15. Sylvie
FIFTEEN
SYLVIE
Just a reminder that the appointment is at two.
John Oates
I’ll be there.
I stared at the text, wondering if I should finally update Duke’s name in my phone. Deciding against it, I slipped it into my apron, closed my eyes, and willed the fresh wave of nausea away.
The first week of October passed in a blur as autumn descended on Outtatowner. Beach visitors were slowly replaced by meandering drivers hunting for the signs of fall foliage, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches.
While Huck refused to serve pumpkin-spiced anything , I had convinced him to market toward the cozy fall vibes that drew new customers to the bakery. I was even impressed with the “Fall Leaves & Coffee Please” sign I had hand painted on the A-frame chalkboard on the sidewalk out front.
From what the four online pregnancy calculators told me, I was about nine weeks pregnant, and fuck the exhaustion was real.
So was the morning sickness that seemed to pop up out of nowhere, especially if I got too hungry.
My boobs were doing this weird tingly thing, and mood swings?
Hello, Satan, good to see you again today.
My father was speaking to me only in flared nostrils and shitty comments.
My three brothers had spent the last few weeks taking turns pretending the entire situation didn’t exist. Aunt Bug could hardly look at me without guilt-tripping me and expressing her shock and disappointment. As if I didn’t know.
All the while, MJ was my rock.
Well, MJ and him .
Duke and I still texted and talked daily, but with the turmoil in my life, I kept my distance.
He allowed me the space to navigate the minefield that was my dysfunctional family.
I hated living in that house. Savannah was looking more and more like a faraway dream, but I saved a little more with every paycheck.
I ignored the dread that washed through me when I thought about how I was going to tell Duke I planned to leave.
That I needed to leave. Instead of dealing with it, I shoved the thoughts into a compartment labeled Future Sylvie’s Problems and did what I could to make it through each day.
I couldn’t walk three feet without sidelong glances and hearing whispers behind my back.
I was about to become a single mother whose baby daddy was from my family’s most hated rival. I had been selfish, and the worst part was I’d done it with unbridled joy . Consequences be damned.
High-five. Solid choice, Syl.
Sighing, I looked down at my phone. The text exchanges between us were the only bright spots in my gloomy, nausea-filled day.
When my morning shift finally ended, I pulled into the driveway of my aunt’s house.
The sound of a vehicle turning in behind me caught my attention.
My heart hammered against my ribs after I saw Duke’s truck pulling down the long driveway.
Once he parked, Duke got out and stood by the driver’s door. “Thought maybe I could drive you.”
I brushed a stray piece of hair from my face. “Oh... okay, thanks.” I glanced down at my Sugar Bowl shirt and flour-dusted shorts. “I just need to change and I’ll be ready.”
Duke stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded. I hurried up the steps and through the front door, leaving him standing by his truck.
I came up short when I found my aunt pulling her purse onto her shoulder. “Better hurry up. Don’t want to be late.”
I paused, glancing only a second over my shoulder. “Um, actually, Duke is here. He’s planning to take me to the appointment.”
Aunt Bug’s eyebrows crept up her forehead. “Oh, I didn’t realize.” She set her purse onto the counter. She looked at the clock. “It’s getting late.”
I set aside my worried feelings and ran up the stairs to my bedroom.
I tossed my work clothes in the hamper before pulling out a fresh shirt and shorts.
Even now, my button-up pants were starting to feel tight.
The pregnancy forums I’d been scrolling through said it was likely bloating, and as I looked at my belly in the mirror, it was hard to deny.
My stomach hadn’t really changed, but I did look like I was about two burritos deep into Chula’s all-you-can-eat burrito bar.
The linen shorts I chose had just enough stretch to accommodate my growing burrito baby.
When I walked back downstairs, Bug was nowhere to be found, and my stomach rolled.
Back in the afternoon sunlight, Bug was standing in front of Duke, hands planted on her wide hips.
His hands hung at his sides, and he looked down at my aunt.
His face was unreadable as she wagged a finger at him. He only nodded.
I quickened my steps. When I approached, all I heard was Duke’s low grumble of, “I understand.”
“Ready!” I said brightly, attempting to mask the flutter of worry in my stomach.
Without another word, Duke walked to my side of his truck and opened the door for me.
Bug lifted an eyebrow. “Good luck, and call me later.”
“I will!” I tracked his movements as Duke closed my door and walked to the driver’s side before sliding into the truck. He shifted to reverse. “Survive the Inquisition?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Something like that.”
The drive to the obstetrician’s office was only about fifteen minutes toward a larger town in the area. I hadn’t been this close to Duke since I had told him I was pregnant, and I was filled with the buzz of nerves. My heel tapped a jerky rhythm as he drove toward the doctor’s office.
“Nervous?”
I ran my hands down my legs. “A little.”
“Me too.”
I pressed my hand into my stomach as it rolled. Duke glanced at me, and I chuckled softly. “I’ve been a little nauseous.”
Duke leaned across the cab of the truck and opened the glove box. He fished something out and held his fist in front of me. “Here.”
I held out my hand, and when he opened his, a small peppermint plopped down onto my palm. I stared down at it.
“Peppermint is supposed to help with nausea. Ginger is better, I guess, but it’s something.”
I blinked at him before staring down at the peppermint candy. How the hell did he know that?
Once we arrived at the doctor’s office, the receptionist checked me in.
The office was quiet, and within minutes we were called back to the room.
