Nodding, Thompson said, “Well, given the near level of heart attack you gave me today, I think it is time you called me Tommy.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I can do that, Mr. Thompson,” said Poppy. “It doesn’t feel right calling my teacher by their first name.”
“Darling, over the last two hours, I have seen you naked like three times, so I think you can call me by my first name.”
The shock and embarrassment that rolled over Poppy’s face was laughable. “Oh my, for a student who earned a scholarship for her nudes, you seem very shy about being seen in the buff yourself,” quipped Thompson. Then he added, “If it makes you feel any better, I am playing for the other team, so it did nothing for me.”
Even as bad as she felt, Poppy could not stop the laugh that rippled from her. “Okay, since you put it that way, Tommy, it is.”
“Is there anyone I need to call for you and let them know where you are,” asked Tommy.
Shaking her head, Poppy said, “Sadly, no. The only person I could call is my Gran, but she is taking care of my great aunt, who is dying of cancer. I don’t want to bother her unless I have to. I am sure I am just dehydrated and will be fine after I get enough fluids.”
Nodding, Tommy said, “Okay, if you are sure.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and an older doctor and nurse came in. “Well, young lady,” said the doctor, “how are you feeling? It is good to see you awake.”
In a weak voice, Poppy said, “Yes, I am feeling better, embarrassed, but better.”
“That is good. I am Dr. Lonnie Burk,” said the doctor as she listened to her breathing. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. Lots of pregnant women get dehydrated.”
Poppy almost fell off the bed. “I am not pregnant.”
Giving her a surprised look, the doctor said, “Oh, I assure you, young lady, you are. Your HCG levels say otherwise. It is standard procedure to do a pregnancy test before we treat a patient, especially one who can’t answer questions. Your test came back positive. When was your last period?”
Poppy was so shocked at the news she forgot to be embarrassed talking about her periods in front of her teacher. “The birth control I take keeps me from having periods. I did miss a few pills back in August, but I stopped the packet. I had a mini-period and started a new pack.”
“Hum,” said the doctor. “Most likely, the bleeding was from implantation.” Turning to the nurse, she said, “Amy, could you please bring the ultrasound machine in? We need to determine just how far along this little peanut is.”
It only took a few minutes, and the nurse returned with the machine. When Poppy saw her baby pop up on the screen, she burst into tears. She was not the only one. Tommy grabbed her hand as a steady stream of tears fell from his face.
The doctor took several measurements and determined that Poppy was almost eighteen weeks pregnant. She also found out she was having a boy. It was a lot to take in.
With worried eyes, she asked the doctor, “Given that I had no idea I was pregnant, is the baby okay? I am not a drinker oranything, but I have been on birth control the whole time. Did that hurt the baby?”
The doctor patted her and said, “From what I can see, the baby looks great. The heartbeat is strong. He is measuring right on time. All the organs look good. I would obviously stop the birth control. I am leaving instructions for you to follow up with your OBGYN. Given how far along you are, I would make an appointment as soon as possible. Be sure you tell them about the birth control and any other drugs you have taken while pregnant.”
“I will. Thank you so much,” said Poppy.
With that, the doctor headed to the door. Before leaving the room, she said, “Congratulations, you two. I hope this is a happy surprise for you both.”
Neither Poppy nor Tommy corrected the doctor. The second she was out of the room, they erupted in laughter at the absurdity of her gay teacher being the father of her child.
Within a few hours, Poppy was discharged and Tommy offered to help her get home. On the way, Tommy asked about the father. At first, Poppy was hesitant to talk about it, but Tommy was so open and kind that the whole story soon flooded out.
Poppy told him that Bennett was older and always tried to hide their relationship. She told him about how the summer they had together and how it had all come to a crashing halt when his friend was killed.
Based on the dates from the ultrasound, Poppy realized that she must have gotten pregnant the night that Tatum died. She was sick several times that day as she read her mom’s diary. Then, with all that happened that night and the following days, she forgot to take her birth control pills. She had abandoned her pack and started with a new packet the following month after her next period.
On the way to Poppy’s apartment, which she shared with five other girls, Tommy suggested she come back to his house to rest asit would be quieter. He was happy to look after her. After declining several times, Tommy made it clear he did not intend to take no for an answer. He had the cab turn around and go back to his place.
What started as a one-night thing turned into a week-long sleepover. Tommy had a second bedroom and told Poppy to stay in it as long as she needed to, at least until she went home for Thanksgiving. Truthfully, it was so much more peaceful at Tommy’s. By the end of the week, Poppy was feeling better. She had seen a doctor at one of the free clinics offered by the school and started prenatal vitamins. She was coming to terms with how her life was about to change forever.
Poppy had promised her grandmother she would come to Memphis for Thanksgiving and Gran sent her a bus ticket. Poppy was not sure how she was going to tell her grandmother about being pregnant and unmarried, just like her mother. She knew it would destroy her. Since she was barely showing, Poppy decided to wait to tell Gran until she talked to Bennett. She planned to do so Thanksgiving in Memphis and then take a bus to Searcy. She tried calling Bennett. She wanted to tell him she was coming early Saturday morning. But, every time she called the house, Mr. Carrington answered. She would hang up without saying a word.
When she returned the cell phone, she had purposely not kept his cell number. Having it would have made it so easy to call him in a weak moment. Instead, she made a clean break. Now, when she actually needed that number, she did not have it. She did call his office and ask Katie to speak to Bennett. He was in meetings all day, but she promised to have him call her. In a moment of bravery, Poppy asked Katie about Bennett’s Thanksgiving plans. She told her Mr. Carrington was going on another cruise, but Bennett planned to stay home.
Feeling confident about her plan, Poppy boarded a bus out of New York and spent all day reading baby books. She rolled intoMemphis late Wednesday night. Gran met her at the station downtown and Poppy’s heart broke. She had never seen her grandmother looking so haggard. She immediately decided she would not mention the baby. In her mind, she had begun to fantasize about what would happen when she told Bennett about the baby. In her fantasy, he would immediately demand they marry. She would finish the semester, then move back to Searcy and live happily ever after raising their perfect little boy. In this fantasy, she did not allow thoughts about what this would do to his career to intrude into her future.
