Chapter 38 #2
“Let’s go, Butterfly," Dayton urges, guiding me towards the door. He seems hell-bent on escaping the standoff before it devolves into something physical.
“Not so fast.” Briggs intercepts, tugging me closer by the front of my sweater.
“Call me as soon as you’re done, and don’t forget to record your ultrasound.
I want to see our little love as badly as the oaf does.
” He gestures to Dayton, who thankfully bites his tongue.
“Have fun with Col and Huddy Buddy, and I’ll see you when you get home.
” He punctuates the statement by firmly pressing his lips to mine.
I suck in a shocked breath, unsurprised to see Briggs’ cocky smirk when I blink my eyes open.
“Dick,” Dayton mutters, taking me by the hand and leading us down the front steps.
I stay quiet, glancing back at Briggs one last time.
He’s leaning against the open doorway, his eyes following my every step through the courtyard.
Being on the receiving end of his undivided attention is both exhilarating and concerning.
Dayton opens the passenger door of his Jeep and helps me in, then rounds the hood to his side.
We’re quiet for the first few minutes of the drive, but he seems more annoyed with Briggs’ show of affection than outright pissed, which I take as a good sign.
It was a risky move to pull when things are still undecided between the five of us, but Briggs tends to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
Truthfully, he doesn’t really apologize either.
He simply does what he wants and expects everyone else to be okay with it.
“What should I expect today, during your appointment?” Dayton asks, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“Nothing too crazy,” I answer, hoping to put his mind at ease.
“The doctor will measure my stomach and then perform an ultrasound to ensure that everything is okay with the baby. I’m not an expert, though, seeing as I’ve only done this once.
I’ll probably have to pee in a cup as well.
” I scrunch my nose in disgust, making Dayton grin.
“Thank you for letting me come,” he adds, placing his hand on my thigh and giving it a squeeze. I lace my fingers through his, content to be connected in some way.
We arrive a few moments later, running a little late because Dayton had to drive around the block several times in search of a parking space.
He’s glanced in the rearview mirror no less than a dozen times, and his demand for me to stay put until he can come around and help me out is as frustrating as it is sweet.
I know they’re only being gentlemen, but I’m not an invalid.
He scans the street as we cross, on alert for anything that looks remotely out of place.
I appreciate their watchfulness, but I’ll be grateful when it’s no longer necessary.
I want to live my life without having to worry about being ambushed on the street by strangers who feel it’s acceptable to invade my privacy.
Once we’re safely inside, I sigh in relief, knowing my days are numbered before someone inevitably recognizes me.
I instruct Dayton to take a seat while I sign myself in at the reception desk, relieved to see it’s fairly empty today.
It doesn’t take long before my name is called and a nurse leads us down the corridor to the dreaded scale she asks me to step on, then hands me a cup to get a urine sample, as expected.
Afterward, we’re escorted to a room with the promise that Dr. Baker will be in shortly.
I take a seat on the exam table while Dayton peruses the tiny space, his eyes widening in horror when he takes note of the dilation poster tacked to the wall.
“That’s not big enough for a baby’s head, Butterfly,” he stage-whispers, swallowing audibly while glancing between my thighs. I roll my eyes at his theatrics, but secretly I agree.
“Women have been giving birth for centuries, Dayton. Besides, it’s a little late to get cold feet. One way or another, this baby has to come out.” I’ve purposely avoided thinking about the actual labor process, the thought of pushing a tiny human out of my body making me lightheaded.
“At least tell me you’re getting an epidural!” he insists.
“I absolutely want drugs. All the drugs, Dayton. Make sure that happens,” I demand.
It’s obvious from his currently panicked state that he’ll be of little use to me when the time actually comes.
It’s best I give him a job to focus on so he doesn’t faint and end up in a hospital bed beside me.
He nods enthusiastically, happy to do my bidding.
“Knock, knock,” Dr. Baker calls out, carefully pushing the door open.
Surprise flashes across her face when she finds Dayton instead of Briggs.
By the time all of the guys cycle through, I’ll be the talk of the office.
“How’ve you been, Andi?” she questions while washing and drying her hands, then donning a pair of gloves.
“Pretty good. A little more tired recently, and some mild back pain,” I admit. Dayton snaps his head in my direction, his glare of frustration making me squirm.