Before entering, the nurse handed me a small plastic cup to leave a urine sample and instructions on where to place it when I was finished.
I blushed and excused myself to the bathroom while Duke stood outside of it.
Once I finished, she led us to the room. A boxy ultrasound machine was tucked in the corner, and a long table with stirrups at the end stared back at me. The reality of our situation slammed into me.
“Here’s your robe. The opening should be in front. Dr. Hokum likes to perform all first baby appointments, so she’ll be here in a few minutes. You can sit at the end of the table while you wait.”
I thanked the nurse and looked at Duke as I held my robe. His huge frame took up half the space in the small room. He shifted on his feet. “I’ll give you a minute.”
Before I could respond, he slipped out of the room. I quickly undressed and folded my clothes, stashing my underwear between the layers of clothing and setting it in a small pile next to the chair. I cracked open the door and let Duke know I was decent.
Perched on the edge of the table, I watched Duke sit in the chair. His shoulders were far too wide for the cramped seat, and tension rolled off him in waves. A soft knock came moments before the door cracked open again.
Dr. Hokum was a soft-spoken woman who appeared to be in her late fifties.
Her calm, confident presence did little to settle my nerves.
She asked a few questions regarding my last period and any symptoms I was experiencing.
She assured me the nausea and tender boobs were signs the pregnancy was progressing normally.
The doctor instructed me to lie back as she prepared for the ultrasound.
“This early, we will do an internal ultrasound. It helps us get a better idea of how far along the baby’s development is and get you a few pictures.
” She smiled as she arranged the implements, one of which looked like a slim robotic dildo.
Heat flooded my cheeks. I had no idea why I was feeling shy—I’d already seen Duke’s perfect dick, after all—but the whole situation felt beyond bizarre.
Dr. Hokum shook a bottle of lube, and as she squeezed, the bottle let out a loud, wet farting noise. “Oh!” She laughed. “Well, that was a silly sound!”
A fizzy, bubbling giggle erupted from me as I caught Duke’s eye.
A playful glint softened his typically hard features as we both struggled to maintain control of our laughter.
Finally, his cough-covered scoff sent me over the edge into a full-blown fit of giggles.
Tension dissolved, and I sighed into the table.
Duke stood, stepping forward, and placed a hand on my shoulder.
I glanced up at him, offering a small smile.
His dark eyes held mind. “It’s going to be okay.”
I pressed my lips together. “I know.”
Dr. Hokum inserted the wand, and the image on the screen flared to life.
A little gummy bear–shaped blob appeared before us, and I heard Duke’s sharp intake of breath.
His hand tightened on my shoulder as we stared in wonder at the tiny life growing inside me.
Dr. Hokum narrated her clicks and measurements while she typed into the large computer.
Duke’s eyes stayed focused on the screen, as if he was memorizing every word the doctor uttered.
The pressure of the probe was sharp as the doctor pressed onto my belly and moved it around. “The timeline looks good based on your last menses. Intercourse would have been approximately seven weeks ago? Give or take?”
I could feel the heat flare in my cheeks as Dr. Hokum looked at me for confirmation. “Yes.” My voice was rusty and tight.
The doctor nodded. “Perfect. You’re about nine weeks along. Baby seems to be getting along just fine in there.”
Duke released a breath. Had he been nervous too?
Dr. Hokum looked between us. “Would you like to hear the heartbeat?”
I nodded, and with the click of a button, a reverberating whoosh filled the small room. As she moved the probe again, the jarring whoosh was replaced by a steady ba-dum.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Tears pricked at my eyes. “It’s fast.”
Dr. Hokum smiled as Duke’s grip tightened on my shoulder. “The baby’s heartbeat is about 160 beats per minute. Totally normal.”
I sneaked a glance at Duke. He was wide eyed and staring at the screen. Dr. Hokum reached up and traced a circle around the fuzzy black-and-white image. “There they are. That little flicker here is the heart.”
“Wow.” I stared at the tiny flicker as it blinked.
A baby.
My baby.
Our baby.
I was terrified, but seeing the baby’s heartbeat, something shifted. There was a human growing inside me . I had to protect that precious little human. A tear slipped down my cheek as stress and overwhelm rolled over me.
Dr. Hokum clicked a few more buttons on the computer, and a trail of black-and-white images streamed out of the printer. She removed the probe, covered my bottom, and helped me clean up. Lowering the stirrups, I set my feet down and sat up.
“The baby is healthy and thriving. As long as your symptoms are manageable, you won’t need to come back for another four weeks. The important things to remember are to eat a variety of healthy, pregnancy-safe foods, take your prenatal vitamins, and try to maintain low stress levels.”
A light scoff escaped me before I could stop it.
Dr. Hokum’s gaze flicked between Duke and me. “If you experience any significant changes in symptoms—extreme nausea, bleeding, that kind of thing—just call the office.” Dr. Hokum gently squeezed my knee before excusing herself to allow me to redress.
Duke waited for me in the hallway, and when I exited the room, he was staring down at the ultrasound photos. My heart rolled painfully in my chest.
On the drive back to my aunt’s house, I studied the photograph and wondered if there had ever been a time when such a reckless decision had ever made me happier. There was still a lot to figure out, but for the first time, I felt like maybe I wouldn’t have to figure all that out alone.
As Duke’s truck pulled down the driveway, the warm, fuzzy feeling from the doctor’s office evaporated.