Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 70092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
"But will the bleeding harm the baby?" Bennett asks her for me.
"If you start bleeding now at this stage"—she looks at me—"it's more concerning than last month. This period that you had, was it heavy or just spotting?"
"I can't really remember, but I know that the last one was like spotting for two days." I think back. "It was a busy time that month, so I chalked it up to stress."
She smiles. "Well, the good news is that your first trimester is almost over."
"Thank you," I say to her, "for answering my questions."
"Don't be shy," she tells me. "Your body is going to be changing in the next six months and we are here to help you in any way we can. Trust me, there is no question that is stupid or that we haven't heard before." I don't say anything to her; instead, I just nod at her and she turns to walk out of the room.
"There, are you happy now?" Bennett says, grabbing the pictures that he put down.
"No," I lie to him, "but now I have to go and tell my mother."
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asks me and I just shake my head.
"No, I think I should do this alone," I reply to him and he nods at me and follows me out of the room.
I make an appointment for the next month and he puts it in his phone. "Is there any way to cut this?" he asks the receptionist, handing her the picture of the two sonograms. She grabs a pair of scissors and hands us back the two pictures. "Here, so you can show your mom."
"Thank you," I say softly and look down at the picture, my heart speeding up for a second before I put it away in my purse. The drive to my mother's is quiet, and when we pull up, he just looks over at me. "You sure you don't want me to come in and take the focus off you?"
"I'm having her grandchild.” I laugh. "There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is going to take the focus off me."
"This is true," he says. "Will you call me later?"
"No," I say, getting out of the car, "I might be held hostage." After I close the door, he rolls the window down and I can hear him laughing.
"Godspeed, gorgeous," he encourages and I just shake my head walking up the driveway. I hear him drive away and my stomach sinks.
I take my phone out and call Clarabella, who answers right away. "Hey.”
"I'm at Mom’s," I tell her and then hear the front door open and she walks out with the phone at her ear.
"You don't say," she says with Shelby right behind her. "You think we didn't know you would come right here."
"I wasn't missing this for anything in the world,” Shelby declares. "If I had to camp here for the week, I was willing to do that."
"We might as well get this over with," I say, walking up the steps and putting my phone away. "I'm going to need you two to take a shot of scotch for me since I can't."
"So we are with child?" Clarabella asks me and I glare at her. "I can see that this child is taking away all the fun in you." She turns on her heels. "Mom, your baby is home."
I look over at Shelby. "It's going to be fine."
"Lies," I mumble, walking into the house and finding my mother standing in the living room with tears already running down her face. "Why is she crying?"
"She thinks you're dying,” Clarabella states.
"I wish," I say under my breath, looking at Shelby who is pouring two shots of scotch. Clarabella joins her and they click the glasses together before downing the shots.
"What is wrong with you two?" my mother shouts, throwing her hands in the air. "Your sister"—she looks back to me—"has news."
"I do have news," I confirm, walking into the living room and deciding that perhaps I should sit down for this. I let out a deep breath. "I don't think there is any good way to say what I'm going to say."
"Like a Band-Aid," Shelby says, coming to sit next to me.
"Oh, God," my mother utters, sitting down on the lone chair looking at me. "How bad is it?"
"I'm pregnant." I say the two words, never taking my eyes off my mother. There really is no other way to come out and say it. The minute I say the words, my hand goes straight to my stomach holding it, almost as if I'm protecting the baby from something.
"What?" Clarabella says, shocked. "This is brand-new information." She comes over and sits on the other side of me.
"Shut up." My mother glares at her and then turns her glare to me. "What do you mean, you're pregnant?"