Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
McKay
I looked around the room, taking in all the information about how to properly give yourself a breast exam and ads for medication I had never even heard of. The freezing temperatures associated with the office caused me to slightly shake as the goosebumps formed on my bare skin.
“Shit. Why is it always so fucking cold in here?” My teeth chattered as I did my best to wrap my arms around myself like that would make a difference.
I was at the gynecologist for my yearly visit and to make sure I got my IUD back.
That was an essential part of my life right now.
After I got my last one taken out three months ago, I had to rest and wanted to do a yoni steam since it had been years of having the IUD in place.
So I relied on the old fashioned pill until today.
I shifted on the table which came with the sound of the paper crinkling underneath me. I grunted because I hated that part too. I got up to smooth it back out when the round of knocks had me stalling as the doctor walked in.
“Hey, McKay. Sorry for the wait. We’re running a little behind but let’s get started.” She flipped through the file she placed on the counter.
“Oh wow. Well, I see a lot has changed since our last visit. Congratulations are in order. Your urine test came back positive for pregnancy.”
Her words had me choking on my spit as I rushed to get mine out.
“W-what? Dr. Compton, I’m on birth control. There has to be a mistake.”
She looked over the file then frowned, making me mirror her expression. I thought back to my visit with my grandpa yesterday, telling me about Viola haunting from the grave, and now I felt cursed.
“Um… well it seems like a dose didn’t work.” She kept talking as she washed her hands to continue our appointment, but I got lost in the how.
This couldn’t be my life right now.
The touch on my stomach had me snapping my head up to her as she applied light pressure to my abdomen.
“Breathe, McKay. You know you have other options if this wasn’t planned, right?” I nodded as a tear slipped out.
Options.
The only one I thought I’d made clear was no kids but that had failed.
The rest of the appointment was a blur. After I left my appointment, I headed straight for Hollis’s unit. She worked from home most days since she worked for Caught Live, a messy ass gossip site. They never missed out on a good, or bad, story about a celebrity.
I rang her bell before I used my fob to grant me access to our building.
Like me, she too lived in the Millennium Towers.
She stayed on ten while I lived on seven.
I made it to her door to see Hollis had already cracked it for me.
I walked in and heard her on the phone talking about a story her boss wanted her to cover.
“If I do this, consider this your one and only favor.” She got quiet as she eyed me, squinting at me before she pointed toward the kitchen. I looked at the island to see takeout from Total Greens and nodded.
“My job is to cover my stories and Deke’s ass is on my fuck no list, as you already know.”
Deacon.
Her ex-husband who just so happened to be a popular baseball player for the Badgers.
He had been before my time, so I didn’t know too much about their history. Hollis and I met her third year at CFU. I was the freshman that she and Johnni took under their wing. Since then, it’d been up with us.
“Yeah, yeah, like I said, consider this your one and only favor. Now, I have to go. I’ve got company and you're on my off time.” Without another word, she grunted loudly as she made her way to where I was now sitting, still digging through the bag of food.
“Hey Mickey, how did it go? Is that pussy still intact?” she asked in a cheerful manner as she moved around her kitchen getting glasses and a bottle of wine.
“Pussy still good. But we might have a problem with how intact she’ll be in about eight months give or take. I heard babies do a number to her after they come out.” Hollis blinked hard a few times, clearly taken aback. She poked her lips out, pressing them together and tilting her head to the side.
“Pretend like I’m slow as fuck and explain to me what you’re talking about.” This time when I told her, I produced the ultrasound pictures with the little baby on full display. I was six weeks and counting.
“My break between IUDs wasn’t as successful as I thought it would be. And now, I am pregnant with a baby. In here.” I pointed to my stomach as I dropped my head, staring at the damaged area as if I truly could see a difference. There wasn’t one.
“See, I told your ass to go back right after we all did that steam session. But no, I want my coochie to breathe, just had to wait. So, what now? Are we thinking about our options? Wait, have you told the mystery man yet?” I snorted as I shook my head.
No one knew much about Harlan, not even his name.
We were still early in the dating game to be doing name drops and meet and greets with the people.
