all upwards and outwards. She’d already seen the heartbeat, and she hoped it was still flickering away in there. The nausea had settled somewhat, though still recurred if she was overtired or hadn’t eaten often enough, so she was learning what to do and what not to do. She wasn’t really showing yet either, just looked slightly bloated, but she could feel a roundness in her lower belly when she cupped her hands around it. Soon enough, it would start to become obvious.
She opened the door to the women’s health clinic and took a deep breath. A couple of other women were waiting; one who didn’t look pregnant and another who clearly was. After a ten-minute wait, Lacie was called in. She lay down on the table and lowered the waistband of her skirt. Cold gel tickled her belly, and as the transducer was moved over her skin by the sonographer, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
‘Here we go,’ the sonographer said. ‘Baby’s heart is beating and as you can see, he or she is doing a little exercise!’
Lacie’s eyes snapped open and she gasped. ‘Oh my God.’ The baby looked much more like a baby, still small but with a largish head, a rounded body, and skinny little arms and legs which were kicking and moving about. ‘Last time it was a little blob!’
The sonographer chuckled. ‘They grow rapidly. I’ll do a few measurements now and let you know what I find as we go along.’
Lacie’s unblinking eyes were mesmerised. She couldn’t feel any movements yet, it was too early, but the baby was definitely active and having a great old time in there. Maybe it was the caffeine in her occasional coffees? Or maybe it was normal. Either way, relief flooded her veins at the fact that everything looked okay.
‘Heart rate is one hundred and fifty-five, which is normal,’ the sonographer said. ‘And the size of the baby is normal for twelve weeks too.’
‘That’s great to hear,’ Lacie said.
‘I’ll just have a closer look at the fluid at the back of the neck, that will give us an indication if there could be any chromosomal problems, but your blood test will also check for any issues.’
Lacie was filled with an indescribable sensation: a warmth, a cosiness, a sense of awe at the mystery of life. She was once this small, and now she was a grown adult. If all went well, one day this baby would be a fully-fledged adult too. It was so surreal to imagine.
‘Fluid thickness looks normal too.’ She pointed out the little band of white behind the neck. Just then, the baby’s head moved, it lifted its chin up and down as though swallowing.
‘Oh!’ Lacie laughed. ‘This is amazing.’
‘First baby, I guess?’
She nodded. The sonographer did several other measurements and checks, then told her the report would be available for her doctor tomorrow but all looked good, and after she had her blood test, those results would take seven to ten days and she’d be able to find out if there was any increased risk for genetic defects.
‘Did you want to find out the gender through the blood test?’ the pathology collector asked when she checked Lacie’s form.
She had thought about this over the past few days, and had made her decision. ‘No. I’m going to wait until they’re born.’ She gave a confident nod.
Soon enough, she was on her way back to the salon, a lightness in her step, as though she was encased in a bubble, buoying her along the sidewalk. It was a strange feeling to be carrying this tiny human around inside her, and no one even knew. When she arrived back at YOU Beauty, Madeleine was finishing up. She wanted to talk to her about opening up a few small spaces in her schedule throughout the days for breaks, so she could get off her feet and keep hydrated and fed. She could earn extra money if she wanted to by doing some make-up work again for the Chicago theatre scene on evenings and weekends, but she had a decent amount of savings and didn’t want to push herself, not now.
Madeleine stepped out from behind the desk. ‘Perfect timing, I’ve squeezed in a few clients for next week as best as I could, a few others had to wait for the following week. Did you want to open up any new appointment spots? I made a waiting list for cancellations too.’
‘Thanks, Maddy, that’s okay, but starting the following week I actually want to create some space in my schedule for a couple of extra breaks each day.’
‘Sure. Show me where.’
Lacie joined her behind the desk and eyed the computer screen. She pointed out where she could stretch out some of the gaps between clients, and also added a block of time on Wednesday mornings so she didn’t have to start until 11am. That way she could attend regular medical appointments and have an extra sleep-in or slower start to the day if needed to help her energy mid-week. This was what she loved about being her own boss, she could work around her own needs and not be overworked and underpaid somewhere else.
