43. Chapter 43
Cameron
When Mason said her appointment was early, I thought she meant eight or nine. Under no circumstances did I think we’d be sitting in the waiting room at six forty-five.
The world was silent except for the sound of heat being pushed through vents. Mason leaned against Sebastian, her arms wrapped around his neck and her eyes half closed. He sipped from a mug of black coffee while he stifled a yawn, but I practically buzzed with excitement.
Don’t get me wrong, my nerves were completely shot.
The slightest shift in the wind caused me to jump because I expected to see Dale.
Or worse, for someone to swoop in and steal Mason away.
Sure, Sebastian probably wouldn’t let that happen without a fight, but that didn’t help quell the feeling of I shouldn’t be here .
“How much longer?” I rhythmically tapped my hands on my knees, trying to get rid of some of this pent up anxiety.
Sebastian looked up, slowly searching the room for a clock before remembering he had one on his wrist.
“It should be soon.” He yawned, studying his watch .
The minutes ticked by like hours as Mason continued to shift around like she couldn’t get comfortable. I wished I could ease that feeling, but all I could do was fidget.
Finally, a young woman in pink scrubs emerged from behind the door and called Mason’s name. Seb and I stood in unison before we both extended a hand to Mason. Once we were all up, we followed the woman through a narrow hall and into a room that smelled uncomfortably sterile.
I couldn’t remember the last time I went to a doctor's office. Dale had outlawed modern medicine years ago. He said anything that needed cured could be fixed with a prayer. Anyone with a brain could tell you he was wrong, but it didn’t help how uneasy the situation made me.
Still, I reminded myself that the chemical smell and flickering lights meant we were doing what was best for Rosie.
When we reached our room, the woman helped Mason onto a parchment lined table and Mason almost instantly lifted up her shirt to reveal her belly.
Sebastian headed toward the chair closest to Mason, but at the last second he took the one beside it.
“Are you coming?” He asked.
My anxiety flared again as my mind begged for me to leave, but my heart wanted to stay right here. It felt like I floated across the room as I folded myself into the chair and extended a hand toward Mason.
She took it, and Sebastian rested his palm on my knee.
Everyone around me was talking, I knew that because of their moving lips.
But, I couldn’t hear any of it. My ears rang as blood rushed behind them, and I struggled to breathe.
I hoped this wasn’t too noticeable to anyone else in the room.
I wasn’t what mattered right now, everyone should have been completely focused on Mason and Rosie.
The woman in the pink scrubs grabbed a bottle and applied some mysterious blue gel onto Mason’s stomach. Instantly, Sebastian pointed toward a black screen on the far end of the room. My gaze followed his finger, and after a moment of complete darkness, a grainy gray picture filled the screen .
It took me a second to figure out what I was looking at, but it all clicked into place at once.
There she was. My sweet angel baby. My eyes burned as I took in the contours of a little face. Her face. The one Mason and I made.
Rosie was there, and she was real, and healthy, and–
“Is she suckin’ her thumb?” The quiver of my voice sounded as odd as it felt. But, I swore I saw her tiny hand.
The technician adjusted the wand, pressing it further into Mason’s stomach, and sure enough, there it was. The small blurry shape near Rosie’s mouth moved in a rhythmic motion.
“Dad’s right,” the woman said. “You’ve got a thumb sucker on your hands.”
Oh my God. This was it, I was going to bawl like a baby. I swallowed hard, trying my best to construct a dam behind my eyes. At no point in my life had I ever been a crier. But there she was, my daughter was on that screen and she was absolutely perfect.
Then I realized the woman called me Dad . My heart skipped a beat, and I found myself completely unable to look away from the screen.
Sure, I’d been Papa for the twins, but that was different.
Sebastian gave my knee a reassuring squeeze, and I looked over to see his face inches from mine. His breath dusted my lips as his cheeks went red and he cleared his throat.
“What?” I whispered.
“Nothing. I just… never mind.” He crossed his arms and focused back on the screen, and I did the same.
The woman continued to look around a bit, every so often she’d click around on the computer. She continued to make conversation, but the only thing I really remembered was how much she estimated Rosie to weigh.
Six pounds, eleven ounces.
And, while that didn’t sound big to me, the woman made a few comments about Rosie being a big girl and asked if Mason had the time to stay and talk with the actual doctor .