Having a conversation about having a baby shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion for us.
I wasn’t even sure I had fully processed the situation enough to be telling him anything.
“No. I came here first. I-I… Damn, my shit is all messed up. I had a plan. And it didn’t include a baby right now.
What am I supposed to tell him? We have only been together for three months, and we’re already on the baby topic, ugh!
This shit is trifling,” I said as I dropped my head into my hands on the island counter.
I felt Hollis’s hands rubbing my head.
“Hey, I mean, is it kind of fast? Yes, but no matter what, babies are made out of love. I’m sure he won’t trip once you two talk about everything.”
Silence lingered between us. Me with my own thoughts, and Hollis, I wasn’t sure, but she spoke up first.
“Well shit, I guess we’re celebrating a little different today. Cake or ice cream?” she asked as she now moved toward her refrigerator going for the freezer, pulling out a pint of vanilla and chocolate.
“Both! Didn’t I just tell you I’m pregnant?
” We shared a chuckle while mine came with a soft whimper accompanied by a sniffle.
Hollis then moved to get the cake from the other side of the counter in the display.
It was a pound cake, which I’d made for her and couldn’t eat since I’d infused it with the butter. That made my whimpers grow louder.
“Hey, it’s going to be cool. I’m sure mystery man will be excited. Plus, you have me and Johnni, and a shit ton of other family who will never let you or the baby go without love and support. Now while you eat your cake and ice cream, I’m going to drink to the new addition.”
“I can’t have the cake, Hollis. Remember, I made it for you.
Girl, I doubt it. He and I have only been together for three months, and have you forgotten, no one, including my parents has met him yet?
I’m telling you, this shit is trifling as hell.
Who let me do this?” I whined, on the verge of tears.
She cursed as she closed her eyes, shaking her head.
“Damn, oh yeah. I forgot about your dumb ass rules. You might as well say fuck those shits at this point. Gon’ ahead and schedule that good ol’ I’m pregnant and this is my baby daddy dinner ASAP,” she said while only cutting herself a piece of cake and taking small bites.
I groaned because she was right. But I wasn’t ready, we weren’t ready for all that.
I don’t think you really have a choice at this point, Mickey.
“My rules aren’t dumb. They save me a lot of unnecessary introductions between my parents and someone who isn’t going to be around.
Ugh, another thing I have to stress about.
Can’t I just do it when the baby is born?
” I joked but was half ass serious. I had only brought home one boyfriend before and my dad, Chris, scared him so bad the poor boy still avoided me in public.
Meeting the girls was different. After six months, I would set up something and start bringing my boyfriends around them, and if they made it another six, then they would meet the family.
“Hell no. One, I know Chris and Kat ain’t going for that and neither are any of us.
You gon’ have to bring his ass around soon too.
What are you worried about? We already don’t like his ass,” she joked.
But I knew it was slightly true. Kat alone had been asking to meet him since I first said I was dating someone.
I picked the chocolate ice cream while she produced the fixings for a sundae.
The sound of knocks at the door had her leaving to see who was at the door. I heard Johnni’s loud ass mouth before she even got in the door good enough.
“Where is she? Is she okay?” I rolled my eyes playfully while I did the math of when Hollis even had time to tell her since I had been in her face this whole time. But in true gossip girl fashion, she was on top of the story, spreading the word too fast for me to even understand.
My other best friend Johnni rounded the corner and came into view. Out of the crew she was the most dramatic and mothering. Her being a beauty pageant queen only added to the dramatic flare of Johnni.
“Oh Mickey, don’t worry about anything. I guess it’s time for you to bring that man to meet your people, but us first. I can’t believe we let you get away with not even telling us his fucking name.
” She rushed me, hugging me tight around my neck, damn near choking me in the process.
I looked at Hollis for help since this was her doing. I tapped Johnni’s shoulder.
“Okay, Johnni, I can’t breathe. You’re going to take me out before I even make it to the second trimester.”
She released me, pulling back enough to still be close.
“Shoot, I’m sorry. We can’t have that. You’re carrying special cargo.
