by Watkins, CN
I looked at her and smiled as I sat back down in my chair and grabbed Stefan’s hand. Caroline took my temperature before typing everything in on the computer.
Stefan and I stood to our feet, ready to go into the exam room. She grabbed a small cup and handed it to me.
“Jennifer, if you will please take this cup into the bathroom right there,” she pointed directly across the narrow hall, “we will need to get a urine sample from you. I will direct Stefan to the exam room, then I’ll be waiting for you outside the door when you’re done.”
This was all so scary and overwhelming. Stefan smiled as I took the cup from her hands and made my way to the restroom. After I finished, I walked out and handed Caroline my cup, but once I entered the exam room, I felt light headed. Stefan snaked his arm around my waist, holding me tight. He led me to the table and sat me down, never letting go.
“You okay baby?” he whispered in my ear as Caroline typed away on the sonogram machine.
“Yeah. This is all so overwhelming.”
“We’re almost done.” He leaned in and gave me a tender kiss on the lips. I took a deep breath, letting his ocean scent fill my lungs and clear my head.
“Please undress from the waist down and use the white sheet to drape over you. Dr. Morgan will be right in.” Caroline smiled as she exited the room. I looked over to the sonogram machine and saw my name at the top and the date and time.
This is really happening.
I got up, pulled off my jeans and panties, then folded them neatly, setting them down in a chair next to the cabinet. I walked back over to the table and sat down. I was about to see my unborn child for the first time.
I closed my eyes again and leaned my head on Stefan shoulder.
“Just breathe, baby.”
“Jennifer?” I looked up to find a beautiful blonde lady in a white coat standing in front of me.
“Hello.” I smiled at her as she walked over to me and shook my hand.
“Stefan?” She smiled as she shook his hand.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Morgan,” Stefan greeted her back.
“So we’re expecting, are we?” Dr. Morgan asked as Caroline walked back in behind her and gently closed the door.
“Yes we are, Dr. Morgan,” I replied as the butterflies danced in my stomach.
Dr. Morgan walked over to the sonogram machine as Caroline put a stick into the cup that I peed in and moved it around a little before taking it out and setting it on a napkin on the counter top. Caroline walked over and turned off the light as Dr. Morgan gently pushed on my shoulder, telling me I needed to lie down.
Stefan never let go of my hand as she pulled my shirt up to reveal my stomach.
She walked over to where my pee cup and test strip laid and picked it up, smiling.
“Well, Miss. White, you are definitely pregnant.” She laid it back down and walked back over to the sonogram machine next to me.
I looked over at Stefan; he was white as a ghost. I squeezed his hand and he looked down at me, locking his eyes with mine. I mouthed I love you as he leaned in and kissed me.
“We’re going to see if we can get a good look at the baby this way. If not, we will have to do a vaginal ultrasound. I’m just going to squirt some gel on your tummy and push this wand around. Then we’ll look on the screen and see if we can get a look at your baby.” She squirted the gel on my lower stomach.
Shit! That is freezing!
I instantly shivered, and I swear Stefan chuckled.
She placed the wand on my stomach and began moving the gel around while she looked up at the screen. Stefan squeezed my hand as we both watched.
“Ah, here you go.” Dr. Morgan used one of her fingers to point to the screen.
I sucked in a huge breath and held it as I saw Bean on the screen. Bean was truly…a bean. Stefan squeezed my hand tighter as she began pressing buttons. I felt the tears falling slowly. I couldn’t believe I was looking at my baby…
Our baby.
I looked over at Stefan, who was also crying.
“I would say you are about six weeks along. Your due date as of right now is May 16th. We will do another ultrasound in about five to six weeks and get a more accurate reading then. But in the meantime, congratulations.” Dr. Morgan smiled at us as we stared at the machine. “Would you like me to print out a couple of pictures?”
I nodded my head as she pressed a couple of buttons and pictures started printing from a little machine attached to the sonogram.
