by Grace, Kenna
I nodded and my lips tugged up into a smile. “I’d like that.”
He leaned in even closer. Only, he didn’t kiss me. No, he wrapped his arms around me for a hug. “So would I.”
After he pulled away, he lowered to one knee and rested his hand on my baby bump. “You be good for Daddy tonight, alright?”
My face started to flush. Clay was going to be a great father.
* * *
Glancing out my kitchen window to a steady stream of traffic, I watched the constant flow of people carrying out their day. I wiped away the layer of condensation that had built up and shifted my gaze skywards. Clear except for a few scattered clouds.
I sighed, running one of my hands over my now obviously protruding stomach. It was already December. Weeks away from Christmas. Apparently, mother earth hadn’t gotten the memo yet. The cold had started to make its way, but at only fifty degrees, you could still get by with a heavy sweater or light jacket during the day. If it wasn’t for the reminder of the chill, it hardly felt like Christmas at all.
Suddenly, my phone stated to vibrate from inside my pocket.
I snaked it out and read the message from Clay, letting me know he was going to be here soon.
Clay and I were still spending most days together. Whether we were at one another’s place, or doing something out in the city, seeing him so often was still something that hadn’t gotten old. In fact, spending time with him was often the highlight of my day.
I told him he didn’t need to feel pressured to spend so much time with me, that I would be fine. However, Clay always comforted me by assuring me that spending time with me was exactly what he wanted to do as well.
Having an extra set of hands around was something I appreciated beyond words. My back was practically in a constant state of tension due to my large belly, and having Clay around to help out with literally anything was a godsend.
I punched in the number for the hospital and brought the phone to my ear. It was early December and I was due to schedule my next ultrasound. My baby bump was getting so large, I knew the date of birth was going to be approaching fast.
“Yes, this is Elliott Shores. I’m calling to schedule an appointment for my second ultrasound.” My eyes darted up and to the left as I tried to recall the name of the doctor I was referred to. “With Dr. Evans, I believe it is.”
“Just a moment please.”
The line cut off and an annoying jingle played through the speaker as I was placed on hold.
“I’m sorry, we seem to be having a little technical difficulty right now with our appointment scheduling software. We have someone from IT coming to check it out, but would it be possible to give you a call back later today?”
“Yeah, that’s not an issue at all,” I replied.
“This number fine to reach you at?”
I nodded my head. “Yup.”
“Perfect, we’ll be in touch soon, take care,” the woman on the other end of the line said, before disconnecting the call.
I was just about to pocket my phone when I got another notification. It was from Clay again, letting me know he was here and waiting at the front door.
When I made my way there, I unlocked the latch and pulled it open. My lips immediately tugged up into a smile when I saw Clay standing there.
Clay’s warm face smiled back and he leaned in to give me a one-armed hug. “Don’t you look glowing today,” he said.
I rolled my eyes and let out a chuckle. “Great, so I look like a glowing sack of potatoes.”
“Oh, you do not,” he replied, laughing. “You look amazing.”
I started to blush.
Then, Clay ran a hand over my baby bump and arched down. He gave it a quick kiss. “And how’s our little bundle of joy doing today?”
A sense of comfort came over me. Our baby wasn’t even born yet, but I knew Clay was going to be an amazing father. “Pretty calm now, but I swear he thought I was a trampoline last night.”
He stood back upright and ran a hand through his hair. “Oh,” he exclaimed.
My brows arched. “What?”
His tongue darted across his lips before replying. “That just got me thinking. Think we should get one of those bouncy things? You know, those baby holders where they sit on the seat and can bounce up and down?”
For a second, I looked at him blankly, and then, I burst out into laughter. “A baby holder?”
His lips tugged into a wide smile. “Well, what are they called then?”
I shook my head as I tried to settle myself down. “I don’t know, but I definitely don’t think it’s called a baby holder.”
He let out a chuckle. “You know what I mean though, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I don’t think we’ll be needing one of those for a while, but we should probably pick up a few things sooner rather than later. Maybe a couple outfits and a blankie.”
“Want to go now?”
“Mmmm, sure, I have nothing planned for today. Just let me get my jacket.”
Opening the closet next to the door, I grabbed my jacket and fought to squeeze into it. It was a little snug when I had worn it less than two weeks ago, but apparently our baby was going through another growth spurt. I struggled to zip the front, but managed to get it halfway up. “Ugh, that’s annoying,” I groaned. I was going to need to buy a larger coat before it started to get any colder, but it was frustrating to keep having to buy new clothes, knowing they’d all be way too big once the baby was born.
Clay and I walked down one of the main strips and bounced around from shop to shop. If the lack of snow and general Christmas vibe wasn’t bad enough, I couldn’t help but notice all the couples walking around hand-in-hand.
I glanced down to see Clay’s. I just wanted to reach out and hold it as we looked around, but I wasn’t sure how he would react. I had told him I wanted to take things slow, if we were going to try and make this work, but I certainly didn’t expect this much lack of physical connection.
Seeing him as often as I was, it was hard to follow my own rule. His scent was a constant tease, and it took everything I had to not say screw it and throw myself at him.
