Chapter 10 #2
“How’re you doing Doc?” Draven moves closer to the side of the table I’m sitting on.
“Can’t complain. So, Ms. Ramirez. I see here, in your chart that you took a pregnancy test a couple of weeks ago and it was positive.
The lab work we ran on you confirms that you are in fact pregnant.
Dad, can you help Mom lean back onto the table, and we’ll see if we can hear the baby’s heartbeat.
How does that sound?” He squirts a clear gel onto what looks like a square microphone.
I gasp when the cool gel makes contact with my skin and quickly look at Draven when I feel his hand tighten around mine.
“I’m good. It was just cold,” I quickly tell him, knowing how fast his temper can erupt and not wanting him to kill our doctor.
“Sorry,” the doctor mumbles right before we hear a swishing sound coming from the little machine. “Ah. There it is.”
“That’s our baby?” I softly ask, in awe as the realization this is really happening sets in.
“That’s your baby.” The doctor smiles as he pulls the device off my stomach.
Looking at Draven, his expression is one of shock and awe.
He’s just as amazed as I am by all of this.
“Let me grab a tech and we’ll get an ultrasound to see how far along you are and when your due date is.
” He washes his hands and then steps into the hallway.
A few minutes later he returns followed by a woman pushing a machine with a screen.
“Looking at your chart I don’t think you’re far enough along for external so we’ll have to do a vaginal ultrasound if that’s alright with you,” he questions, looking to me for confirmation.
Squeezing Draven’s hand, I nod that it’s ok to proceed.
I watch as the tech sets up her machine and the doctor maneuvers my legs under a paper sheet to protect my modesty.
“What we’ll do is insert this wand. It will allow us to see the fetus and get an idea of how far along you are in your pregnancy, the baby’s measurements, and when we can expect your due date to be.
It can also help us determine there aren’t multiples,” he explains as he puts his gloves on and proceeds to do as he described.
Draven isn’t liking this at all if his grip is any indication, but thankfully he remains quiet and allows the doctor to do his job.
We talked about this last night while we were lying in bed and he learned our doctor is a man and not a woman.
He agreed to be on his best behavior since Dr. Sloan is the best Obstetrician in Miami.
“Ah, here we go.” The doctor points at the screen.
“Why does it look like an alien, doc?” Draven asks and I burst out laughing, unable to hold it back.
“Well, right now, Kierra is only ten weeks along. Your baby is about the size of a strawberry at the moment, but rest assured it will be doing a lot of growing and developing over the next thirty weeks,” Dr. Sloan explains, never once making Draven feel uncomfortable about his questions.
“When can we find out if it’s a boy?” he wonders aloud, like a typical man.
“We’ll schedule another ultrasound for ten weeks from now, and we should be able to find out the gender. If the baby is cooperative that is.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Draven tells him.
“No problem at all. Anytime you have questions, please feel free to call the office. Here are your pictures and if you’ll stop at the desk on your way out, Linda will schedule your next appointment for four weeks from now,” he informs us, removing his gloves and washing his hands while the tech unplugs the machine and heads out the door.
“It was wonderful to meet you both and welcome to the Sloan family.” Dr. Sloan shakes both our hands and exits our room.
“What’d you think?” Draven helps me sit up and climb off the table. I’m curious about what he thinks of everything since he didn’t get to participate in any of Sadie’s appointments.
“I don’t even know what to think, to be honest. A strawberry.” He’s bewildered that our baby is so tiny.
After I put on my clothes, we make our way to the front desk and schedule our next appointment before heading out to grab lunch.
“Thank you, Kierra. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until I heard our baby’s heartbeat.
After seeing our baby on that screen, I realize I could only want this with you.
Thank you,” Draven declares as he drives us to the Shell Shack so I can get the shrimp tacos I’ve been craving.
“You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. I want this just as much as you do, Draven. We’re in this together, ok?”
“Yeah, baby. Together.” He laces his fingers in mine and gives them a soft squeeze. I live for moments like this with him; when he lets his guard down, and he doesn’t hide his soft side.
“Kierra?” Looking up from my phone I find Sadie looking at me a little unsure of herself.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?” I put my phone away and give her my full attention.
“Do you think that maybe… well… Do you think that maybe you could go with me to the mall? I want to change my look but I don’t know where to start,” she finally stammers out. It occurs to me that Sadie grew up on a compound surrounded by men, and without a mom to teach her womanly things.