Dr. Morgan cleaned off my stomach and helped me sit back up. Stefan took the pictures from Dr. Morgan and stared at them.
“Thank you, Dr. Morgan.” I shook her hand as she gave me some handouts full of pregnancy information.
“If you would please read over the information in there, it could be very beneficial. Be sure to schedule another appointment before you leave.” She grabbed a clipboard off the counter top and began writing on it.
“Hand them this paper and they will get you all figured out. If you have any sharp pain or bleeding, please give me a call as soon as possible. If it is severe, you may wish to go to the hospital.”
Information overload.
“If you two have no more questions, I’ll leave you to get dressed. You are free to go. Have a wonderful day. Congratulations again.” She handed Stefan the paper and smiled as she exited the room, Caroline right behind her.
I hopped off the table and got dressed. Stefan held of the pictures and check out sheet as we walked out of the exam room.
“Another appointment will be scheduled for a month from now. Afternoon okay?”
“That will be fine, thank you.” Stefan smiled as he grabbed the reminder card. He put it in his wallet and tucked it down in his back pocket of his khakis. He grabbed my hand and led me to his Mercedes waiting outside.
I buckled myself in and stared out the front window as he got in and started the car. He handed me the pictures, and I looked down at them as we pulled out of the parking lot. Stefan put his hand on my upper thigh and gave it a lovingly squeeze.
I was really having Stefan Long’s baby.
Chapter 4
We were quiet the entire car ride, both trying to process everything. It was one thing telling someone your pregnant, or even knowing your pregnant, but seeing your child on the screen was another thing entirely.
I knew that we could get through this. We had nine months to prepare for our little baby. We could be good parents; we had to be. This little bean deserved the best of everything, including Stefan and I.
Once we got home, I sat down on the couch and instinctively rubbed my belly as I stared into blank space. Stefan sat down beside me and placed his hand over mine as I dropped my head onto his shoulder. He let out a deep sigh and placed his head on my head.
“Babe?” I asked as Stefan began rubbing my belly.
“Mmm?”
“Kennedy and Ayden are going to come over for dinner tonight. Is that okay? I still need to tell her about our baby.”
“Okay. I’ll cook dinner, but I’d like to lay down for a bit first.” He leaned back, taking me with him. With my head snuggled into his chest, I could his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest. Soon we both slipped into a nice sleep.
I woke up when Stefan tried to get out from underneath me. He stopped when he noticed he had woken me. “I’m sorry, baby. Shh…go back to sleep.” He ran his fingers through my hair.
“What time is it?” I yawned.
“Almost six. I’m going to start cooking dinner.” He scooted out from underneath me and kissed me forehead. I thought about getting up and changing, but quickly dismissed that idea. I knew Kennedy and Ayden wouldn’t care what I looked like or what I wore.
I grabbed the remote off the side table and rolled over to my side, turning on the TV. Stefan started cooking in the kitchen right as the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock on the wall, it was only six.
I got up and walked over to the door, opening it to Kennedy flying against
my body, hugging me tightly around my neck. I sucked in a breath as she began to giggle.
“Oh my gosh. I’ve missed you so much! I feel as if it’s been an eternity.”
“Hi, Kennedy.” I tried to hide the shock in my voice. She wasn’t supposed to be over for another hour.
“I just couldn’t wait to see you. I’d been staring at the clock for the last two hours, and finally I gave up.”
“It’s true, Jennifer. She’s been bugging me about coming over since four.” Ayden chuckled as they walked through the door and I closed the door behind them.
“Yeah, well patience is not Kennedy’s strongest quality,” I replied as we sat down at the bar and watched Stefan finish cooking the pork chops. “Do you need any help, babe?” I asked.
“No. You entertain our guests.” He winked at me as he flipped the chops.
“Let’s open some wine,” Kennedy said as she walked over to the fridge. If there was one thing I loved about her, it was that no matter whose house she was at, she made herself feel at home. It always made me laugh.
