Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
DARE
“You good?” I ask.
Chassis doesn’t say anything immediately. She also doesn’t get out of the car. Reaching across the console, I wrap my fingers around her thigh. Her entire body jumps into the air before landing back in the seat. She shifts her attention to meet mine, her eyes connecting to my own.
“I’m scared to death,” she admits.
I flex my fingers around her thigh. “It’s going to be good, sweetheart.”
“Promise?”
I can’t promise her something out of my control, as much as I would like to. I don’t say another word. Instead, I open the door and unfold from her car. I walk around to her side of the vehicle and open the door. Holding out my hand, I wait for her to slip her palm inside.
When Chassis stands, I slide my arm around her waist and walk with her by my side. We move together as we make our way into the doctor’s office. Chassis seems to know where she’s going. She heads straight for the reception desk, and I move with her.
She gives her name to the woman behind the counter. “Okay,” the receptionist states. “You and the grandfather can take a seat.”
My spine straightens. I suck in a breath. It’s not this girl’s fault, but do I really look like the fucking grandpa? I know I’m technically old enough to be the baby’s grandfather, but what the actual fuck?
“The father and I will take a seat,” Chassis announces.
The girl behind the counter sucks in a breath, and I watch as she shrinks back, understanding her mistake. Chassis spins around and walks away. Well, really, she marches. I watch her, noticing that her ass bounces with each step and wondering what that would look like if she were naked.
We sink down on the waiting room chairs. I cross my legs at the ankles and lean back. I’m pissed about the grandpa comment and wonder how many more times that’s going to happen. I imagine a lot. Especially since I’ll be almost sixty when this baby starts kindergarten.
“You don’t look old enough to be anybody’s grandfather,” Chassis mumbles next to me.
“I do,” I grunt.
She turns to face me. I slowly turn to face her, my gaze flicking up to meet hers.
“You don’t look like anyone’s grandpa,” she states.
“I’m not even going to talk about how built you are, but add to that the fact that you don’t even have gray hair.
Trust me, you don’t look like anyone’s grandpa. Maybe a daddy.”
I pinch my eyes closed, trying not to burst out laughing at her words. Daddy. What the actual fuck?
“I got some grays,” I grumble.
She opens her mouth just as someone calls out her name. Both of our attentions shift to the nurse with the clipboard. We stand together, but it’s Chassis who walks toward the nurse first.
She’s weighed, then led to a bathroom before I’m led to a room. “Go ahead and take a seat. She’ll be back soon, and so will the doctor.”
I sink down in a chair and wonder why the fuck I’m here. I mean, I know I’m here because Chassis wanted me here, but I don’t belong here. I can’t imagine that I’m helpful in any fucking way whatsoever.
Before I can get too lost inside my own head, Chassis walks into the room. I watch as she climbs up on the table. I start to ask her if everything is okay, but then realize that would be stupid. She was only away from me for a few minutes.
We sit in silence for a few moments, but I’m full of nervous energy, to the point where I feel like I’m going to actually fucking levitate if I don’t do something. Unable to sit for a second longer, I stand and start to look around the small room.
There are tons of posters about babies and women’s parts. I have never seen anything like it before. And it’s clear to me that high school health class did not properly prepare me for the anatomy of a woman’s body—or maybe they did, and I was just ditching that day.
There’s a diagram of what I can only assume are women’s reproductive organs, something I’ve never even thought about in my life. I have no clue what the fuck I’m looking at. I’m curious about it, though.
Turning my head, I look over my shoulder and start to ask Chassis what the fuck the diagram on the wall is and where that fits inside her body when the door opens. The doctor and a nurse walk through.
“We have Mom and Dad here today,” the doctor announces.
Chassis opens her mouth, but it’s me who speaks first. I haven’t even met this woman yet.
“I’m Amos. Nice to meet you.”
I introduce myself to the woman who will be delivering this baby. My baby, as far as anyone is concerned.
The doctor smiles and shakes my hand, then starts to ask Chassis how she’s feeling while she washes her hands and slides her gloves on. I watch for a moment, not sure what is going to happen with said gloves.
Chassis lies down, lifting her shirt slightly, and I watch as the doctor measures her stomach with a little measuring tape thing, says some number I don’t pay attention to, and feels around her belly and shit. What she’s feeling for, I have no goddamn clue.
Then the doctor smiles and helps Chassis sit up. She peels off the gloves, claps her hands together, and her gaze flicks from Chassis to me, then back to Chassis again.
“Okay, let’s head to the ultrasound room. This is an exciting day.”