That Baby (17 page)

“Can you believe that’s our baby?” he says to me.

“I can’t believe I can’t feel the baby moving. It’s all over the place.”

“Well, the baby’s not very big yet,” the tech says. “In a few more weeks, you’ll feel all of this. At first like a flutter, then later you’ll feel hard kicks and elbows to the ribs. Look at him showing off. That was a somersault.”

“Did you see that?” Phillip says. “The baby just opened its mouth.”

“And swallowed,” the tech says.
 

“That’s amazing. This is all so breathtaking.”

“Let’s hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

The room fills with the kind of sound you would expect to hear in a submarine. An odd sonar-like whooshing sound.

“That’s your baby’s heartbeat,” the tech says.
 

“That’s crazy. I can’t even believe this. I’m sorry, it’s just such—” I get choked up.
 

“A beautiful sound, isn’t it?” she says. “I never get tired of hearing it.”

“The heartbeat seems fast,” Phillip says.
 

“It is. About one hundred and sixty beats per minute. Your baby has a nice strong and normal heartbeat. Everything looks great.”

Phillip puts his lips across my knuckles again, only this time he keeps his head down. When he finally looks up at me, his eyes are glistening with tears. “This is really happening.”

Seeing Phillip get emotional causes tears to flood my face.
 

I nod at him. “We’re really doing this. We’re really having a baby.”

We walk hand-in-hand to the car, not saying much. I think we’re still both in awe.

“I could have stayed all day and watched that. Have you ever seen anything so amazing?” he asks me.

“I haven’t. Could you believe how much it was moving? It was crazy.”

We go get lunch, but neither of us eats much. We’re too busy watching the ultrasound video over and over.
 

Later that evening, Phillip strolls in from work as I’m getting ready to run over to see the progress on Lori’s kitchen. His tie is slightly loosened and he looks delectable.
 

“Hey,” he says, putting one hand on my ass and kissing my neck. “Where you going in such a hurry?”

“I was just running over to see the kitchen progress before you got home.”

“My parents won’t be here until late tonight. They have a benefit dinner.”

“Yeah, I saw your mom was all dressed up. She looked really pretty.”

“Did you show her the ultrasound video?”

“No, I wanted to wait for you,” I tell him, giving him a kiss and running out the door. “I’ll be right back.”

When I’m standing in Lori’s kitchen looking at a newly framed wall, I realize that I just missed out on an opportunity. “Lori, does Danny have a sexual tell?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like in poker, a tell is how you can tell what kind of hand they have.”

“I don't know. I never thought of it. What does Phillip do?”

I walk up to her, put one hand on her ass, and pretend to kiss her neck just as Danny breezes in.

“Damn,” he says. “Can I play too? I knew you were gonna be a good neighbor.”

Lori and I look at each other and laugh. Danny struts across the kitchen, pulls Lori's waist in tight to his, but gives her just a sweet kiss on the cheek.
 

“Oh my god!” She bursts out laughing. Danny looks confused, but Lori points at me and screeches, “That was just it!”

“What was what?” he asks.

“Nothing,” she says to him.

“Well, on that note,” I say. “I better leave you two alone.”

“Good idea,” she says, not even bothering to walk me to the door.

When they’re finished with whatever they were doing, they come over for dinner. Since Phillip’s mom isn’t here, we eat delivery pizza at the kitchen island.
 

Phillip and Danny both stand and eat. Something she would not approve of.
 

And that makes me happy in a sadistic way.

“So, Mac,” Danny says, “did you know our wives started hooking up behind our backs? I mean, the least they could do is let us watch if we can’t play along.”

Phillip squints at me as I’m setting down a plate of brownies.
 

Lori giggles in a way that makes her look guilty.
 

“What are you talking about?” Phillip asks.

“I walked in tonight and your wife’s hand was on Lori’s ass and she was kissing her neck. It was pretty hot, I’ll admit. Been a while since the days of two girls kissing.”

“We weren't kissing, Danny,” I say.

Danny waves his hand at me and goes, “Whatever.”

“Did you do that in college?” Lori asks him. “Like two girls at once? A threesome?”

Phillip and I remove all expression from our faces. I'm pretty sure this is not something Lori wants to hear about right now.

I say to her, “Of course not.” Then I turn to Phillip. “I wasn’t kissing Lori. I was demonstrating your sexual tell.”

