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“I love your home. I’m just concerned what this next week is gonna bring us.” He looks at me quizzically, with a cocked eyebrow. “I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Staton this week, Colton. So come Wednesday we’ll know the paternity of my little monkey.” I say, rubbing my stomach lovingly.
“Hey,” he whispers gripping my face in his palms, “ ‘member what I told you? Please don’t lose faith in me. I promise you, regardless of what that paternity test reveals I’m gonna be here. We’re a family now.” My heart skips a beat, nearly lurching from my chest at the word family. Blended we may be, but love has no bounds nor defines the elements of a family.
“Do you want to come to the appointment with me Wednesday?” The words slip off of my tongue faster than I can stop them. I want him to be there so badly. But what if he ain’t the daddy, and he flips out. I’m sixteen weeks pregnant and Colton hasn’t even heard my little mo
nkey’s heartbeat yet. I want to be able to look back on this pregnancy and smile at the beauty that outweighs all of the ugly that we will surely overcome.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He promises. “Come on, baby. Let’s get some sleep.”
Chapter 19
Hump day kicks my feet right out from underneath me. The day that I’ve been pleading for over the last three months. The day that will finally lay to rest the question of paternity for my little monkey. Apprehension and anxiety gripped ahold of me yesterday crippling me of my sanity. I’ve chewed all of the polish off of my perfectly manicured nails so now they look like shit. I’ve eaten an entire bag of Reese Eggs miniatures, all while crying that my ass is gonna spread wider and wider the further I get into this pregnancy.
When we arrive at Dr. Staton’s office I sign in at the receptionist desk, but before I can sit down, Kaylee swings the door open, calling my name back to the exam room. “Mornin’ sweets, how are you today?” She smiles brightly. She has the most beautiful smile stretching from ear to ear. I swear if she didn’t have ear’s she’d cut her damn head off. All smiles and happiness every time I see her.
“Nervous. I’d ask how you are, but I’m pretty sure your response will be ‘just peachy’.” I kid with her and a bubbly laughter fills the room.
“Always happy go lucky, sweets. World’s got enough problems without me belly-achin’ ‘bout my own ya know? By the way, I don’t believe I’ve met this handsome sinner you have with ya today.” She looks up at Colton with a glistening sparkle in her eye. “My name is Kaylee, and I take pretty good care of this lady.” She says extending her hand to Colton. Taking her hand in his he shakes it softly and she sways a little, light on her feet. Alright little miss, step on back there now.
“Colton Weston, Carly Jo’s boyfriend. It’s nice to meet ya.”
“Alright, y’alls met. He’s hot, I’m impatient, let’s move it.” I bicker, looking between Colton and Kaylee. “Sound good to y’all?” I sneer stomping over to the scales.
“Oooh, somebody’s a Moody Molly today.” Kaylee snickers in a little song. “Pregnancy Hormones must be kickin’ in. Go ahead and step on the scale, then we’ll get your vitals so Dr. Staton can check on your little monkey.” We go through the usual pre-exam steps, weight, blood pressure, urine, blah blah. Then Kaylee shows me to an exam room where we wait impatiently for Dr. Staton.
“You okay?” Colton questions as I sit bouncing my legs on the step of the exam table.
“Yeah, just nervous.” I admit. He plops down on the stool and spins around in front of me, snatching a hot pink glove from the box on the wall blowing it up into a big hand balloon.
“Well lay back there and relax. You could let me exam you just to loosen ya up before the doc comes in.” He laughs, trailing his fingers softly up my inner thigh.
“You’re terrible, Colton Jacob Weston.” I say swatting at his hand. A knock on the door interrupts my scolding. Dr. Staton enters and Colton moves from her stool to standing against the wall beside me.
“Morning Carly!” She sings as she places her laptop on the counter then turns to Colton. “Good morning, I’m Dr. Staton.” She stretches out her hand to greet him.
“Mornin’ Doctor. Colton Weston.” He nods. Five minutes ago, he was being his usual flirty self, but now the nerves have surfaced and his tan face is ashen.
Dr. Staton turns back to the computer searching through her notes, I assume before speaking to me again. “How have you been feeling? It looks like you’re coming upon your seventeenth week, so all of the morning sickness should be gone and your appetite should be back in full force.”
“Other than a knotted mess of nerves, I’m feeling wonderful.”
“I understand sweetie. I have the Paternity results here, if you’d like for me to share them with you.” She asks looking from me to Colton. Colton begins to crack his knuckles as he flexes his wrists at his sides, a sure sign that the anxiety is clutching him as badly as it’s clutching me. “Let me step out to get Kaylee to assist me and the two of you can talk. I’ll knock when we’re ready.”
She walks out of the room taking all of my oxygen with her. “Colton, are you sure you want to be here for this?” My heart constricts at the emotions that I see rolling through his chocolate eyes. That same pain, anguish and utter destruction that I saw in his eyes the night that I told him about Luke, is all there brewing like storm clouds on the horizon of a black sky. When he doesn’t answer I call to him again, pulling him from his torturous thoughts. “Colton?”
He looks down at me sadly then storms past me saying, “Screw this shit.” My heart drops to my stomach and tears roll over the lids of my eyes. He jerks the door open roughly and steps into the hallway. “Hey Doc, let’s do this, ‘kay?” He hollers, then steps back into the exam room. When he sees that I’m crying he walks over and lifts my face to his, wiping the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “Shh, baby. Why are you cryin’?”
“I-I thought you had finally broke and just couldn’t handle this.” I sob.
“Listen to me,” He pleads, kissing me softly on the cheek. “I’m that baby’s daddy regardless of what those frickin’ results read, darlin’.”
I hear the door close behind him and soft footsteps closing in. “Ya big baby, what’re ya over here blubberin’ about? Goodness gracious don’t get snot all over this hot man here or I’ll have to take him out of the room and clean him up.” Kaylee kids, trying to lighten my mood. She hands me a Kleenex and says, “Get that shit together, Carly. We gotta introduce the little monkey to it’s daddy here!” Kaylee claims, pulling the ultrasound monitor from the corner. “Lay back, shirt up and get ready for the some belly jelly, sweets.”
“Woah, hold the hell up!” Colton screeches and all eyes turn on him. “Forgive me for bein’ so damn rude, Kaylee, but what the hell did you just say?” He pants and his heart is beating so damn hard I can hear it from here. I grip my hands tighter around his and drag in a hard ragged breath.
Dr. Staton bursts out laughing and steps closer to Colton, whose face is so white it’s almost transparent. She places her hands on top of mine and Colton’s and says, “Congratulations! You’re gonna be a Daddy!” Our mouths drop simultaneously releasing a relieved gasp.
“I’m the daddy?!” Colton questions in a boisterous shout.