Can we at least get a name? I mean, you are pregnant and whatnot.
” I chuckled humorlessly at that comment.
This was the second time within the last two minutes that Johnni had mentioned not knowing Harlan’s name.
I’d never given that up either. The most they ever knew was I was dating someone.
“And no ma’am. You know my rules. This baby doesn’t change that. Well, at least let him meet Chris and Kat first.”
“You better do it soon too before Chris pulls up at his house or something. He may be lax about a lot of shit, but when it comes to you and Mrs. Kat, he’s sitting up quick.” I smiled as she and Hollis both took their seats. Hollis poured a glass for Johnni while I went back to making my sundae.
“No for real. I’ma tell him tonight after I leave here, then go from there. I think I’m still trying to make this make sense myself. I mean, we had sex, but I never missed a dose of my birth control and everything was on time.”
Johnni sipped her wine then hummed. “Ooh, wait, how far along are you? You remember when you had that real bad sinus infection and had to take that antibiotic? They would’ve canceled all that out.” I thought back to the summer when my allergies hated me and my sinuses were kicking my ass.
“I was fucked up. I remember him coming over to so-called nurse me back to health.”
“I guess he nursed his nut in your ass too. See, had you not turned down my services of coming over, you might not be in this position right now,” Hollis said as she took another bite of cake. I tossed her a snarl as I finally took a scoop into my mouth and moaned instantly.
“Aw, ol’ pregnant ass. Since when do you like chocolate ice cream?
” Johnni gushed. I shrugged as I twisted my face up, not liking all this mushy shit Johnni was giving me.
It was a subtle change for sure. I had never been a chocolate ice cream girl.
But the moment it became an option, my mouth watered for it.
I shook my head as I took another taste.
“Look, let’s set rules for whatever this is right now.
Until I talk to mystery man, no baby talk of any kind.
That means don’t ask about the fetus or make goo goo gaga noises.
Don’t buy anything. No shopping, Hollis.
” I stressed that last part. Hollis had a spending problem and I didn’t want her jumping too fast if I decided not to keep the baby.
She waved me off as she kissed her teeth.
“Heffa, you can’t stop a damn thing this way.
I’m not understanding what talking to your baby daddy gotta do with my pockets, but whatever.
I’m already thinking about my next shopping trip.
Ooh, I have to tell Callie. She loves a good reason to shop for babies.
” Her hands were moving before she even finished the sentence.
I groaned, doing my best to release my frustration as I dropped my head, going back into my bowl, adding more whipped cream on top.
I couldn’t even fuss at her telling her twin sister Callie because Hollis told her everything.
I knew nothing I said from this point on would matter when it came to these two no way. My focus was on telling Harlan and praying he was ready for this next step in our relationship.
“Well anyway, let’s focus on the cute announcements. Ooh, we can do onesies for the grans and maybe, a hey daddy shirt or something for baby daddy.” Johnni was already on her phone looking up ideas. I playfully rolled my eyes because some of them were cute.
“Don’t you feel like those types of things are for planned pregnancies? I don’t think any of that is needed. Why I can’t just hand over the sonogram and say hey, we fucked up and now we’re having a baby,” I said, eating more of the ice cream that tasted too good right now.
Johnni shook her head. “Absolutely the fuck not. This is your moment, do whatever you want and however for that matter. Planned or not, this is your first, don’t skip shit.
If you want both a baby shower and a gender reveal, we’ll do both.
If you even want a baby name reveal, Mickey, do it.
Now hand over that sonogram. We want to see our niece or nephew.
” She geeked out as she clapped her hands a few times before doing the gimme motion.
I looked at Hollis whose face held just as much excitement as Johnni’s right now. I reached into my purse and pulled out the pictures Dr. Compton had taken of the baby.
I passed it over and awws filled the air.
“Oh my gosh, my baby is having our baby,” Johnni said, wrapping her arms around me again, making me smile.
“Wait, don’t leave me out.” Hollis said, joining our hug. At this moment, with my girls’ support, I felt like I could handle anything. I chose to ignore my gut feeling that my world was about to change forever.