1
CALLIE
My shoulders slumped as I checked the clock on the wall behind me again. 1:14 p.m.
It was almost fifteen minutes past my appointment with my OB-GYN. The doctor running late was to be expected since that happened in medical offices all the time. And she delivered babies, which could mess up anyone’s schedule.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of a single good excuse for my husband not being here yet.
I took a slow, deep breath through my nose to try to calm down, but it didn’t help at all. The smell only made me feel worse. The mixture of disinfectant and the lavender diffuser didn’t go well together.
A baby giggled from the far corner, drooling around a plastic teething ring while her mom whispered a lullaby. Across from me, a couple sat with their knees touching, heads bent close over a phone screen, her belly round with their child.
I shifted in my chair, arms folded tight around my flat stomach as I stared at the empty seat next to me where Ethan should be sitting. With the air conditioner cranked high,the plastic chair was cold, mocking the warmth Ethan’s hand should’ve brought.
When I made the appointment, he said he added it to his calendar. Ethan was a stickler about the darn thing because his workdays were usually packed with meetings. Everything got added so his personal assistant wouldn’t accidentally double book him.
Maybe he got caught up at work. Or his phone died.
I stopped myself. The excuses were starting to sound too familiar. And none of them changed the fact that I was sitting here alone. Or that he hadn’t answered the phone when I tried calling at one.
My name was already checked off on the list at the front desk. I’d confirmed that nothing had changed since my last appointment six months ago. Then I sat down for what felt like the longest twenty minutes of my life. All by myself.
“Callie?”
My head snapped up. The nurse was at the entrance to the hallway leading to the exam rooms, tablet in hand, flashing me a kind smile that only made the tightness in my chest worse.
I forced myself to return her smile as I stood, my legs stiff from sitting so long. My purse strap slipped off my shoulder, and I fumbled it back into place, suddenly aware of how shaky my hands were.
“That’s me.” My voice came out thinner than I meant it to.
The nurse motioned me forward. I followed her around the corner to the scale.
“My husband’s running late,” I explained as I set my purse on the counter. “If he gets here before I’m done, would you mind bringing him back?”
“Of course,” she agreed, her eyes darting toward the clock on the wall as if she doubted he’d show. “I’ll let the front desk know.”
I nodded, then looked down quickly so she couldn’t see the heat filling my cheeks. “Thanks.”
The weigh-in and vitals passed in a blur of numbers and polite murmurs I barely registered. I nodded when prompted, offered my arm when asked. Smiled thinly. Pretended everything was fine.
A few minutes later, I found myself sitting on the exam table in a gown that gaped in the back no matter how many times I tugged it closed. The crinkling sound beneath me echoed with every small movement, loud in the sterile hush of the room.
I kept my eyes on the poster across from me, but my mind kept circling back to the same devastating truth—he forgot.
There was a soft knock on the door before it creaked open.
“Hi, Callie.” Dr. Hennessey stepped in, her smile warm but professional. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No problem,” I murmured.
She glanced at the tablet in her hand as she settled onto the stool beside the counter. “So, it looks like it’s been about six months since your IUD was removed. Is that right?”
My voice was flat as I confirmed, “Yes.”
“And your cycle returned to normal a few months ago?”
My fingers dug into the paper beneath me as I nodded. “It’s been like clockwork. Unfortunately.”