“Of course! That sounds like so much fun. What do you think about making it a girl’s thing and we invite G and Sin too?” I haven’t had a fun girls’ day in quite some time. It’s one of the things my sister and I used to do before she fell in with the wrong crowd.
“That’d be awesome. I’ll call Harley and see if she wants to come too,” she exclaims excitedly.
Looking around the common room to see if the girls are around, I find that only Kidd and a couple of the old-timers are milling about.
When I don’t see anyone, I shoot off a text and explain what I want to do for Sadie.
They’re both on board, saying they will be here shortly.
Now to tackle the real challenge. Viper.
Climbing off the couch, I nod to the hallway as Sadie is chattering on the phone with her bestie, letting her know that I’m going to her dad’s office.
Just as I’m poised to knock, Draven’s voice filters through the door, “Come in, Kierra.”
“How’d you know I was out there?” I wonder, stepping into his office and rounding his desk. He turns his chair for me to sit on his lap.
“Saw you on the monitor.” He nods to the screens mounted on the wall and helps settle me on his thigh.
I’ve never been in here before, and I must admit, it’s way nicer than I expected.
“Something you need? Or did you just want to come see me?” he asks as his hand gently caresses my belly.
He’s been touching or talking to my stomach ever since our doctor’s appointment and while it’s very un-Draven-like, I find it quite adorable.
“Sadie wants me to go with her to the mall. Says she wants a new look. I didn’t want to leave the compound without telling you where I was going,” I tell him, placing my hand over his and leaning my head on his shoulder.
“No.”
“Wasn’t asking for permission, Draven. It was a courtesy, not a request. Get a man to follow me around if you have to but I won’t be a prisoner behind these compound walls,” I calmly tell him, refusing to argue.
With a deep sigh he picks up his phone and shoots off a text and short minutes later, Kidd pops his head into the office. “Need something, Prez?”
“Yeah. Need you to follow Kierra and the girls around the fucking mall.” He narrows his eyes when he catches the grin on my face.
“Sure. Give me a few minutes to go get the SUV from the garage, and I’ll be ready whenever they are,” Kidd agrees before quickly leaving the room.
“See, was that so hard?” I try playing innocent.
“Promise me that you all will stay together and that you won’t give Kidd a hard time.” When I roll my eyes he squeezes my leg while demanding, “Promise me, Kierra.”
“Ok, ok. I promise. Sheesh. You gotta learn to fucking relax, Viper.”
“Keep it up, woman. You know what’ll happen if you keep running off at the fucking mouth,” he growls before ravishing said mouth. He always says that like it’s a threat when we both know that it’s not.
When he finally ends the kiss, his eyes are so full of love as he brushes his thumb across my cheek. “Be careful, yeah?”
“I will,” I promise him. I climb out of his lap and leave his office, not wanting to keep Sadie waiting.
“Ready to go, ladies?” I chirp, grabbing my bag from the table the girls are seated around.
“Yeah. Kidd already has the SUV waiting out front.” Sadie informs just as, “Be good!” is shouted from down the hall. They all laugh when I roll my eyes at his bossiness.
“Come on, let’s go get into some trouble.” I’m already heading for the door.
The usually chatty Sadie is abnormally quiet on the way to the mall so as soon as we get there I excuse us to the women’s restroom. “Ok, girl. Spill it. What’s going on? You’re really quiet all of a sudden,” I ask her when it’s just the two of us.
“I didn’t want to publicize what I’m wanting to do in front of Kidd,” she says as her cheeks blush with the admission.
“Ahh. I see. You have a thing for the prospect.”
“Shhh. Are you crazy? He’ll hear you, Kierra.” She looks around like he’s going to appear in the ladies’ room at any second.
“Relax. He’s out there with G and Harley.
Why are you wanting to change your look, Sadie?
Is it for him because you should only change if it’s for yourself.
If you have to change what you look like to get a man to notice how awesome you are, he isn’t the right man for you.
You understand what I’m saying?” I speak as gently as I can.
“I do and this is for me. I’m a woman now, Kierra, and I want to look like one. I just don’t know how,” she whispers softly and my heart hurts when I can tell she’s close to crying. “I’m tired of cardigans and oversized jeans. I want to feel beautiful.” She looks away.