Page 106 of A New Chapter

Chapter 46

“Are you nervous?” Zack asked while they drove to the obstetrician’s office.

“No, but I really have to pee.” Emma had consumed more water than was probably necessary to make sure that she could produce a urine sample for the doctor.

Zack and Emma had just spent the entire weekend together, minus the hours when Emma had needed to work, and she was grateful that he had taken Monday off to accompany her to the appointment.

“I brought a list of questions,” Zack said in an attempt to distract her.

“Of course you did.”

“Well, I want to make sure that we cover everything.”

“Zack, this baby is really, really tiny. How much do we need to cover?”

When they signed in at the front desk, Zack leaned way over the counter like he was about to tell the receptionist a secret.

“Can Emma give her urine sample right away? She’s really uncomfortable.”

Emma was torn between wanting to punch him and wanting to hug him. The receptionist was obviously enamored by Zack, and it was no wonder: a great-looking guy who also cared enough about his woman to want to relieve her discomfort! It didn’t get much better than that!

“Of course,” the receptionist replied. “She can go through the door to the first room on the right.” The receptionist shot them an empathetic smile and then went back to work.

Zack started to walk through the door with Emma, but she stopped him with a mild scolding. “I can pee by myself,” she whispered, well aware of the several pairs of eyes upon them.

“Oh, right,” Zack replied, and he sat down to wait.

When Emma rejoined him, she felt like a whole new person. “Thank you,” she said and leaned over to kiss Zack on the cheek.

A very pregnant woman who sat in the chair across from them watched with great interest. She looked to be similar in age to Emma, and she rested her hands proudly on her rotund belly. “Is this your first child?” she ventured.

“My first, but his second,” Emma replied, and then she wanted to kick herself. This stranger didn’t need to know about her and Zack’s situation.

The woman didn’t even flinch. “This is my second. I’m hoping for a boy this time.”

“It looks like you’re about to pop at any second,” Zack said rather loudly. The other women who sat nearby snickered.

“I’m due in two weeks,” she said, unfazed by his childlike terminology.

A nurse poked her head out the door and called Emma’s name. “Good luck,” the woman said.

Once Zack and Emma were seated in an exam room and Emma had changed into a paper gown, she said, “Why did that woman say ‘good luck’? That just made me think of all the things that could go wrong.”

“Em, it’s just a saying. What should she have said instead?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something like, ‘Having a child is the best thing ever!’”

Zack chuckled and threw his arms around her. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied and basked in the comfort of his arms.

A few minutes later, a petite female doctor walked in looking like the model of efficiency, holding a clipboard and with a stethoscope slung around her neck. Suddenly, Emma felt very nervous, and the room started to spin. She gripped the sides of the exam table and prayed for it to pass.

Zack stepped forward immediately and put his arm around her. “She’s had a few dizzy spells recently. Is that normal?”

The doctor stepped closer and checked Emma’s pulse. “It can be. There are a lot of hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy, so anything is possible.”

“I’m ok now,” Emma assured Zack, and then he reluctantly took the seat in the corner of the room.