Kennedy opened a bottle of wine and poured us both a glass. Kennedy set the glass in front of me.
“Let’s go out back.” I grabbed my wine glass and led the way. Once we were outside, we sat down on the lawn chairs, and I looked up at the sky. It was dusk, so everything was beautiful. Lot’s of pinks, oranges, and reds as the sun finally began to set.
“I missed you, girl! How is everything going with Stefan?” Kennedy asked, taking a drink of her white wine.
I began playing with the neck of my wine glass, running my fingers around it. “It’s going good. Really good actually. I love him so much.” I looked back down at my wine glass.
“Are you sure about that?” Kennedy asked, suspiciously.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” Why was I trying to convince her? I was in love with him, and that’s not what I was worried about telling her. “No, I mean yes, I am in love with Stefan, but that’s not what this is about.”
“What’s going on, Jennifer? Did he lay his hands on you? I will beat his ass if he did! Did he cheat on you? Because he’s dead-”
“No, Kennedy. No, and no. It’s something else.”
“What is it, Jennifer?”
“I’m…pregnant.” I pulled the folded up sonogram picture out of my pocket and unfolded it, handing it to her after I took a sneak peek at it again.
“What?” She appeared stunned as she looked down at the picture, then back up at me, and then back down at the picture.
“I’m preg-”
“I heard you. I mean…are you serious? You’re really pregnant? This is for real?” She didn’t take her eyes off the picture in her hands.
“I’m serious. I’m about six weeks along.” She finally made eye contact with me.
“When are you due?” She handed me the picture.
“May 16th.”
“Does Stefan know?”
“Well, of course he knows. We went to the doctor appointment today, and that’s how we got the picture.” I looked back down at it. I still couldn’t believe it.
“Well congratulations, babe.” She leaned over and gave me a big hug. “Are you two excited?”
“Were still trying to get use to the idea, I guess. We haven’t really talked about it.”
“Well, I mean this is news…crazy news, but I’m happy for you two.” She finished her wine. “I guess you won’t need this anymore.” She said as she grabbed the full wine glass out of my hand and downed it. I laughed. Gah, how I’d missed her.
“So, let me see this engagement ring on yours.” Kennedy grabbed my left hand and looked at the diamond perched on my finger. “Oh, fuck me. This thing is huge, Jennifer.” She squealed, trying to be quiet. “Oh my! Does it weigh a lot? Where’s your wheelbarrow?” We laughed.
“Uh, at first it was heavy, but now I don’t really notice it’s there.” She let go of my hand and I placed it back in my lap, thumbing my diamond ring. “It’s pretty big, though. 2.5 karats. I wanted something smaller, but Stefan said no.”
“And you would want something smaller…why?”
“Kennedy, you know me. I’m not about fancy-schmancy stuff. I still have to get use to him having money.”
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure having money, living in a nice house, and driving that Benz out there is so hard! So when’s the wedding? I better be in that, bitch.” Kennedy smiled.
“I think we might elope on a beach somewhere pretty soon.” I really needed to talk to Stefan about that.
“Oh, oh! I want to come!” She was practically jumping up and down.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have my best friend miss it. Ayden too?” I asked.
“Yeah, he’s pretty much my second shadow. I don’t have personal space anymore.” She held up her fingers for air quotes. I laughed.
“That’s what being in love is all about.” I leaned over and poked her in the leg.
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s not talk about it.” She shrugged me off as she stood up heading for the back door. I followed her inside and saw that dinner was being served on the dining room table. Stefan gave me a quick kiss as I sat down and took a drink of the water he had poured me.
Ayden looked at me and smiled as he prepared his plate. “Congratulations on the baby, Jennifer. Stefan just told me. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, thank you.” I looked at Stefan and smiled as he grabbed my hand.
“Isn’t that just flat out crazy? I’m going to be an aunt. Well, not by blood, but whatever, doesn’t matter.” Kennedy giggled as she put mashed potatoes on her plate.
