Linda Wisdom - Pregnancy Countdown

“Most redheads are pale. That’s why we have the hair to make up for it.” She pushed her pillow behind her as she sat up.

“That’s what your grandmother used to say.”

“You remembered that? You only saw her, what, two or three times?” she said, surprised.

“Hey, don’t sound so surprised,” he chuckled. “Your Grammy Fran reminded me a lot of my grandma. She always spoke her mind, let you know where you stood with her and she was a lady who fully enjoyed her life. Who wouldn’t remember someone that special?”

Nora couldn’t keep the tears back. She felt a strange tug down deep in her stomach along with a soft ache in her heart. The need for Mark to hold her in his arms was strong.

“She once said your shirts were so loud she’d never need a hearing aid around you.” She pressed her fingertips against her lips, unsurprised to find them trembling. She took a deep breath. “Mark, I have to go. Good night and thank you for calling.” She pushed the disconnect button and set the handset down. She picked it back up and shut off the ringer. She curled up under the covers and closed her eyes. A moment later, she took further precautions by pulling her second pillow over her head.

Nora couldn’t remember experiencing a more miserable night. By the time she fell into a decent sleep, Brumby was uttering throaty growls and pawing at the doggie door that Nora kept locked at night because the neighbor’s cat liked to make late-night visits.

The next morning, after spending most of the day before in bed, she felt more human and even hungry.

As she cooked breakfast, thoughts raced through her head. Too many questions and not enough answers. If she and Mark had made love when they were seeing each other, would she have been so quick to break it off with him?

“There’s no guarantee we would have stayed together,” she told herself as she slid behind the wheel of her lime-green Volkswagen Beetle. “Mark liked to party too much. I didn’t. And then, I convinced myself that I was the damper on the relationship and I dated way too many guys to prove I could be a wild woman. All I got out of it was a case of dating overload.” She looked both ways before zipping onto the busy highway that paralleled the beach.

It may have been mid-September, but the weather was more like June. She wished she’d lowered the convertible top before she left the house so she could have enjoyed the morning sun the way so many Californians did that day.

Nora parked in the grocery’s parking lot and walked swiftly toward the store. Her steps faltered momentarily when she saw a tall figure wearing a colorful shirt. Then the man turned and she realized it wasn’t Mark.

“What’s wrong with me?” she muttered, picking up her pace. “The sex wasn’t that good.”

Liar.

“Shut up,” she ordered the voice inside her head.

Come on, Nora, the man did things to you that had you tied in knots. Admit it. You never had anything as good as what you had those nights. The man was fantastic.

“There’s nothing worse than a mouthy conscience.” Nora blithely ignored a woman’s startled glance in her direction as she snagged a shopping cart and headed for the produce department.

Ordinarily, she would have treated her trip to the grocery store with the same enthusiasm she greeted a trip to the dentist. She’d been known to pick up a week’s worth of groceries in ten minutes flat. Today was different. She first picked up a latte at the coffee bar. Then she took her time strolling up and down each aisle as if she were a world explorer on a quest. By the time she finished her shopping, she not only had everything that was on her list but a great deal more than she’d normally eat in a month. A stop at the dry cleaners, the drugstore, and she finished up her errands with shopping for new toys for Brumby at a popular pet superstore.

“Pig ears for my baby,” she announced, carrying bags into the house. Brumby made his way toward his mistress, drool dripping from his jowls. He accepted his favorite treat with a canine grunt of thanks and waddled off to his favorite spot where he could enjoy it in peace.

As Nora put away her groceries, she had an unsettling thought. She’d bought enough food to feed two or more. Anyone coming in would think she was expecting company.

Company such as Mark, who’s always been known for his large appetite; in more ways than one.

She grimly stifled the crowing voice in her head.

“It’s to make up for those days I felt as if I couldn’t even drink water,” she told herself.

That night, Nora cooked herself a huge meal and savored every bite. The following morning, she woke up convinced she was going to die.

“Please tell me you have an opening this morning,” she begged her doctor’s receptionist when she called to see if she could get a last-minute appointment. She promised to be there promptly at ten when she was told they would squeeze her in.

Nora showed up ahead of time, and when ushered into an examination room, she answered questions, gave the requisite samples and impatiently waited for the doctor to come in and tell her what was wrong with her.

“So you’ve had an upset tummy that won’t go away, have you?” her doctor said, smiling at her when he stepped into the room.

“Which is really nothing more than the flu, right? Or are you going to tell me it’s something worse? Okay, give it to me in twenty-five words or less,” Nora said, bracing herself to hear the worst.

Her doctor smiled. “I can do better than that, Nora. I can give it to you in two words. You’re pregnant.”

Nora’s sense of the world tilted dangerously. If she hadn’t been sitting down, she would have fallen to the floor.

“Ah, no, that’s not possible,” she protested, even as the logical part of her brain kicked into high gear. Dates circled on her calendar that had gone by without incident was the loudest reminder. “I’m on the Pill,” she stated as if that said it all.

Dr. Averick smiled warmly. “It’s not only possible, Nora, but very true. It can happen even when you’re on the Pill. All the symptoms you’ve been experiencing should have been your first warning. I’m sure you probably thought they were side effects to all you’ve gone through lately, but that’s not the case here. Besides, tests don’t lie,” he said gently. “I’d say you’re about six weeks along.”

Six weeks. The night Mark came over to her house and she cried on his shoulder. The second time she invited him into her bed. And she had forgotten to take her pills when she was in Seattle and for about a week or so after she got back.

She pressed her fingertips against her temples. It did nothing to cease the voice in her head. She closed her eyes as the softest of whimpers escaped her lips.

Nora opened her eyes when a warm touch landed on her wrist. Dr. Averick’s fingers lay lightly against her skin.

“Am I to gather you and the father are no longer together?”

She smiled at his less-than-subtle probing. The man had been her doctor since she’d arrived in the Newport Beach area more than ten years ago. Here, she’d been afraid she might have something more serious than the flu. In a way, it was more serious. She just found out her flu would last another eight months.

“Not exactly. He’s my best friend’s brother and, ah, he’s part of a large family,” she said lamely, afraid she wasn’t making much sense. “He has lots of nieces and nephews.” She swallowed then whimpered. “Excuse me, but I think I’m going to be sick.”

Ten minutes later, Nora felt better after the doctor prescribed medication he assured her was safe for the baby and would calm her nausea. Armed with samples of prenatal vitamins and a prescription for the nausea, she left the office. Her head was still spinning and the sensation had nothing to do with nausea.