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)
She speaks to the receptionist, and I try to calm my breathing and my heart down. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't waiting for this moment for the past two days. I played it out over and over in my head. The plan was to be nonchalant with her. Play it cool and calm. Meanwhile, inside was frenzied and flustered. She turns around and comes my way, and I see that her blue eyes are darker than they usually are. I get up and stop myself before I'm about to lean over and kiss her cheek. “Hey," I greet, waiting for her to sit down before I sit back down.
"Hi," she says, putting her purse on her lap and crossing her legs. “Did you get here when you texted, or were you waiting long?" She turns to look at me, and I see her hands shaking a bit. I wonder if she is as nervous as I am.
"No." I shake my head. “Just when I texted." She nods at me, and it's the most awkward conversation we've ever had. “How are you doing?" I almost groan inwardly about how cringy that sounds.
"I'm doing good," she says, and the nurse saves us by calling her name. Presley gets up, and I follow her to the doctor's office.
"How are we feeling?" the nurse asks her while she waits for us to walk into the room and follows us in.
"Good,” Presley confirms. “A bit tired." My neck tingles when I hear this. Is she not sleeping properly? Is she still having morning sickness? Is she eating properly? "I think it's mostly I was bored staying home." This is brand-new information to me as I thought she was working.
"It's totally normal. Your body is going through lots of changes," the nurse says. “If you want to change into the gown"—she points at the hospital gown on the examining table—“I'll be back to take your vitals."
I look around the room, seeing that there is no room for her to change. There is a desk in the corner with a computer on it, an exam table, and an ultrasound machine. "I'm going to wait outside while you change." My mouth goes dry as I picture her naked.
"I'll call you when I'm done," she says, not looking at me, and I see her blinking really fast. I pull open the door and step out into the hallway. I put my head on the brown door, closing my eyes and trying to tell myself that it's Presley, and no matter what happens, it's still just us.
"I'm done," she announces, and I open the door, stepping back into the room in time to see her hop onto the exam table. Her hands shake, and when I look at her, her eyes look like she has been crying. I'm about to ask her if everything is okay, but the doctor comes in.
I move to the side, uncertain of where to even stand. I hate this. I hate that we have become these two people who used to talk about everything and nothing, and now can't even say five words to each other without it being awkward.
"Afternoon," the doctor says, walking over to the table in the corner. She moves the mouse as the computer turns on, and she starts to read the notes. “So I see you went to the emergency room for bleeding?" she asks, looking over at Presley, who just nods at her. She raises her hand to the corner of her eye as she wipes away a tear. I put my hand in my pocket, my stomach filling with knots. "How has it been since?"
"I've been fine since. No blood," she answers the doctor.
"Is there a reason she was bleeding?" I ask the doctor, and she smiles sadly and shrugs her shoulders.
"It could be from a bunch of reasons or no reason at all," she states, turning to look over at the chart. “The good news is that it stopped, and I see that they heard the heartbeat." Presley smiles now when the doctor mentions the heartbeat, and it's a smile that lights up her whole face. It's a smile that makes me smile. “Okay, let's see what's going on in there."
Presley lies back on the table, and I move to the side of her but stay far enough away to not intrude on her space. I can see the doctor move the hospital gown up, and I force myself not to look at her. "This will be cold," the doctor says as she grabs the white bottle and then squeezes the gel on Presley’s stomach.
She grabs the handpiece, picking it up and moving it around Presley's stomach. There in the middle of the screen, I see the baby. "There is the baby," she says, and I can't help but smile as I look down at Presley, who has one hand over her head and the other hand holding the hospital gown up in the middle of her chest. She isn't just smiling. She is beaming as she watches our child float around, going side to side.