Pamela Toth - The Baby Legacy

Mac was glad when the exercise was over and he could get to his feet. Trying to help Megan shift and turn on the mat had been an awkward experience, considering that they barely knew each other and he was never quite sure where to touch her.

From the pink in her cheeks, he assumed she found their situation equally uncomfortable. Perhaps this had all been a big mistake. In the week since he’d gotten the letter from the clinic, he’d thought a lot about what he was getting into.

Now he took Megan’s hand and carefully helped her to her feet. Their eyes met and that intriguing splash of color ran up her cheeks again. She looked away, but not before Mac heard her sharply in-drawn breath. No doubt the baby was crowding her lungs or something equally clinical.

Claire called for a short break. There was a general exodus from the room and Megan’s gaze followed the others.

“I need to, um, use the restroom,” she said softly. “Pregnancy does that.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Mac replied. “Maybe there’s a coffee machine somewhere. Want some?”

She shook her head. “Caffeine’s bad for the baby. I’d better get in line.”

Feeling like an idiot, he watched her leave the room.

“How’s it going?” Claire asked him when everyone else was gone.

“I just realized how little I know about this,” he admitted.

“The class?” she asked with a chuckle. “That’s why you’re here.”

“No, the whole deal about having a child,” he replied, wondering how much she had been told.

Claire patted his arm and smiled. “You’re not alone,” she said. “First time father?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Just saying it made him feel good. A foolish grin spread across his face.

“The best thing you can do is to talk to your partner,” Claire suggested. “There’s no better way to share in the experience than communication. And be sure to ask questions while you’re here. No matter how trivial it may seem, you’ll only be putting into words what someone else is wondering about, too.”

Before he could thank her for the advice, three of the women came back. They were laughing and he heard the words “potty breaks” and “shrinking bladder” before he saw Megan trail after them. He remembered Claire’s words.

“Would you like to stop somewhere afterwards?” he asked Megan when she joined him. They needed to talk.

Her gaze was guarded. “What for?”

“How about ice cream?” he asked. “With hot-fudge topping?”

“You make it hard to say no,” she admitted with a slight smile.

Relieved, Mac cupped her elbow. “That was my intention.” If he had his way, she would agree to everything he suggested.

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