“Ms. Mitchell? Your guest is here,” said one of the receptionists as she poked her head in.
“Oh, Max?” I asked.
“Uh, no—”
“Hello, hello!” Madison said cheerfully as she pushed past the receptionist and shoved her way into the room.
An unpleasant yelp escaped my mouth. “Madison? What are you doing here?”
Anger flooded through me without warning, and I pressed a hand to my chest to try and calm my heartbeat.
“Sorry for the last-minute switcheroo, but Max got stuck at work, so he sent me.” Her smile had never looked more Stepford.
I closed my eyes tight and took a deep, cleansing breath.You have got to be kidding me.“You know, I’m not really comfortable with this.”
The sonographer—Tamara, her name tag said—frowned. “Do you know this woman?”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m Madison. I’m the baby’s stepmother.”
“No, she isn’t,” I snapped. “She’s the baby’s father’s current girlfriend. And I donotfeel comfortable with her being here.”
Madison pouted. “What? Savannah—how could you say that? I’ve been by your side through this entire pregnancy.”
And there’s the freaking problem.
Maybe her perma-smile was fooling the sonographer and receptionist, but Madison’s eyes, cold and cruel, betrayed her true nature. She wasn’t fooling me.
“I am here on behalf of the baby’s father,” she insisted. “He deserves to have a representative present at all appointments.” She addressed Tamara directly. “He’s very concerned about his child’s health and well-being.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but my throat had squeezed shut. My heart was racing even faster.No, no, no—I could not have a panic attack. Not here, in this paper gown, in this vulnerable position.
The sonographer took the wand off my belly and took a step back from the table. “Miss,” she addressed Madison, “according to HIPAA laws, you cannot be here without the patient’s permission.”
“And I donotfeel comfortable with her being here,” I managed to repeat.
“I am here according to the father’s wishes,” she said, directing herself to Tamara again. “We’re concerned about the health of the child. Savannah has very unhealthy eating habits, she doesn’t drink nearly as much water as she should, she has no regular exercise regimen at all … and to be honest, we’ve come across evidence that she’s been drinking while pregnant.”
My jaw fell open; I felt a fire ignite behind my eyes. Tamara the sonographer looked at me with concern.
“Ms. Mitchell—it’s your call.”
Madison’s glance dared me to defy her—but I was done letting her bully me.
I summoned my courage and jutted my chin out. “No. I’d like her to leave.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave, then,” Tamara said to Madison. She walked over to a phone attached to the wall anddialed the front desk. “Can you please send an orderly in to escort someone out?”
Madison glared at me. “Fine.Just let me know the baby’s gender and I’ll leave.”
“No. I’ve already spoken to Max about it, and it’s going to be a surprise.” I knew it would infuriate her to know that Max and I had made a decision together that didn’t involve her.
“Nonsense,” Madison hissed. “We have a lot of things we need to do to prepare for this baby. We need to know the gender in order to pick out names, a theme for the nursery—”
“Too bad, Madison. This was Max’s and my decision, and has nothing to do with you.”
“That’s unacceptable, Savannah. I have also talked with Max, and he agreed with me that it’s better to know. After all, we are going to be the ones providing most of this baby’s care, and a steady, stable home.”
