Chapter One Hundred Fourteen
Ruby
The exam room is cooler than it needs to be, especially since I’m naked but my socks while wearing one of those cloth smocks with blue and pink swirls on it. Not that the doctor’s office in Brookhaven would’ve been any warmer.
Rather than dealing with the drama of home, I had Dad take me to a clinic in the city. Where no one knows me. Xavier. Or anything that’s been going on the last couple of months.
I sit on the edge of the table, staring at a faded diagram of the female reproductive system while I wait for someone to confirm what three pregnancy tests have already told me.
I’m passed the point of hoping that they’re wrong, and now, I’m monitoring every twinge with utter panic that something could go wrong.
The door opens, and the doctor steps inside with a tablet in her hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“That’s okay.”
Dr. Taylor settles onto the stool. “We got your blood work back.”
My hands tighten together in my lap. “And?”
“You’re pregnant.”
Just like that. Two words. My breath catches anyway. “Definitely?”
Her smile softens. “Definitely.”
Something warm moves through my chest. I’m having a baby. Xavier’s baby.
“How far along?”
“Based on the dates you gave us, approximately nine weeks. We’ll get a more precise date when you have your ultrasound.”
Nine weeks.
My mind immediately does the math even though I already know.
That first night.
The hallway. His mouth on mine. My back against the wall because neither of us could make it to the bedroom without stopping.
Casual.
God, we were idiots.
“Your hormone levels look appropriate for this stage,” she continues. “Nothing in your blood work is concerning.”
Relief comes so fast my eyes burn. “And the attack? The concussion?”
“Nothing you've told me or anything in your records gives me reason to think the pregnancy was harmed.”
I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding. “Okay.”
“Have you had any bleeding? Significant cramping?”
“No.”
“That’s all good news.” She goes over prenatal vitamins, medications, foods to avoid, and symptoms that warrant a call. This time I make myself listen. Not just for me anymore.
That thought keeps catching me off guard.
“Morning sickness can start around this point,” she says.
“I've already met that.”
She laughs. “Unfortunately, you may get better acquainted before it stops.”
“Fantastic.”
“We'll schedule your first ultrasound and follow-up before you leave.”
An ultrasound. My heart does something strange. There will be something to see. Maybe not much yet, but something. A baby. My baby.
The doctor closes the tablet. “Any other questions?”
About a thousand. None of them are medical. How do I tell the father? What if he stays because he feels obligated? What if he doesn't want this? What if I want it enough for both of us? What if I screw everything up?
I shake my head. “Not right now.”
“That’s normal too. Write them down when they come to you.” She hands me a folder. “Congratulations, Ruby. You’re having a baby.”
There it is again. Baby. That word. This time, I let myself feel it. A tiny smile pulls at my mouth. “Thank you.”
*****
Cold December air hits my face when I leave the clinic. Dad is waiting in the pickup exactly where I left him, thermos in one hand.
He straightens the second he sees me. I climb inside and shut the door. “Well?”
I look down at the folder in my lap. “It’s real.”
Dad's expression softens. “Everything okay?”
“Everything looks good. Around nine weeks. I have an ultrasound coming up.”
He nods slowly. “That's good.”
“Yeah.”
For a second, neither of us says anything. Then it hits me. Really hits me. “I’m going to have a baby.”
Dad reaches across the console and squeezes my hand. “Yeah, sweetheart. You are.”
My eyes burn. “I’m happy.” It feels important to say that out loud. “Scared. Completely overwhelmed. But happy.”
“Sounds about right.”
I laugh and wipe beneath one eye.
We’re several miles down the highway before he glances over. “You still planning to start those vet tech classes?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
I look at him. “That's it?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don't know. Maybe point out that having a baby and starting school at the same time could be a stupid decision?”
“You've been taking care of animals since you were old enough to chase them. You'll figure it out.”
The certainty in his voice loosens something inside me. I watch the fields pass for another mile.
I settle against the seat, one hand resting over my stomach. Nine weeks. Healthy so far. Classes starting soon. Xavier.
My smile fades. I have to tell him. Sooner rather than later. He deserves to know.