Chapter 9 #2
“Yes, they did. It’s not even with the doctor—it’s just a sonographer.”
After another moment of silence, he said, “Okay, I guess that makes sense. It’s probably for the best, given the current situation. Oh, hey—isn’t this the ultrasound when we can tell if it’s a boy or a girl?”
I cringed. “Yeah … I wanted to talk to you about that.”
I told him about my anxieties, and how I ultimately felt it was better for my mental health not to find out.
“I’m already nervous enough about having a baby to begin with—I think I’d rather just focus on being healthy and on my part in being its mom, if you can understand that.
Once the baby is here, I’ll be so happy and relieved, I won’t even care what it is. Does that make any sense?”
Max took a lengthy pause while he thought it over. “Well, I’ll admit, I was kind of looking forward to knowing, but if you feel more comfortable with it being a surprise … I guess I’m okay with that.”
I let out a giant sigh of relief. “Thank you, Max. I really appreciate that.”
His voice softened. “You’re right—we’re going to love it, no matter what it is.”
And it’s the very least he can do for me, considering what his girlfriend has been putting me through.
“Yes, we will. I’ll keep in touch about how everything goes.”
“Okay. Good luck—and I can’t wait to see that DVD.”
The night before my ultrasound, Mom called.
“Honey, I’m so sorry. I don’t think I should come tomorrow.” Her voice was raspy, and she let out a throaty cough.
“Oh no, Mom … are you sick?”
“Yes, unfortunately. I wish I could be there to see the baby, but it wouldn’t be good for either of you if you caught my germs.”
I sighed. Of course, she was right. “Okay. Well, I’m still coming down this weekend. And I’ll bring the DVD for you to see.”
“Thank you, sweetie.”
I chewed on my fingernail and debated calling Max. Should I invite him? Would Madison throw a fit?
On second thought, I texted Ellie to invite her, but she replied with a series of sad-face emojis. She was working the lunch shift the next day.
I guess I should invite Max.
I took a deep breath and composed a short text letting him know he was welcome to come in my mom’s place. He replied right away: I’d love to. Want me to pick you up at your office at 11:30 again?
That would be great, thanks.
My leg pumped anxiously under the table as I checked the clock again: 11:46. I picked up my phone and shot Max another text. I can’t wait any longer. I’m heading to the doctor’s office. Hope to see you there.
On my way down in the elevator, I called an Uber—hopefully I would just make it.
I ran into the clinic at eleven fifty-eight and quickly scanned the waiting room—no sign of Max. A nurse called my name almost immediately.
After changing into my paper gown, I pulled out my phone. No messages from Max.
I tapped out a quick text. Hello?? I really wish you would have let me know you were running late. I barely made it here in time. I shoved my phone back into my purse and got up onto the exam table.
The sonographer, a cheerful woman with a pleasant smile, gave me a quick rundown of what to expect. I lay back on the table and pulled my gown up. She squirted a generous amount of ice-cold goo on me and started pressing the wand around in circles below my belly button.
The screen was mostly angled away from me, but I could see about half of it.
A black and white blob appeared—but this time, there was no small, white peanut in the center.
Instead, I saw what appeared to be two white outlines butting up against each other—a round head, and an oval-shaped body.
I gasped—it was my baby. My nearly fully formed, human-looking baby.
The sonographer smiled when she saw my reaction, and turned the screen around for a moment so I could get a clearer look.
Immediately, I felt tears sliding down both cheeks.
I watched the screen in awe as the baby moved this way and that.
At one point, it raised its arm and I could see its fingers, which looked like a row of tiny pearls.
“Look at your little one!” said the sonographer. As she continued to roll the wand around my belly, she pointed out features on the screen like its nose, bottom, spine, and feet, as well as a small black circle blinking in the center of its chest—its heart.
I couldn’t stop beaming as I stared at the screen in wonder—until after a quick knock, the door to the exam room burst open, letting in a bright cone of light.
“Ms. Mitchell? Your guest is here,” said one of the receptionists as she poked her head in.
“Oh, Max?” I asked.
“Uh, no—”
“Hello, hello!” Madison said cheerfully as she pushed past the receptionist and shoved her way into the room.
An unpleasant yelp escaped my mouth. “Madison? What are you doing here?”
Anger flooded through me without warning, and I pressed a hand to my chest to try and calm my heartbeat.
“Sorry for the last-minute switcheroo, but Max got stuck at work, so he sent me.” Her smile had never looked more Stepford.
I closed my eyes tight and took a deep, cleansing breath. You have got to be kidding me. “You know, I’m not really comfortable with this.”
The sonographer—Tamara, her name tag said—frowned. “Do you know this woman?”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m Madison. I’m the baby’s stepmother.”
“No, she isn’t,” I snapped. “She’s the baby’s father’s current girlfriend. And I do not feel comfortable with her being here.”
Madison pouted. “What? Savannah—how could you say that? I’ve been by your side through this entire pregnancy.”
And there’s the freaking problem.
Maybe her perma-smile was fooling the sonographer and receptionist, but Madison’s eyes, cold and cruel, betrayed her true nature. She wasn’t fooling me.
“I am here on behalf of the baby’s father,” she insisted. “He deserves to have a representative present at all appointments.” She addressed Tamara directly. “He’s very concerned about his child’s health and well-being.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but my throat had squeezed shut. My heart was racing even faster. No, no, no—I could not have a panic attack. Not here, in this paper gown, in this vulnerable position.