“Why haven’t you said anything?” he probes, helping me lie down when Dr. Baker steps closer to begin her exam.
“Because it’s a normal side-effect of creating a human?” I reply sarcastically.
Dr. Baker laughs, adding, “She isn’t wrong.
The last couple of months tend to be pretty taxing.
There’s a lot less room in there, so the baby’s movements become sharper and more noticeable.
Our energy reserves deplete much faster, and moving in general becomes a chore.
” We smile at one another, commiserating in a shared experience, but poor Dayton is growing more uneasy the longer she talks.
“Okay, Andi. Time to get down to business.” She winks, pulling out a soft measuring tape, then stretches it across my stomach. “You’re a little behind, measurement-wise, but we’ll check your amniotic fluid during the ultrasound and make sure your levels are where they’re supposed to be.”
“Could that be a problem?” I ask, crossing my fingers in hopes that everything’s okay.
“It’s likely nothing, but a decrease in amniotic fluid is most commonly a result of maternal dehydration.
It could be that you’re not much of a show-er, considering you were past the halfway point of your pregnancy without showing very much.
” She smiles in reassurance, helping me lift my sweater and tuck it beneath my bra.
Dayton takes my hand in his as she turns the monitor on, tilting it towards us so we have a better view.
“Alright then,” she absently mutters. “Let’s take a look at your baby. ”
We wait with bated breath as she spreads the ultrasound gel across my abdomen and readies the probe.
The first flicker of an image appears on the screen, and I can’t believe my eyes at how big the baby has gotten in just a few short weeks.
The sound of the heartbeat, steady and strong, fills the room.
I smile, genuinely happy and reaffirmed in my decision to be a mother.
“Butterfly.” Dayton’s choked whisper draws my attention. His eyes are filled with tears, but the biggest smile is stretched across his face. “You’re having a baby.”
“No shit,” I snark through a fit of laughter, making the image on the screen bounce around like a dribbled basketball, which only freaks Dayton out.
“Stop that,” he insists, only making it worse. “Can’t that cause Shaken Baby Syndrome?” Dr. Baker and I both look at him like he’s grown a second head. “What?” he questions defensively. “I’ve done my reading, and all the baby books mention how dangerous it is for an infant to be shaken.”
“Oh, he’s a keeper,” Dr. Baker whispers conspiratorially. That he is, I think. Once we’ve regained our composure, we quietly watch as she finishes taking the baby’s measurements.
“It looks like your fluid is a bit below the normal range, but nothing to worry about just yet, though I’d like you to get an IV bag before leaving today. Are we still waiting to find out the gender, or did your friend cave and tell you?”
“You know the baby’s sex?” Dayton’s affronted voice cuts in.
“I don’t,” I answer cheekily.
“If you’re saying that Briggs knows what you’re having and he didn’t bother telling any of us, I’m contacting his therapist as soon as we’re home and concocting the most heinous story I can think of so his ass gets Baker Acted.”
“I believe that’s a Florida law, sir,” my obstetrician teases, our smiles mirroring one another’s. Dayton grumbles something unintelligible, likely listing all the ways he plans to maim Briggs. I should send him a warning text once we’re finished.
“Would you like to know, too?” I ask him sweetly, hoping to lessen the sting of being left out unintentionally.
“Can I?” He practically beams, those light blue eyes twinkling.
“Yes,” I laugh. “But you have to promise not to tell me. I want to wait and find out once the baby’s here.”
“Deal,” Dayton agrees easily, placing his hand over my eyes as Dr. Baker points out the anatomy and mouths the gender.
“Holy shit,” he whispers, slowly removing his hand.
He’s staring at me in wonder, the sight of his joy making my skin buzz from how much I love this man.
“You’re gonna be the best mama, Butterfly.
You already are.” My throat grows tight, wanting to argue the impossibility of such a statement, because how could I be the best at something I have no understanding of?
Thankfully, the moment is severed when Dr. Baker hands Dayton a box of tissues.
“Alright, my dear. That should cover it for today; make sure you’re taking in lots of fluids over the next seven days.
Are there any questions or concerns you have?
” She cleans the gel off my belly and helps me to a seated position.
Belatedly, I remember Briggs insisting that I mention the bleeding incident.