Sadie introduced herself and shook her hand, before the doctor turned to me and held her hand to me.
“I’m Jeremiah,” I said, searching her eyes for any recognition, but thankfully she didn’t let anything show. She either had one hell of a poker face or didn’t recognize me. I hoped for the latter.
“I see on your paperwork this is your first pregnancy. What an exciting time!” said Doctor Lambert, smiling enthusiastically at us both as she took a seat on a swivel stool. “Based on your test and what you shared on your paperwork, the baby is about six weeks along.”
Sadie turned to me wide eyed. Six weeks of not knowing a thing. I smiled at her reassuringly.
The doctor continued. “Baby is about the size of a pea.” She held up her hand, holding two fingers together to show us just how itty bitty it was.
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s so small.”
Sadie clutched her stomach as she looked down lovingly, tears in her eyes. It was a beautiful moment. I took a mental snapshot. Doctor Lambert let us have a moment to soak it all in as she smiled on, probably used to this moment with all parents who came through here.
“It’s early, and I’m sure overwhelming, but do you have any questions for me?” asked Doctor Lambert, looking from Sadie to me.
Questions came pouring out of me unexpectedly. Asking about foods to avoid, prenatal vitamins to take, what symptoms to look for. These were all things I had skimmed over in my search results from looking for a doctor, and they all flooded back to me now in curious word vomit. The doctor answered my questions patiently, all while Sadie looked at me with a small smile across her lips.
Once she had answered all my questions, and Sadie’s when she could get a word in, she said, “We’ll have you back at the twelve-week mark for your first ultrasound.”
That was six weeks from now. It felt so far away. I already felt impatient knowing we would get a first glimpse at the baby.
“In the meantime, just soak it all in. Congrats, you two.”
Sadie and I both thanked her and she left the room with a little wave.
“She’s incredible,” said Sadie, her smile growing wide. “Thank you for finding her.”
“Of course.” I nodded.
“Andyouwere incredible. How did you know to ask all those questions?”
“A little light reading,” I replied with a shrug.
She shook her head in awe before I helped her down from the exam table.
We found a café near the doctor’s office for lunch, after I insisted Sadie eat something. She was eating for two now, I reminded her. She had rolled her eyes, but then proceeded to order a salad, a grilled chicken sandwich, French fries, and a decaf iced tea for herself. I chuckled before ordering a tomato soup, grilled cheese, and a green tea. We settled in at a table nestled in the corner by the window and a few shelves housing an array of bound journals, stationery, and a few books.
As we waited for our food, I felt my stomach drop when my eyes landed on Anderson’s book on the wooden shelf next to us. I had almost forgotten about it with everything going on. I pulled a copy from the shelf as Sadie sipped on her decaf iced tea and admired the stationery. I tried to look casual, unpanicked, as I flipped through the pages, searching for any sign of me in the black print.
“What are you looking for?” asked Sadie innocently, not having any idea that I had a history with the author.
Just then, my eyes landed on a paragraph and my mouth dried out immediately. My stomach hollowed.
The bastard didn’t even change my name?
I shut the book and quickly placed it back on the shelf without saying a word. Before Sadie could ask questions, our food came as if by some divine intervention. I tried to push Anderson and his book from my head, even though he was staring back at me from the shelf, as I looked at Sadie who was happily munching on fries.
Thiswas what mattered. Anderson was not worth my time.
Chapter 31
Sadie
Ileaned against the smooth, white wall of the apartment, watching as two men from the moving company walked in with dollies and looked at me expectantly. Even though I had told Jeremiah I didn’t need any help bringing my things, or lack thereof, up to his place, he insisted.
“Where should we start, miss?” asked one of the men, looking around the apartment as if trying to assess how to play a game of Tetris with the furniture. “We usually start with the bigger pieces, like the couch or the bedroom furniture.”
“Um, so all that is staying,” I said with a sheepish smile. I stepped aside from where I leaned against the wall and pointed at the few cardboard boxes that lined the hallway behind me. “This is all I’m taking.”
