“I’m sorry. I know she can come on a little strong. She just … really wants to be involved. Honestly—between you and me—I think she’s a little jealous.”
“Jealous?”Huh.That had never occurred to me.
“Yeah. Even though you and I aren’t a couple, we’re sharing something that she and I … don’t get to share. So, I think she feels a little left out.”
I felt a tug in my chest at his words. “I can understand that. But … if she could just ask before dropping by … and maybe not text me during work hours? That would be great.”
“I’m sorry, Savannah. She means well—she really does. I’ll talk to her about it, though.”
I sighed with relief. “Thank you, I appreciate that. But please tell her I’m very thankful for the gifts and groceries.”
“I will.”
“Anyway … I’ve been meaning to tell you—they scheduled my twelve-week checkup for Thursday at noon. I’m going during my lunch break.”
“Oh, that’s great! We’d love to join you.”
Shit. I bit my lip again.“Oh … well … um … if you don’t mind … maybe it could be just you? I’d feel really uncomfortable with a big crowd.”
The line went silent for a moment. “Madison is really excited to come to the appointments, though. She’s been talking about it for weeks.”
Shit shit shit.I’d been so proud of myself just seconds before for actually asking for some boundaries. And now …
I could hear Ellie’s voice in my head, encouraging me.This would be a great place for a boundary. Draw one here too. You’re this baby’s mother. You can say what you do and don’t feel comfortable with.
“I understand,” I began, “but, Max, I’m just not comfortable with it. I hope you can understand. My mom is coming, and if you want to come too, that’s okay with me. But not Madison. It’s nothing personal! It’s just … a comfort level thing. It’s mybody, you know?”
Max sighed. “Okay … well, I’ll let Madison know. And yes, I’d love to come if that’s alright. Why don’t I pick you up from your office and drive you?”
I exhaled quickly.Wow—that wasn’t so bad.“That would be great, actually, since I usually walk to work. Thanks, I’ll text you the address of my office.”
“Alright, it’s a date. I’ll pick you up around eleven-thirty.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for checking in. And … thanks for understanding.”
As I walked up the front steps of my building, I took a deep, cleansing breath, proud of myself for being honest with Max.
Hopefully Madison doesn’t take being uninvited too badly.
CHAPTER6
MAX HELD THEdoor open for me as we entered the clinic’s lobby, where my mom was already waiting.
“Hi, Mom!” I gave her a big hug. “Mom, this is Max.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Mitchell.” He shook her hand.
“It’s actually Woods,” she corrected him, smiling sweetly. “Mitchell was Savannah’s father’s name. But you can call me Shelley.”
It was a little nerve-racking, Max meeting my mom. But it was inevitable, I supposed. Through this child, we were all linked together for life.
Mom had been thrilled when I shared the news of my surprise pregnancy. Her blind optimism was hard to swallow sometimes—particularly after the heartbreak I’d lived through recently—but she never failed to make me feel supported and loved.
Like everyone else I was close to who knew about my hopes of starting a family with Jason, Mom’s first question at my news had been, “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?” No one seemed to understand that it was what I’d wantedwith Jason.It wasn’tjustabout the baby—it was about starting a family with the man I loved. Creating the perfect blend of half him, half me. I guessthat was one of the hardest parts of this sudden surprise to get used to—when Jason had left, I’d given up on the idea of having a child; convinced myself I hadn’t really wanted it anyway. But lately, I’d come to realize that had just been a defense mechanism—a way of dealing with Jason’s rejection. Now that I’d been handed this unexpected gift, I was learning how to love the idea all over again.
At least Mom seemed to understand my desire for Max’s involvement. Neither of us had said it outright, but I think we both saw the potential for some kind of redemption—like, maybe my dad hadn’t cared about me, but if Max cared, our child would have a chance at the fatherly love I’d missed out on.
A nurse called my name. In the exam room, I changed into a hospital gown and gave my usual blood and urine samples. Then Mom and Max joined me, along with Dr. Quinlan. I introduced her to Max and she asked me to raise my gown a bit so she could feel my belly. I avoided Max’s eyes.