It couldn’t have been easy for Clay either. I saw the way he would steal glances at me. We agreed to not rush back into how we were before everything went down, but it certainly felt like we were just as infatuated with each other. For now, everything I wanted to do with him, and everything I wanted him to do to me just had to be a fantasy I played out in my head during the lone hours of the night.
Suddenly, I came to a halt at a brick shop that had caught my eye and peered in through the display window. “Hey, let’s check out this place,” I suggested, noticing the racks of baby clothing.
Clay and I stepped inside and drifted off to the far end of the shop where the newborn clothing was displayed. We sifted through shelves of shirts so tiny that my hand could fill them out completely when I tugged it over.
“Check this out,” Clay said from behind me.
I turned around to see him looking at the shelf of shoes and booties.
He turned around holding a blue pair of shoes that looked like they would be snug on some of the action figures I used to collect when I was young.
“Awe,” I cooed with a sideways glance.
Clay pulled out his leather wallet from his back pocket and rested the shoes on top of it. The shoes were so adorably tiny that they didn’t even reach to any edge of the wallet.
An hour later we had several bag’s worth of clothes and plushies and a tracking number for a crib Clay had ordered. It was out of stock, currently, but was supposed to be delivered sometime in the next week.
When we started back to my place to drop everything off, I noticed a large crowd that had started to gather across the street and a little way down the road from where we were. A large crowd in itself wasn’t something that would normally capture my attention, especially in New York, but it was where they were huddled that piqued my c
uriosity. A sectioned off parking lot. “Weird,” I said, scratching the top of my head. “Wonder what’s going on. Don't remember seeing anything set up there earlier.”
Clay glanced up to where I was looking. “Yeah, I mean, I noticed it was blocked off when we headed up from that direction, but I figured it was just construction shut down for maintenance or something.”
The closer we got, the more people seemed to swarm. Curiosity finally got the best of me. “Want to check it out and see what’s going on?”
He nodded. “Why not?”
It was probably just a local band setting up for a concert or something, but it wasn’t like we were in a rush, and it was on the way back to my place.
When we got a little closer, I was finally able to spot a sign secured to the privacy fence that blocked off the perimeter of the lot. I read it aloud. “Santa’s Workshop.”
My eyes opened wide in excitement. It was about time that December started to bring out the Christmas spirit.
Clay and I took a spot in line and patiently followed along as it crawled forward. Despite the large crowd, it didn’t take long at all to find ourselves right by the entrance gate. A large red container for donations stood to the side.
I pulled out my wallet and tossed a five-dollar bill into the receptacle and stepped through the entrance.
My heart fluttered. Families were laughing and children playing. People dressed as elves hustled around with tools, pretending to do repairs on Santa’s sleigh. In the middle of the lot was the man of the hour himself. A large man with a white beard and Santa outfit sat on a chair surrounded by artificial snow and professionally wrapped boxes in all sizes. Children lined up to tell him what they wanted for Christmas while the parents watched on with smiles on their faces. Another man dressed as an elf would walk each child up and a lady dressed as Mrs. Claus snapped photos and drank cocoa.
Taking everything in, my lips pulled up into a smile. It was hard to believe that next year, our child would be one of those kids waiting to sit on Santa’s lap. “Isn’t that adorable?” I asked Clay.
He didn’t reply.
“Clay?” I looked over to my side to where he had been standing, but he wasn’t there anymore. I looked the other way. “Clay?” I said again, this time a little louder.
Suddenly, his head popped out from a crowd of people a couple feet behind where I was standing. “Yeah, right here!” He walked back to meet me.
“What were you looking at?”
He glanced back to where he was looking around. “They have Christmas trees back there, was just checking how big they were.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, letting out a laugh. “You going to buy one?”
Clay scratched along his jaw and looked off into the distance as though my question needed some serious thought. “You know, I’m thinking about it.”
I arched my brows. “I was joking. How do you suppose you’re going to get a six-foot Christmas tree back to your place? It’s not like we have a car.”
His eyes shot back to mine and a daring smile spread across his face. “Make you a deal?”
Curiosity got to me again. “Shoot.”
“You some back to my place and I make us some dinner.”
“And what do I have to do?”
“Well,” he said, rocking on his heels, “all you’d have to do is walk back to my place with me while I carry the Christmas tree. Going to need someone to guide me, you know?” He gave me a wink.
I burst out with laughter at his proposition. Something about walking around bustling New York with a Christmas tree somehow seemed both crazy and yet perfectly normal. If it meant spending more time with Clay though, the decision was an easy one. “Deal.”
His eyes opened wide as he studied my face. “Are you sure? Cause I’m not joking,” he said suspiciously.
I cracked a smile. “I’m not going to let you look like an idiot by yourself.”
He suppressed a laugh. “Perfect, now we won’t be able to tell if the stares are at some idiot carrying a tree or at the cute, glowing omega walking by his side.”
I rolled my eyes, but I could feel the warmth radiating from my blushing cheeks. His flattery had me feeling like a child on Christmas. “Let’s pick one out, you cheeseball.”