Mason agreed and the three of us were led into an entirely separate room. Thankfully, the walk gave my eyes time to dry.
When we entered the next room, it somehow felt more serious than the last. The walls were adorned with several medical charts, things on breastfeeding, and a sign that had a number for the domestic violence hotline. That last one made me feel a little sick.
Sebastian helped Mason onto yet another paper lined table, and before she was even settled, a knock came at the door.
“That was quick,” Sebastian mumbled as he sunk into one of the empty chairs.
I did the same.
A different woman entered the room this time. She seemed a good bit older than the last one and wore a white coat. Crows' feet decorated the space beside her soulful eyes, and her smile was the kind that could put you at ease.
She quickly verified Mason’s name and birthdate before closing the door behind her and washing her hands.
“So, who did you bring with you today?” she asked before sitting on a rolling stool.
“Dr. Reed, this is Sebastian. He’s my boyfriend.” Mason gestured toward Seb before looking at me. “And that’s Cameron… He is also my boyfriend.”
“And I’m the Dad!” I added before thinking better of it. “Not that Seb ain’t gonna be the dad too, I just, I put Rosie there.”
Dr. Reed’s eyes widened as she fought a laugh. I wasn’t used to being this… awkward . But, I also wasn’t used to anything else going on.
“It seems like mom and baby both have a lot of love and support.” Dr. Reed clicked around on the computer, her smiling faltering for just a moment before she turned back to Mason. “How have you been feeling, Dear? Any pressure or pain?”
Mason hesitated for a moment, and I placed a hand on hers, silently begging her not to lie to the doctor .
“I, uh, yeah,” Mason mumbled as she looked down. “I’ve been having a lot of cramping, and today it feels like she is literally going to just… fall out. If that makes sense.”
Concern slowly stole the doctor’s smile. “I’m just going to give you a quick cervical check, if that’s alright?”
Mason nodded before instantly standing to remove her pants. Had she had a lot of these? Did they do them at any appointment? How did they check– oh .
I looked away as the doctor slipped a gloved hand where the sun didn’t shine.
“So, as of now, you’re about two centimeters dilated and seventy percent effaced,” Dr. Reed explained.
I waited for the snapping of rubber gloves to look back. Dr. Reed was once again washing her hands before sitting down.
“What does all that mean?” I asked, silently fearing the worst.
Dr. Reed seemed unnervingly calm as she stared at me. “It means Mason’s body is preparing for labor–which is fine. It doesn’t mean Rosie will be here tomorrow or even next week.”
“But Mason’s only thirty four weeks. It ain’t time.” That’s all I could think about. Rosie was supposed to be born the Monday after thanksgiving, and even that was early .
Dr. Reed nodded. “You’re right. But like I said, Mason’s body is just preparing. But, because of how far and fast she’s progressing, I want Mason to stay off her feet as much as possible.”
Mason’s expression remained neutral, but her eyes told me just how upset that made her.
Dr. Reed poised herself to continue. “You can do light chores and short walks, and–”
“Can I have sex?” Mason blurted.
This drew a laugh from Dr. Reed. “My, no wonder you have not one but two men–”
“ Please do not slut shame my girlfriend.” Sebatian’s tone was formal and sharp, almost as if he were daring Dr. Reed to try that again .
Dr. Reed raised her eyebrows as she blinked in surprise. She cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, and I wondered if she wasn’t used to her patients partner’s sticking up for them
“I apologize if I offended anyone, I’m just used to it being the dads that ask those types of questions, ” Dr.Reed explained.
“But, yes. Sexual activity is still allowed, you just need to be cautious . While it won’t necessarily induce labor, it can stimulate contractions, which is something to keep in mind. ”
Dr. Reed’s gaze shifted between Sebastian and I as if she was waiting for one of us to snap again.
“Now, does anyone have any more questions?”
I shifted as I raised my hand, feeling as though I was back in highschool and about to ask the world’s dumbest question.
Dr. Reed nodded toward me. “Yes, Cameron?”
“So, since the baby is getting close to being here–She is close, right?” I stopped as I realized my nerves caused me to rush through my words. Dr. Reed motioned for me to continue, and I took a deep breath. “How do we know if Mason needs to come back to the hospital?”