Anger was like a simmering volcano in my head, threatening to blow.I am this baby’s mother, dammit. “Madison, I don’t care what you want!” I shouted. “This is my private information—I don’t have to give you or Max access toanyof it.”
Finally, the door to the exam room opened and an orderly came in. He stood behind Madison with his hands clasped in front of him, as if to say,come on your own, or I will remove you.
Madison scowled at me in disgust. “This is ridiculous, Savannah. Max and I have tried to be here for you and support you through this pregnancy, but you continue to act like a reckless child. We’re going to have to get lawyers involved if you keep acting like this. We’re the baby’s parents too—yet you continue to try and wield this child like a weapon. It’s not healthy for the baby, and we willnotstand for it.” She walked toward the door, then turned back to give me one last glare. “You’ll be hearing from us soon, trust me.” Then she walked out, the orderly following close behind.
Tamara closed the door gently behind them, then shot me a concerned glance.
I closed my eyes and rested my head back on the exam table. “I’m sorry about that,” I said without looking at her. “It’s just a really complicated situation. Max and I were only together for a short while, and then he got back together with Madison. Needless to say, she’s very excited about this baby, and pretty much wants to completely take over. Looks like I’m going to have to fight to retain my rights.” I opened my eyes, but tears filled them, so I squeezed them shut again. I didn’t want to cry during this appointment—it was supposed to be a joyful experience, getting to see my baby.
“I’m so sorry you’re having to go through that,” Tamara said kindly. “On a happier note, let’s take another look at your sweet little baby, shall we?”
“Okay,” I whispered, my voice trembling. I glanced back at the screen.
Tamara continued pressing the wand into my belly for another fifteen minutes or so, listing off the things she was checking. She said the baby’s spine looked strong, and its size appeared to be right on track. My little one was moving around a lot, which she said was a good indicator of healthy development. She asked about how often I’d been feeling the baby move.
“I’ve definitely felt the first few kicks over the last week or two.”
“That’s wonderful. That’s going to start happening more and more.” Tamara explained that when I am up and moving around, the steady movement would often rock the baby to sleep. “So, each night, I want you to lie on your left side and put your hand on your belly. I want you to count and make sure you feel at least five to ten kicks within an hour. If that doesn’t happen, drink some ice-cold water and start over—the cold water can help wake the baby up and get it moving again. Keep a log of how many kicks you feel during that hour each day and bring it to your next appointment with Dr. Quinlan.”
“I’ll start tonight.” I smiled. Having an “assignment” that had to do with my baby’s development gave me an odd sense of comfort. I could do this for my baby. I didn’t have to wait until the baby was born—I could be a good mom now.
“Overall, everything looks really good, Ms. Mitchell,” Tamara said as the appointment wrapped up. “Now, you’re sure you don’t want to know the gender?”
“No … no, I don’t.”
“No problem. In case you change your mind, I’ll put a sealed envelope in your file with the baby’s gender. You can call or stop by anytime if you decide you want to know. But we’ll make a note not to spoil it for you unless you explicitly ask.”
“Thank you.”
“The DVD of your ultrasound will be ready at the reception desk for you in just a few minutes. I’ll let you get dressed now.”
A few minutes later, Rachel, one of the head nurses, handed me my DVD at the reception desk. I handed her my credit card for my co-payment, but after a moment, she handed it back to me. “I’m sorry, but your card was declined.”
Dammit! The disputes are still screwing up my account.I sighed. “I’m sorry, I’ve been having problems with this card lately. Would it be alright to bill me just this once?”
“Sure, that’s no problem.”
“I really appreciate it. I’ll get this sorted out before my next appointment.” I called a ride back to the office on my phone and walked outside.
A few minutes later I was sitting in the back of an Uber, staring at my DVD. It said “Baby Mitchell—Week 20 Ultrasound” on it.
Despite the unwanted drama of the appointment, I allowed myself a smile.
The first video of my baby.
CHAPTER10
BY THE ENDof the day, I still hadn’t heard from Max, which was infuriating.
I’m so done thinking about them. I don’t need them.
I was getting ready to leave work when Meredith and Sam popped by my desk.
“Savannah, got a minute?” Meredith asked.
“Of course.” I smiled.
“Celebrity chef Pedro Torres is opening a new restaurant near Russian Hill. He’s looking for proposals from local marketing agencies to help drum up buzz before the grand opening. His business partners want to meet with us for drinks on Sunday evening to hear our ideas. I’d like you to come along.”