‘Is everything okay?’ Madeleine asked. ‘With you?’
‘Yep. All good.’ She smiled and walked over to the flowers, picking them up and wrapping them back in the paper they’d arrived in. ‘Just going to take these home, don’t want them to be wasted sitting in here all weekend. Here, one for you.’ She handed Madeleine a single pink tulip.
‘Thanks! I noticed these when I arrived. Belles fleurs . Where did you get them from?’
‘They were a gift, delivered this morning.’
‘Oh?’ She eyed Lacie curiously. They were employer and employee but had also become friends, though Lacie tried to keep things as professional as possible between them.
Lacie’s face become warm. ‘Um, a friend back in Australia.’
‘It’s not your birthday, is it? Oh God, I didn’t forget, did I?’ She held a hand to her forehead.
‘No, no, mine’s in April. This was a “just because” kind of gift.’
‘Oh.’ She gave a sigh of relief.
Lacie placed the flowers on the desk momentarily, took the vase to the sink in the bathroom and tipped the water out, then put it back in the storage room. When she came out and picked up the flowers again, the image of her baby flashed into her mind, and her eyes stung with warmth. Before she could process what she was feeling, her bottom lip trembled, and she brought her hand to her heart.
‘What is wrong? Are you okay?’
This only made Lacie’s emotions increase in intensity. A sharp intake of breath surprised her and a few tears slid down her cheeks.
Madeleine put her hands on Lacie’s shoulders, eyeing her with concern. ‘Lacie?’
‘The flowers were from my mother’s gardener. I kissed him while I was in Australia, but now nothing can happen between us because we live in different countries. And I’m twelve weeks pregnant. Just had my ultrasound. And I don’t know whether to keep the baby or give it to my brother and his wife who can’t have children.’ She sobbed a little and Madeleine gently embraced her.
‘Oh my, I had no idea you had so much going on,’ Madeleine said.
‘Sorry, I shouldn’t let my personal issues come into the workplace,’ Lacie said, drying her eyes with the collar of her shirt.
‘Don’t be silly, we are human, yes? It is natural for life to merge with business. And pregnant, oh my goodness!’ She held Lacie at arm’s length and looked at her belly. ‘Is the gardener the father? Oops, sorry, you don’t have to answer that!’ She covered her mouth.
Lacie smiled and sniffed. ‘It’s okay, what is said in here stays in here, right?’
‘Right.’
‘No, he’s not, it’s my ex. But we’re not back together and we won’t ever be. So I’m on my own, unless I decide to give the baby up for adoption to someone more ready and deserving than me.’
‘Oh, that’s very generous and brave of you, but don’t give up so quickly. You would make a wonderful mother. And I’m here, I’ll be qualified at the end of the year. I can hold the fort or work part-time until you can return. Whatever you need.’
‘Thanks, Maddy. I haven’t had time to process it all. I’ll be doing a lot of thinking this weekend, that’s for sure.’
Madeleine looked at Lacie with wide eyes and a smile. ‘Ooh, a little bebe ! I wonder if it’s a boy or girl.’
‘I’m going to leave that as a surprise for later. I’ve had enough of surprises for now!’
‘Let me know if there’s anything you need. I better get going. Thanks for letting me know. Your secret’s safe with me.’ Madeleine winked and grabbed her handbag.
Lacie said goodbye and took a deep breath, leaning on the desk with her hand. Tired and relieved about the scan and getting things off her chest. But she also had some remaining tension and uncertainty. She needed to get home, have a lie down, an early dinner, and give her body some much needed downtime.
She started walking back but decided to hail a cab instead. When she got home, she put the tulips in a vase on the dining table, and flopped on the couch. She awoke after a brief nap and a strange sensation had her walking over to the pile of papers and books on the table, and she picked up one in particular.