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“I’ve printed you quite a few pictures, so you can look at them whenever you want.”
It’s strange to see the little lives I’ve created inside of me on a large screen. Ever since I was a little girl, I always imagined what kind of a mother I would be. I always wondered if I would be selfless and caring, like Maria, or standoffish and absent, like my own mother.
It’s hard to think that the two were best friends. How could someone so genuine and nice be friends with a cold-hearted bitch? I’ll never understand what my father ever saw in her, or why Maria would ever be friends with her.
I hope I can be half the mother that Maria is to my babies. It’s sad to admit, but when my mom took off after my father was killed, it was sure as hell no sweat off my back. If she would’ve stayed around, it would have only made the heartbreak worse.
Dr. Murphy’s cold hands against my belly bring me back to the present. I’d been so lost in thought that I hadn’t realized she had removed the probe and turned off the screen. “You okay?” she asks.
I smile up at her, nodding my head. “Just had a thought.”
She hands me a long strip of paper with multiple frozen images of my beans.
“I get to keep these?” I ask hopefully, holding the ultrasound pictures to my chest.
“Those are all yours,” she replies with a smile.
“Thank you so much!”
Dr. Murphy chuckles at my obvious excitement, extending her hand to help me sit up. “I’m going to let you get dressed, and then we have some more things to discuss. Cadence is also going to need to take a blood sample today to send off to the lab, just to make sure everything is okay.”
After getting dressed, I carefully fold up the ultrasound pictures so as to not crease them in the middle of one of the images. I tuck them safely inside my purse and get back on the exam table just as Dr. Murphy and Cadence come back through the door.
Cadence has a metal tray in her hands. My eyes widen at how many blood tubes balance on it as she walks.
“How much blood did you say you have to take?”
Both women laugh. “I know it seems like a lot of tubes, but I promise it’s actually not that much blood,” Cadence says.
“We just want to make sure both you and the babies remain healthy for the entire pregnancy. These tests today give us a baseline for everything,” Dr. Murphy says and smiles, wheeling her stool back in front of my legs. “Now, I do want to see you back here in about two weeks. Your blood pressure was a little high today, so I’d like to recheck you then. It could very well be due to stress, but I just want to make sure.”
I nod, my eyes glued to the tray Cadence places on a moveable table that she settles next to me.
“I promise I’ll be super quick,” she winks.
“Do you have any questions for me before I go talk to your friend?” Dr. Murphy tries to distract me from Cadence’s actions, which I appreciate.
I force my eyes away from the needles and fix them on the doctor. “I don’t really have any experience or knowledge about being pregnant. I need all the help I can get.”
“I have a whole packet we’re going to send you home with today of things to do and things to avoid. There is even a list of suggested reputable books that can give you a ton of recommendations and advice. I want you to stay off of Google and if you have any sort of important questions, call our office. We have multiple nurses that will answer anything.”
I let out a breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “Okay.”
Dr. Murphy then lowers her voice to a calm whisper. “I’m also going to add a few names and numbers of some therapists. I highly encourage you to talk to someone,” she continues with a kind smile. “Most of them are here in this same building. I know you live in Desert Rose, but you could always try to make an appointment for them and me on the same day. I also instruct a pregnancy yoga class every week on Friday evenings if that’s something you're interested in.”
My ears perk up at the mention of yoga. “I will look into it,” I answer at the same time Cadence says, “Sharp poke.” I gasp at the sting of the small needle going into my vein.
I don’t look down for fear of passing out at the sight of all the blood she has to take from my arm.
“It was so lovely to meet you, Heather. I am very much looking forward to going on this pregnancy journey with you,” Dr. Murphy smiles. “If it’s alright with you, I am going to go out and speak to your friend.”
“He’s like a big brother to me. You can tell him anything,” I permit.
“Great. I’ll see you in two weeks.”
After Dr. Murphy leaves, I keep my eyes on the framed picture of a lotus flower on the other side of the room. “Almost done,” Cadence says as I feel her moving things around in my arm. She finally pulls off the blue rubber band from around the top of my arm and sticks a bandaid over a tiny pinprick of blood.
“All done,” she smiles, turning to the cabinets above the sink in the corner. She pulls out a stuffed folder with a picture of a pregnant belly on the front and hands it to me. “This is the packet Dr. Murphy was talking about.”
