“Well, look. I’ll run it past her, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
"I appreciate it. And it's fine if she says no. I just didn't want her to not have the chance."
"I got you."
After we hang up, I sit and stare at the wall for a while. This is some heavy shit, on top of everything else.
Before I get back to work, I pick my phone back up and text my sisters.
Hey. I love y'all.
35
Raya
“Why am I so nervous?”
I look over at my anxious husband and shrug. “Got me.”
It’s the first doctor’s appointment for the fucking baby. I don’t even know why we’re doing the whole song and dance. As soon as I figure out a way, I’ll be done with entire ordeal.
We wait at the receptionist desk for about five minutes before the worker finally comes to the window. “Hi, how can I help y—“ she stops abruptly, her eyes darting between Ace and me.
“Raya Taylor. I’m here to see Dr. Bernard. I have a three o’clock.”
She swallows hard, then says, “Just one moment.”
That was weird.
I turn to Ace. “One of your old hoes?” I tease.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve killed all my old hoes by now.”
I elbow him in the side.
The nurse comes back looking just as shellshocked as before. “Please have a seat. Somebody will call you back.”
Ace leads me to the waiting area and we sit.
“It’s freezing in here,” I mumble.
“I don’t know why you didn’t wear a coat. Here, take mine.”
“I’m good. You’ve done enough.”
He shakes his head, and I smile.
He scrolls on his phone, probably checking work emails, while my eyes drift to the tv on the wall and I get lost in a boring daytime talk show.
The door opens.
“Raya?”
We both stand, but the nurse shakes her head. “I only needherfor now.”
He nods and takes his seat while I follow her through the door and down a hallway. She weighs me, takes my blood pressure, checks my pulse, asks the date of my last period. She’s gentle with me, but there’s an edge to the way she’s treating me, almost like she wants to say something to me, or break some bad news.
“Okay, I’m finished," she says. "You’ll go back out there and wait, and the next time we call you back, you’ll see the doctor.”
