Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
ONE WEEK LATER
Jenna
I hadn’t heard from Lucas in a week. But then again, I really didn’t expect I would. His trip was sudden, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with our conversation that night. For his sake, I hope it did. I hated to admit that I missed him. I didn’t want to miss him, but I did.
I lay on the table with my shirt pulled up while the nurse prepped the ultrasound machine.
“Are you comfortable?” she asked with a smile.
“Yeah. It seems as though lately, laying on my back is the only way I can be comfortable.”
“Just wait.” She let out a laugh and placed her hand on my arm. “I’ll go let Dr. Lewis know you’re ready.”
A few moments later, Dr. Lewis walked into the room.
“Hi, Jenna. How have you been feeling?”
“Hi, Dr. Lewis. I’m feeling pretty good.”
“Excellent. No issues?”
“Nope. None that I can think of.”
“Then let’s get started. Are you ready to see your baby?”
“I’m very ready.” I grinned.
“If I can get a clear view, do you want to know the sex of the baby?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
She squirted some gel over my belly and began moving the transducer around. As I intently stared at the monitor, tears sprung to my eyes as I saw my baby. I couldn’t believe that tiny human was growing inside me, and a part of me wished Lucas was here to see it.
“Congratulations, Jenna. It’s a girl.” Dr. Lewis smiled as she glanced over at me.
“Oh my gosh, a little girl.” I grinned as the tears fell from my eyes.
“She looks perfect, and she’s growing on schedule. I’ll print out some pictures for you to take home.”
As I walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but stare at the pictures of my baby. Her facial features and her little body were perfectly clear. I could already tell she had Lucas’s nose and my lips.
I’d done a lot of thinking the past week, and I decided to take a trip back home for the weekend to try and make amends with my parents. I wasn’t sure how they would feel about the baby, but I would soon find out. My visit would go one of two ways: delightful or disastrous.
Lucas
I’d rented a lake house from a nice older couple about an hour outside of Portland, Maine.
It was beautiful, peaceful, and exactly what I needed.
The view of the lake was relaxing and visible from all sides of the house.
I’d spent the last week doing absolutely nothing, and I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt for it.
I’d done some fishing and canoeing and hiked the trails near the house.
But most importantly, I’d done a lot of thinking—thinking about my father, my life, Jenna, and the baby.
As much as I hated to admit it, she was right.
I lived my entire life trying to get my father’s approval.
To make him see that he’d made the right decision in keeping me and that I was worthy.
I was a thirty-year-old man still seeking the same approval and worth from him, and the cycle needed to stop.
I had one more week at the lake house, and I would use it to my full advantage before I had to return to life's reality. A life I wasn’t so sure of anymore.
One Week Later
Jenna
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my naked, expanding body.
Now, it was more than obvious that I was pregnant.
It amazed me how fast the baby grew in the past two weeks.
I had four months left to figure out what I would do and where I would go once the baby was born.
I still hadn’t heard a word from Lucas, and I didn’t know when he was coming back.
My visit with my parents went a little better than I expected.
It was neither delightful nor disastrous.
It was just fine, but it would take a lot of time if we were ever going to have a normal family relationship.
I was sitting at my desk working on an important project when I heard a light knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said, staring at my computer.
“Hello, Jenna.”
Looking towards the door, I saw Lucas standing there.
“Hey. You’re back.”
“I am.” He stepped inside and closed the door.
Damn, did he look sexy.
Getting up from my desk, he noticed my belly, and a look of shock splayed across his face.
“Wow. You really got bigger over the past couple of weeks.”
“Yeah. It’s real now.” I grinned as I placed my hand on my belly. “How was your trip?”
“It was good and very relaxing. I’m hoping you’ll have dinner with me tonight. We need to talk.”
“Sure. How about you come over, and I’ll cook? That way, we’ll have more privacy,” I said.
“You don’t have to cook. I can bring something over. Is there anything you have a taste for?”
I stood there and thought about it for a moment.
“Mediterranean sounds good.”
“Sounds good to me, too.” A light smile crossed his lips. “I’ll stop at the place on the corner from our building, and I’ll be over around seven. I have a lot of work to catch up on. Just text me what you want.”
“I will.”
He opened the door and stopped when I called his name.
“Lucas?”
“Yeah?” He looked at me.
“It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.” He gave me a wink as he walked out of my office.
He seemed different. Calmer and relaxed. The pressures of life didn’t show on his face as they had. I pulled up the online menu for the Mediterranean place, and everything sounded so good. I finally narrowed it down and texted Lucas my order.
“Really? Are you going to eat all that?”
“Yes. Have you forgotten I’m eating for two?”
“Point taken.”