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Mae pulled her phone from her purse and brought up the text she’d sent Merit on Saturday at the soccer game. Yep. Office address and nine-thirty a.m. appointment time. He had the info, the rest was up to him.
The clock ticked past nine-thirty, and she wondered why in the world was she even the slightest bit surprised? He’d left her on Sunday with the parting words, “I’ll call you,” and then she hadn’t heard from him for two days. Reality had probably set in after his dad’s reaction. Or maybe his grandparents had freaked him out with the marriage talk. It had freaked her out a little bit, too. But all he would’ve had to do was talk to her, not disappear.
She pretended she didn’t care by checking her messages, and then her emails, but every single time the door opened, she couldn’t help but look. And hope. When the nurse called her name at nine-forty, she consciously unclenched her jaw so she could return the woman’s welcoming smile.
“I’m Jen, Dr. Steven’s nurse. How are you feeling this morning?”
“A little nauseous, but otherwise fine.”
She glanced at the chart as they stopped at the scale before going into a room. “I see this is your second pregnancy?”
“Yes.”
“Has your morning sickness been bad?”
“So so. I have a tea that helps. And I’ve had a few dizzy spells, but other than that, it’s been good.”
“Have you started prenatal vitamins yet?”
“Some over the counter ones.”
“I would guess you’re low on iron, but Dr. Steven will talk to you about that for the dizziness, and check your levels when we do the blood draw. He usually prefers to prescribe prenatals to get the right kind of iron in there, as well as the increased folic acid.”
“I’m good with that,” Mae agreed.
They chatted a bit more while Jen took her vitals and entered everything into the computer, then gave her a gown to change into and told her the doctor would be with her in a few minutes. She set the book on the chair with her clothes and purse, then boosted herself up onto the exam table to wait.
The doctor breezed in a few minutes later. “Well, Mae, yes, you are officially pregnant,” he informed her with a warm smile as he took a seat. “But you didn’t need me to tell you that, did you?”
“No.” She grinned back.
Dr. Steven was new to her, but she liked him immediately. He got the physical exam out of the way as he asked questions about her first pregnancy and this one, while Jen took notes. As he pulled her gown back down and helped her sit up, he shot a glance at the chair and commented, “Whoever gave you the pregnancy book, good on them. That one has nice, sensible advice.”
She didn’t correct him that she was the one giving it as a gift, not receiving it. Last thing she wanted to do was explain that the baby’s father was supposed to have been at her side, but he couldn’t be bothered to show up.
Her chest tightened, but she steeled herself to breathe through the resurgence of hurt and disappointment. It was better she deal with her own reality now than after the jerk made her completely fall for him.
“May I ask if the baby’s father is in the picture? Do you know his medical history?”
Mae straightened slightly while lifting her chin. “I can find it out.”
The doctor didn’t press any further than that, thankfully. After a few more questions, he gave her another smile. “Well, shall we listen to the heartbeat?”
“Oh, yes, please.” She laid back, a lump forming in her throat as the doctor parted the gown over her belly, then squirted the warm gel, and pressed the handheld ultrasound wand to her skin. He shifted it here and there, searching, listening, as they both watched the fetal Doppler monitor.
Mae gripped the fabric of her gown, fingers clenched tight, thinking that it would’ve been nice to have someone here to hold her hand this time. Like at the brunch.
Whop-whop-whop-whop.
“There it is.”
Dr. Steven gave her another smile, and she grinned back as tears sprang to her eyes. She’d forgotten how amazing that sound was. A new life—for her, and Ian, and even Merit. He should’ve been here. As the monitor pulsed with the heartbeat, a tiny spark of anger lit inside.
“It’s nice and strong. Exactly what we like to hear.”
A few minutes later, Dr. Steven wrapped everything up, set her next appointment for four weeks later, and she was on her way with a vitamin prescription tucked in her purse. Halfway out to her truck, she glanced down at the pregnancy book in her hands. She’d bought it for Merit, and had planned to give it to him as a thank you for wanting to be involved, and so he could read up on everything that was happening.
Abruptly, she strode back into