“My sexual tell?”
 

“Yeah, what you do when you want sex. You grab my ass and kiss right here on my neck. And Danny pulls Lori’s hips in tight to his, but then he just gives her a sweet little kiss on the cheek.”

“I do do that,” Danny laughs. “Lori has one too, though. She rubs her hand up under my shirt.”

“So, we had the ultrasound today,” Phillip says with a beaming smile.

“Really?” Lori says. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“JJ was nervous,” Phillip says. “We wanted to be sure everything was okay.”

“And?” Danny asks.

“We have a video,” Phillip says proudly.

CHAPTER SIX

Dear Baby Mac,

Congratulations, you are real!
 

And we have the proof on video! The ultrasound tech said you were showing off for us and I think she was right. You were moving all over, kicking and punching, and you even stopped to wave at us! It was seriously the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.
 

You have a really big head, but the tech said that’s normal right now, that your brain is super important because it’s helping you grow and develop!
 

And although I couldn’t see it, the baby book says that—as of this week—you have hair! And I’m dying to know if it will be blonde like mine, or brown like your daddy’s. Your dad has amazing brown eyes with golden flecks. I have blue eyes, but when I was little I wished I had pretty brown ones like his.

I’ve known him since I was born. Crazy, huh? There are photos of my mom holding him when she was pregnant with me.

Considering how fully formed you appeared, it’s hard to believe you’re still so small—although we’re moving up to the bigger fruits.
 

You are now the size of a lime.

Sorry, I just let out a little sigh.
 

Mommy may have, on very rare occasions, liked to do something called a tequila shooter. It’s a tasty adult beverage that you have with salt and lime.
 

Mommy misses it.
 

And caffeine, and soda, and alcohol, and—oh my gosh—what I wouldn’t do for a beer. It’s not fair that Daddy still gets to drink them when Mommy is pregnant. Oh, and I didn’t want you to feel bad if you are a boy, so I bought you a cute blue onesie with a baseball on it today. And little booties that are striped. When I showed your daddy, he said they reminded him of something called Naughty Dream Week.
 

Speaking of that, Daddy just took his shirt off and is getting in bed. I should probably go, uh, rock him to sleep or something.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Dear Baby Mac,

Daddy says you’re the size of a plum.
 

And now I’m hungry.
 

Oh, and thanks for easing up on the hangover thing. I’m starting to feel more normal. Although, I can’t button my skinny jeans even though I’ve been jogging almost every day.

Right now, I want to go to the movie theater, so I can put Milk Duds on top of some warm, buttery popcorn.

And, you know, maybe see a movie.
 

March 22nd

Contractions

Phillip wakes me up by rubbing my face.
 

“Morning,” I sigh. “Are you leaving for work now?”

When I sit up, he hands me a cup of hot chocolate. “We got some ice last night and it's kinda slick, so I was thinking you could either ride to work with me or just work from home.”

“Can’t you work from home today too?”

“Normally, I would, but we have clients in town so I have to be there. Dad was supposed to drive down this morning, but they got snow up North and he’s not going to make it. And since it’s predicted for them to get more, he's going to stay up there this week.”

“Oh, boy! A week with the house to ourselves. What ever will we do?”

He kisses my forehead. “How about tonight we have a romantic dinner in front of the fire?”

“Naked? I ask, but then I look down at my bloated looking stomach and say, “Or not.”

Phillip puts his hand on top of my teeny bump. “Naked sounds perfect. Are you going back to sleep?”
 

“No, I think I'll lie in bed, reply to emails¸ and drink my hot chocolate. Thanks for making it.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good day.”

I reply to some emails then get up, get dressed, and head to the kitchen and make myself an omelet.

I’m just finishing up when Lori calls me.

“Jade, are you still home?”

“Yeah, what's up?”

Her voice is shaky. “Is there any way you could drive me to the hospital?”

“The hospital?”

“Yes, I've been having contractions. The doctor wants me to come now.”

I throw my partially eaten omelet into the sink, grab my purse and coat, and throw on a pair of snow boots. “I’m on my way.”

“I’m scared, Jade,” she says.

“It’ll be fine,” I tell her, trying to stay calm myself. We all know how I feel about hospitals. “Go down and open your garage door so I can pull in. It’s icy and I don’t want you to fall.”