Clay and I did a couple laps around the rows of fir trees until we found one that looked at least somewhat manageable to carry back.
One of the volunteers in an elf costume tied it up with some twine while Clay counted out a few bills. Because we’d spent over a certain amount, we also received a box of gourmet hot chocolate. I tossed the container into one of my bags while Clay struggled to figure out how to best carry a Christmas tree three city blocks.
Suddenly, my phone started to ring.
I pulled it from my pocket and read the caller ID. It was the hospital calling me back. I swiped to accept the call and brought the phone to my ear. “Hi?”
A voice spoke from the other end of the line, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I blocked my other ear with a finger. “Sorry, come again?”
I still wasn’t able to make out what they were asking; there were just too many things going on and people talking and laughing and cheering. “Sorry, one second.”
“Clay,” I said, getting his attention. I waved my phone around in front of me. “I have to take this,” I nodded my head over to an empty corner of the lot, “I’ll be right over there.”
He nodded and brought his focus back to the tree with a puzzled expression.
I weaved my way around running children and made my way over to the empty corner and spoke back into my phone. “Sorry about that,” I apologized. “Apparently Santa’s workshop isn’t the best place to take a call.”
A voice on the other end of the line let out a chuckle. “We’re just calling you back to schedule that ultrasound. Would you be able to make it in December 9th? That’s exactly one week from today. Say two o’clock.”
“Yeah, that works for me. Thank you so much.”
“You're welcome. Put in a good word to the big man in red for me.”
I laughed. “Will do. Take care.” Just as I ended the call and slid my phone back into my pocket, Clay came wobbling over with the tree hugged between his arms and peeking through the bristles to find his way.
He leaned it against the fence and brushed the stray needles off his pea coat. “Everything alright?”
I was so excited I was nearly shaking in my shoes. “Guess what?” I beamed.
His brows arched. “What?”
“Got the date for my next ultrasound!”
Clay’s face lit up like the Christmas lights illuminating all around us.
Overcome with joy, I practically leaped into his arms when I hugged him. It had been so long since we’d embraced, I had almost forgot how comfortable I felt in his arms.
I craned my neck and our eyes locked. Clay was smiling down at me like he knew something I didn’t. “What?” I chuckled. “Do I have something on my face?”
Clay replied without words and tilted his head to look upwards.
My gaze followed his until I saw what exactly it was that had him smiling. Hanging from a wooden beam a few feet above us was mistletoe.
Our eyes met again.
He ran his hand through my hair. “It’s bad luck not to,” he said, leaning in until his lips brushed against mine.
My breath shook and suddenly all the talking and laughing and cheering around us hushed away. Even if for only a moment.
I tasted his lips when he kissed me slow and he tasted passion when I kissed him fast. My stomach fluttered and the world began to spin and spin and spin until my eyes drifted shut and my knees felt weak and my head light. It was only a kiss. Not even our first kiss. But it was beautiful because it meant our last kiss wasn’t a last kiss.
* * *
Clay and I sat in the waiting room waiting for my name to be called out. My fingers nervously twiddled as my hands rested on my quite apparent pregnant belly. I wa
sn’t naive; I knew, being the age I was, that my pregnancy carried increased risks.
Clay reached out his hand and rested it on top of mine.
My eyes glanced over to him.
His lips pulled up into a comforting smile. “It’s going to be fine,” he said, running his thumb over my knuckles.
A sense of security washed over me knowing that I wasn’t going through this alone. I returned the smile and nodded my head. I knew there was no way he knew everything would be fine, but his words put me a little more at ease. “I know,” I replied, trying my best to sound as confident as he had.
“Elliott?” a voice called out from behind us.
Immediately, both Clay and I looked behind our shoulders. A man in a white lab coat holding a clipboard was standing by the entranceway of the waiting room. Clay jumped to his feet and held out a hand to help me up from my chair. “Yeah, right here,” I called back eagerly.
We followed the man down one of the hallways until we reached a room with a silver plaque secured to the door. The name, Dr. Evans, was etched along it. The man we were following unlocked the door and stepped to the side to let us through.
“Dr. Evans should be right with you.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
Clay and I stepped further into the room. I took a seat on the familiar looking medical chair while Clay circled the room and read the accreditations that Dr. Evans had displayed along the walls. My lips tugged up into a smile over how closely he read each one. “So, is he a real doctor?”
He turned around to face me and ran a hand through his hair. “Ultrasound radiologist,” he replied. “Think a radiologist actually counts as a physician? I mean, apparently dentists count as doctors.”
I started to laugh and leaned back into the chair. “Pretty sure you’re considered a doctor as long as you complete a PhD program.”
Clay arched his brows and took a few steps towards me. “Yeah, but I mean, really? Most of the curators at the Met have a PhD, but do you think when someone gets sick they’d hit up the museum instead of the hospital?”
“Stop,” I cried out in laughter, moving a hand to cup my stomach.
“I’m just saying,” Clay said, now standing right in front of me. He took my other hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. “Where’s the line drawn, you know? I mean, who decided this Dr. Evans dude, a radiologist, gets to call himself a doctor.”