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Once she laid back on the exam table, the doctor asked that she move her shirt out of the way before feeling her abdomen. The doctor said nothing as she poked and prodded before grabbing a small device and holding up a bottle filled with blue liquid.
“I know you’ve already had an ultrasound, but I would like to try to listen to the heart rate. Don’t get upset if we don’t hear anything. This is a little early, but you never know.”
After squirting a healthy amount of gel, she placed the end of the doppler on her stomach and began moving it around. Samantha tried not to hold her breath, but before long, a rhythmic sound resounded over the device. They stopped to listen to what she knew was the heartbeat. She knew it was her baby’s heart from the very first sound. Tears pricked her eyes as she listened carefully.
“You hear that?” the doctor asked after a moment. “That’s your baby.”
Those last three words were enough to send her over the edge. Tears streamed down her face, and she used everything she had to keep from breaking down completely. She’d waited so long for this experience, but she had to enjoy it alone. Shaking the feeling of self-pity, she returned her attention to the joy of hearing the sound of her baby’s heart.
“The heartbeat is strong,” the doctor said softly, “and the rate is perfect.”
The doctor picked up a towel and wiped the gel from Samantha’s stomach before putting the equipment away. That was her baby. As if the ultrasound didn’t drive home reality, this definitely did. There was really a baby growing inside of her.
“Who do I speak to, to edit my chart?” she asked.
The doctor looked up at her with a face filled with curiosity. “Well, that depends,” she answered slowly.
After clearing her throat, Samantha dove head-first into it. “I need to update my emergency contact, and the information about this baby’s father. I feel horrible because last time I was here it was with my late husband and now I’m here with someone else,” she rushed on before pausing for a breath. “Sorry. I’m rambling, I’ve just been dreading this conversation. I figure it’s no secret since we already went for a paternity test, but still.”
The doctor smiled, her brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “There’s no need to explain yourself. You’ll never find any judgement in this office. We have people from all walks of life here. Not everyone even has a relationship with the father of their child. Life happens. We get it. As long as you’re healthy and happy, who cares?”
Samantha felt a wave of relief at the doctor’s words. “I guess I didn’t even think about that. You’re right. Life happens. I just never thought I’d be in this situation. I was married for a long time and assumed that’s who I would have children with. Now, here I am with someone I haven’t known for very long.”
The doctor chuckled. “That’s nothing. You would be surprised at all the things we see. Trust me, this is not a big deal. We had one woman a few years ago who had a few different men who were related to each other and could have been the father. What a mess that was. But it all worked out. She was happy and healthy.”
Samantha choked. It took her a moment to catch her breath, but when she did, she croaked out her question. “Why was that a mess?”
“Well, the paternity test isn’t that simple when the question is between closely related men. They typically only check a certain amount of markers which is perfect for ruling out against unrelated men. But close relatives share similar DNA so the testing facility has to do things differently and preferably test all the relatives in question. It wasn’t a huge deal, it just took some time to get the results back, but like I said everything worked out.”
Samantha’s vision began to go dark, beginning with her peripheral and working its way in. Slow deep breaths were doing nothing to calm her. As her breathing increased, so did the nausea.
“Samantha? Samantha, are you okay?” The doctor called to her from what felt like miles away.
By the time she dragged her way back from the dark fog, she found herself surrounded by the doctor and several nurses. There was an oxygen mask on her face that didn’t seem to be connected to anything. Clumsily, she was able to lift her arm to remove the mask from her face.
“Samantha, are you back with us?” the doctor asked.
After once again looking around the small exam room and the concerned faces looking down at her, she answered wearily. “Yeah. What happened?”
“You came close to passing out. You were hyperventilating, so we put the oxygen mask on you to try to slow your breathing down. What happened there? Is the father related to your late husband?” she asked gently.
A sob escaped Samantha’s mouth before she was able to cover it. Her biggest nightmare could be coming true. The relief she felt upon reading the paternity test results was huge. The stress-induced nausea had even dissipated. Those results allowed her to finally envision a life of happiness. A life with Bryce.
“His brother,” she whimpered.
“Okay. That’s okay. The tests are highly accurate when testing against siblings. You have nothing to worry about,” the doctor reassured her.
After taking several moments to regulate her breathing so she didn’t pass out, she finally uttered the words she dreaded to say aloud. “They didn’t know. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t realize it was a big deal. We went in and I was so nervous I didn’t even read over any of the paperwork. We just signed where it said sign. God, I’m so stupid. Brandon was right. I’ll always have the life I deserve.”
A firm hand grasped her shoulder, and she looked up to see the doctor had stooped down to meet her gaze at eye level. “Don’t talk about my patient like that. You aren’t stupid and you deserve all the happiness the world has to offer. We’ll get this sorted out. I’m going to send you to a lab that specializes in paternity testing and has experience ruling out siblings. Can you get there tomorrow morning? I’ll send the paperwork over. Don’t you worry. Whatever happens, you’re a strong woman. You’ll get through it.”
Once again reduced to forcing herself to go through the motions of every task, she updated her information at the desk and collected the laboratory information on her way out. With each step she took, she stuffed her emotions further and further away from the surface. She had a performance that night. And she would more than likely have to face Bryce as well.
She’d rather keep him out of the loop, but she needed him for the DNA testing. As bummed as she felt when he couldn’t make it to her appointment, she now felt relieved that he wasn’t there for it. And that was the only relief she felt. Relief that she could have a moment to think. A moment to figure things out. A moment to be.
Bryce hesitated in front of Samantha’s door for several minutes. She’d given him a key weeks ago, but for obvious reasons he’d never taken it upon himself to use it. Hopefully surprising her was a good idea. He hadn’t spoken to her since letting her know he couldn’t make it to her appointment.
Placing the key in the lock, he slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. The place looked the same as it had the last time he was there. She had a performance that night, so he brought over fruits and veggies to cut up along with the flowers which were the actual surprise. He hadn’t planned anything big, just a way to show her he’d been thinking of her and wasn’t bailing on her even though he couldn’t make it in time for her appointment.
