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“You ready?” he asked, reaching out a hand to take her gloved one.
Beaming up at him, she didn’t feel the need to respond. She’d been so excited for the doctor’s appointment, she barely slept the night before. They walked quickly to the building a block away. It seemed like fate that the practice she went to for all her fertility treatments had an office so close to the theater. She wasn’t able to see the same doctors, but since they were an affiliate, they got her in as if she were a current patient.
They walked through the glass doors leading into the lobby, and she had to smile at Bryce’s excitement to check them in. He walked straight up to the window, announced their names, and signed the sheet. The receptionist probably assumed they were married since they shared a last name, and she wasn’t about to correct her.
She had barely settled into her chair when a nurse stepped through the automatic door and called her name. The nurse eyed Bryce before asking Samantha if she wanted him to come back with her.
“Yeah,” she answered, looking down at their joined hands. “He’s the father, of course, he can come back.”
“We have to ask,” the nurse said before turning to lead the way.
As they walked into the small exam room, the nurse handed Samantha a pink gown. “There’s a bathroom down the hall. We need a urine sample, and you need to change into this gown. You can leave the sample in the bathroom, and we’ll get it. Did you have any questions for me?”
“Nope,” had barely left their mouths before she disappeared down the hallway.
“Okay then,” Samantha said mostly to herself. “I guess I’ll be back.”
A few minutes later Samantha walked back into the exam room carrying her gown. There was no way she was walking to the room in a tiny pink gown that would cover next to nothing. For some reason, she felt strange changing into the gown in front of Bryce. As if sensing her discomfort, he turned to give her privacy.
“Are you nervous?” he asked once she was on the exam table and covered by the blanket.
“A little,” she admitted. “What if something is wrong? I’ve been dreaming about this first appointment for so long…”
“Hey. It’s okay to be nervous. But whatever happens, we’ll get through it.”
Three taps followed by the door swinging open interrupted their conversation. Samantha would never understand why doctors even bothered to knock when they just opened the door anyway.
“Hello, Mrs. Tate. We confirmed a positive pregnancy test, and your urine was fine. When was the first day of your last period?”
Samantha thought for a moment. Her periods were irregular, and she’d quit tracking them when they stopped the fertility treatments. “I’m not sure, but I can tell you about when we conceived.”
The doctor looked over her glasses at them as she spoke. She reminded Samantha of a sweet grandmother, with her gray hair pulled into a bun and her red-framed readers. She decided she liked her.
“We’ll schedule you for an ultrasound to check the dates so we can be accurate,” she said while looking at the computer. “I see an opening next Tuesday at 7:00 am. The notes say you prefer early mornings or late afternoon.”
Bryce hesitated. She knew he would be busy trying to finish up the job site over the next few weeks. The ultrasound wasn’t a big deal. The baby didn’t even look like a baby yet.
“That’s perfect,” she answered.
“Are there any Fridays or Mondays open?” Bryce asked.
Samantha covered his hand with hers. “It’s okay. I’ll bring Meka with me. They are just going to look at the size. It won’t even look like a baby yet. By the time the next one comes around, you’ll finished working in Delaware.”
“I don’t want to miss any appointments,” he said quietly.
Samantha didn’t want to argue in front of the nurse. They weren’t arguing, but still. She already felt awkward knowing they probably all assumed Bryce was her husband. She would have to tell them at some point, so they didn’t assume from her chart that Bryce was Brandon… but that’s not something she wanted to think about.
“Bryce,” she said, pleading with her eyes. “It’s fine. You’re here at the first appointment and I won’t be alone for the ultrasound, which isn’t a big deal anyway.”
“We don’t have any more early appointments for several weeks,” the doctor chimed in. “Not that I’ve been paying attention to your conversation.”
“I just really want to be here for everything,” he repeated.
“I know you do. It’s fine, I promise.
“Okay, then I’ve got you scheduled,” the doctor continued. “I’ll have the instructions at the desk on your way out.”
Samantha looked at the time and stood, realizing she’d be late if they didn’t get going soon. “Thanks. Do I need to do anything else? I have to get back to work.”