The sonographer took the wand off my belly and took a step back from the table. “Miss,” she addressed Madison, “according to HIPAA laws, you cannot be here without the patient’s permission.”
“And I do not feel comfortable with her being here,” I managed to repeat.
“I am here according to the father’s wishes,” she said, directing herself to Tamara again.
“We’re concerned about the health of the child.
Savannah has very unhealthy eating habits, she doesn’t drink nearly as much water as she should, she has no regular exercise regimen at all …
and to be honest, we’ve come across evidence that she’s been drinking while pregnant. ”
My jaw fell open; I felt a fire ignite behind my eyes. Tamara the sonographer looked at me with concern.
“Ms. Mitchell—it’s your call.”
Madison’s glance dared me to defy her—but I was done letting her bully me.
I summoned my courage and jutted my chin out. “No. I’d like her to leave.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave, then,” Tamara said to Madison. She walked over to a phone attached to the wall and dialed the front desk. “Can you please send an orderly in to escort someone out?”
Madison glared at me. “Fine. Just let me know the baby’s gender and I’ll leave.”
“No. I’ve already spoken to Max about it, and it’s going to be a surprise.” I knew it would infuriate her to know that Max and I had made a decision together that didn’t involve her.
“Nonsense,” Madison hissed. “We have a lot of things we need to do to prepare for this baby. We need to know the gender in order to pick out names, a theme for the nursery—”
“Too bad, Madison. This was Max’s and my decision, and has nothing to do with you.”
“That’s unacceptable, Savannah. I have also talked with Max, and he agreed with me that it’s better to know. After all, we are going to be the ones providing most of this baby’s care, and a steady, stable home.”
Anger was like a simmering volcano in my head, threatening to blow. I am this baby’s mother, dammit. “Madison, I don’t care what you want!” I shouted. “This is my private information—I don’t have to give you or Max access to any of it.”
Finally, the door to the exam room opened and an orderly came in. He stood behind Madison with his hands clasped in front of him, as if to say, come on your own, or I will remove you.
Madison scowled at me in disgust. “This is ridiculous, Savannah. Max and I have tried to be here for you and support you through this pregnancy, but you continue to act like a reckless child. We’re going to have to get lawyers involved if you keep acting like this.
We’re the baby’s parents too—yet you continue to try and wield this child like a weapon.
It’s not healthy for the baby, and we will not stand for it.
” She walked toward the door, then turned back to give me one last glare.
“You’ll be hearing from us soon, trust me.
” Then she walked out, the orderly following close behind.
Tamara closed the door gently behind them, then shot me a concerned glance.
I closed my eyes and rested my head back on the exam table.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said without looking at her.
“It’s just a really complicated situation.
Max and I were only together for a short while, and then he got back together with Madison.
Needless to say, she’s very excited about this baby, and pretty much wants to completely take over.
Looks like I’m going to have to fight to retain my rights.
” I opened my eyes, but tears filled them, so I squeezed them shut again.
I didn’t want to cry during this appointment—it was supposed to be a joyful experience, getting to see my baby.
“I’m so sorry you’re having to go through that,” Tamara said kindly. “On a happier note, let’s take another look at your sweet little baby, shall we?”
“Okay,” I whispered, my voice trembling. I glanced back at the screen.
Tamara continued pressing the wand into my belly for another fifteen minutes or so, listing off the things she was checking.
She said the baby’s spine looked strong, and its size appeared to be right on track.
My little one was moving around a lot, which she said was a good indicator of healthy development.
She asked about how often I’d been feeling the baby move.
“I’ve definitely felt the first few kicks over the last week or two.”
“That’s wonderful. That’s going to start happening more and more.
” Tamara explained that when I am up and moving around, the steady movement would often rock the baby to sleep.
“So, each night, I want you to lie on your left side and put your hand on your belly. I want you to count and make sure you feel at least five to ten kicks within an hour. If that doesn’t happen, drink some ice-cold water and start over—the cold water can help wake the baby up and get it moving again.
Keep a log of how many kicks you feel during that hour each day and bring it to your next appointment with Dr. Quinlan. ”
“I’ll start tonight.” I smiled. Having an “assignment” that had to do with my baby’s development gave me an odd sense of comfort. I could do this for my baby. I didn’t have to wait until the baby was born—I could be a good mom now.
“Overall, everything looks really good, Ms. Mitchell,” Tamara said as the appointment wrapped up. “Now, you’re sure you don’t want to know the gender?”
“No … no, I don’t.”
“No problem. In case you change your mind, I’ll put a sealed envelope in your file with the baby’s gender. You can call or stop by anytime if you decide you want to know. But we’ll make a note not to spoil it for you unless you explicitly ask.”
“Thank you.”
“The DVD of your ultrasound will be ready at the reception desk for you in just a few minutes. I’ll let you get dressed now.”
A few minutes later, Rachel, one of the head nurses, handed me my DVD at the reception desk. I handed her my credit card for my co-payment, but after a moment, she handed it back to me. “I’m sorry, but your card was declined.”
Dammit! The disputes are still screwing up my account. I sighed. “I’m sorry, I’ve been having problems with this card lately. Would it be alright to bill me just this once?”
“Sure, that’s no problem.”
“I really appreciate it. I’ll get this sorted out before my next appointment.” I called a ride back to the office on my phone and walked outside.
A few minutes later I was sitting in the back of an Uber, staring at my DVD. It said “Baby Mitchell—Week 20 Ultrasound” on it.
Despite the unwanted drama of the appointment, I allowed myself a smile.
The first video of my baby.