“Of course you will be an aunt. You are practically my sister and my only family. Well besides Stefan and Bean, of course.”
Kennedy smiled at me. “Let’s quit the mushy stuff, I’m hungry.” I laughed as we all began eating.
By the time dinner had ended, it was decided that our wedding would be in Bora Bora. It was hard choosing between Belize and Bora Bora, but Bora Bora won. Stefan and Ayden were going to check their schedules, and then we could set a date, but I was pushing for soon.
Once dinner was cleaned up, we made our way into the living room where we continued our discussion. I hadn’t noticed the time, but I was constantly yawning, so I checked the clock—almost midnight.
“Well, we should get going,” Ayden said, noticing my yawn.
“I am so glad you came over.” I stood and hugged Kennedy, tightly.
“Me too.”
We walked over to the front door and Ayden shook Stefan’s hand before giving me a small hug. Kennedy leaned over to give me another hug.
“Take care of yourself, please,” she whispered in my ear. I nodded before she released me.
“Of course I will. We will do lunch or something to talk about the trip in the next couple of days, I promise.”
“Okay, love ya bitch!” she hollered as she began walking to Ayden’s car.
“Love you!”
Stefan closed the door and locked it before sweeping me off my feet. I snuggled into his chest as he carried me the short trip to our bedroom.
He undressed me and put me in one of his white shirts before tucking me into bed. He quickly undressed down to his black Armani boxer briefs and turned out the light. I couldn’t help but yawn again as he lay down and pulled me into the nook of his arm.
I smiled as I draped my legs across his bare legs, then rubbed them up and down.
“Go to sleep, baby,” Stefan whispered as he kissed my forehead. He snaked his hand under my shirt and gently massaged my boob. Even as tired as I was, he still turned me on. I tried to snuggle in closer to him, but I couldn’t get any closer.
I let his hand overtake my body, rubbing gently, everywhere. I was relaxing under his soft, loving touch, and before I knew it, sleep had overtaken my body.
When I woke up it was still dark, and Stefan wasn’t lying in bed. I sat up and looked around the room, trying to get my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I heard
something down the hall fall and shatter against the floor and jumped.
What the hell was that? And where was Stefan?
I tip-toed to the door and inched it open to peer through the small crack. One of the small lamps in the living room was on, so I figured Stefan probably tripped over something and it broke. I began to open the door when a voice cut the air around me and froze me dead in my tracks.
My fucking father was in this house.
“Just let me see my daughter, son. That’s all I want to do.”
“With all due respect, Mr. White, that’s not going to happen,” I heard Stefan snarl at him.
What the hell was going on?
I could see my father sitting on the couch looking the opposite way towards Stefan. He was still bald, and his beer belly had definitly grown since I remembered. He obviously hadn’t shaved in a couple of months, and his clothes looked unwashed.
A shiver ran up my spine, and I closed my eyes, trying to calm to breathing and get my head right. Would he hurt Stefan?
“Sit your ass back down before I call the cops.” Stefan’s voice had raised.
Call the cops? They should have been called a long time ago.
“Son, I don’t want no problems. I just want to see my daughter,” I heard my dad—no, George—reply back to him.
“First off, you don’t get request after breaking into our home, and second, she is not your daughter. I’ve heard stories about you, you sick fuck!”
“Everything you’ve heard is a lie. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
Bullshit. How could anyone ever lie about bruises and a beaten ego?
“I am going to give you one more chance to get the fuck off my couch and get the hell out of this house before Jennifer wakes up and finds you here.” I was leaning against the door frame, getting lost in everything that was going on, I let go of the door handle and the door closed, the noise echoing.
I lifted my head to see my father standing, staring at me. Stefan was beside him, pointing a…
Was that a…gun?
My heart dropped.
“Jennifer, girl, come here.” George took a step towards me before Stefan grabbed his arm. I laid on the floor, frozen.