Chapter 6 #2
This girl was going to get us kicked out before we even got started. They asked about medications, family medical history, surgeries, drinking, smoking, drugs, menstrual cycles, all kinds of shit. Then came the bloodwork. Nyrobi's whole personality changed.
“Which arm?”
The nurse asked it like a normal question.
Nyrobi looked at both arms like she was choosing which child to sacrifice.
“Which one hurt less?”
The nurse smiled. “Usually whichever has the better vein.”
“That wasn't my question.”
I laughed.
Nyrobi pointed at me.
“You're supposed to be emotional support.”
“I am!”
“You laughing.”
“Because you're funny.”
“I ain't trying to be.”
The nurse tied the band around her arm.
Nyrobi immediately looked away.
“Kaizleigh.”
“What?”
“Talk.”
“About what?”
“Anything.”
I thought for a second.
“I ordered a crib yesterday.”
Her head whipped toward me.
“You did WHAT?”
The nurse slid the needle in, Nyrobi froze and I froze too.
Then she looked down at her arm.
“You sneaky bitch.”
The nurse laughed.
“I needed you distracted.”
“No, I'm talking to her.”
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
“You really bought a crib?” she asked.
“No.”
“See, now I don't trust your ass.”
“Mission accomplished.”
When the nurse finished, Nyrobi looked at the little bandage on her arm like she'd survived surgery.
“That wasn't bad.”
“I told you.”
“No, you didn't. You lied about a crib.”
“Same thing.”
We moved on to the rest of the screening. The clinic explained that bloodwork was only one part. There would be more testing, medical clearance, a psychological evaluation, and legal requirements before any medication or embryo transfer happened.
Nyrobi was all ears listening. She asked questions when she didn't understand something instead of pretending she did. That was one of the things I liked about her.
She wasn't afraid to say, I don't know what the fuck that means.
At one point the doctor started explaining the difference between some of the medications they might use later, and Nyrobi held her hand up.
“Okay, you lost me after the second big word.”
The doctor smiled.
“Fair enough.”
“Can you explain it like I'm regular?”
Billion would've laughed his ass off if he was in there.
The doctor broke it down simpler, and Nyrobi nodded.
“See. Now we talking.”
I smiled but didn't say anything. Watching her made me feel better.
I had spent days wondering if I was rushing this because I wanted a baby so badly.
But Nyrobi wasn't acting careless. She wasn't treating it like easy money.
She wanted to know what they were doing to her body and why. That mattered to me…A lot.
We were waiting for the next part of her appointment when her phone vibrated.
Nyrobi glanced at it.
Her face changed.
It happened fast enough that she probably thought I didn't notice.
She flipped the phone over.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why you looking at me like that?”
“Your face changed.”
“No, it didn't.”
“Yes, it did.”
She smiled, but it wasn't the same smile she'd had two seconds earlier.
“I'm good, Kaizleigh.”
I wanted to ask again but I didn't. That was another thing I had to learn. Just because Nyrobi had agreed to carry our child didn't mean every part of her life belonged to me. So I left it alone for about fifteen minutes.
Then her phone vibrated again.
She didn't pick it up this time.
“You sure everything okay?”
Nyrobi slowly turned her head.
“You lasted longer than I thought.”
I laughed.
“I'm sorry.”
“No, you're not.”
“I'm trying.”
“Try harder.”
“Okay.”
I raised both hands.
“None of my business.”
“Thank you.”
Two seconds passed.
She sighed.
“My apartment people getting on my nerves.”
I lowered my hands.
“What happened?”
“See! I knew I shouldn't have said shit.”
“You brought it up.”
“Because you was staring a hole through the side of my face.”
“Is something wrong with your apartment?”
“Kaizleigh.”
“What?”
“I got it.”
There was something in the way she said it that told me to leave it alone. So this time, I actually did.
“Okay.”
She looked at me like she was waiting for another question. I didn't ask one though.
“Damn, you listened,” she said.
“I'm capable.”
“Debatable.”
I laughed.
The doctor came back in before I could respond.
We went through the rest of what could be completed that day, and by the time we walked back into the waiting room, Nyrobi looked exhausted.
Billion stood.
“How'd it go?”
Nyrobi held up her bandaged arm.
“I almost died.”
“You got blood drawn.”
“You wasn't there.”
“You told me not to come.”
“And thank God I did because you don't seem sympathetic.”
He looked at me.
“She cry?”
“No.”
Nyrobi smiled proudly.
“See.”
“She almost did.”
“Kaizleigh!”
I laughed.
“She didn't.”
“You fake as hell.”
Billion shook his head.
“So what's next?”
I explained what they'd told us while Nyrobi dug through her purse.
More results had to come back. More screening. Psychological evaluation. Then the attorneys.
Then, if everything checked out, we'd move toward finalizing the agreement and preparing for the first transfer.
Hearing myself say it made my heart start beating faster.
Nyrobi must've noticed because she looked at me.
“Don't start.”
“What?”
“You got that look.”
“What look?”
“That baby look.”
Billion laughed.
“What the fuck is a baby look?”
“She been looking at me like I'm about to pop one out in the parking lot.”
“I have not!”
“Yes, you have.”
“Nyrobi, you aren't even cleared yet.”