An Unexpected Baby

by Shadonna Richards

  “Hence the mood swings and hormones out of whack!”

  “Right. Among other things.” Emma sipped some more of her hot chocolate before continuing. “Around seven to nine days after fertilization, a baby will implant deep into the uterine wall. A woman’s body will not begin producing hCG until then. Once her body has begun producing hCG that should be able to determine pregnancy through a home pregnancy test.”

  “So in other words, the earliest you should test is seven days past ovulation.”

  “Yep. Many home pregnancy tests claim to be accurate as early as the first day of a missed period — or even before.”

  “But honey, your periods are about as regular as a bus schedule. You never know when you’re going to have one.”

  “I know,” Emma’s voice trailed off. “Some medical research study said that at least thirty percent of women during childbearing years have irregular periods. Either two periods in a month or periods in odd months of the year or something. Some menstruate twice a year.”

  Gina looked sympathetically for her friend. “That’s like one in three women! Honey, that’s awful. I didn’t even know it was such a huge problem.”

  “You mean, you thought I was the only freak?” Emma gave a nervous chuckle. “I just had to be one of the thirty percent statistics.”

  Gina sighed heavily.

  “Anyway, going back to what I was saying…shortly after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining, the body begins to produce a hormone called hCG. During early pregnancy, the level of hCG in the blood increases rapidly —doubling every two days! Home pregnancy tests can reliably detect this hormone in your urine one week after a missed period.”

  “However, home pregnancy tests may not be as precise. If you really wanna confirm pregnancy you should do a blood test to detect hCG. The blood test is more sensitive than is the urine test, hon. That’s what my cousin said to me when she found out she was really pregnant.”

  “I know. But if I take the blood test it would prove beyond a doubt that I’m not pregnant!”

  “Let me see that!” Gina stretched over to grab the printouts in Emma’s hand that she pulled out of her handbag.

  “Various types of home pregnancy tests are available. With most tests, you place the end of a dipstick in your urine stream or immerse the dipstick in a container of collected urine for five to ten seconds. Yada, yada! A few minutes later, the dipstick reveals the test result — often as a plus or minus sign, a line, a color change, or the words 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant' on a strip or window."

  "Keep in mind that instructions may vary from kit to kit. Read the instructions carefully before you take the test,” Gina finished reading.

  “Too late for that!” Emma said with a wry smile.

  “Many home pregnancy tests claim to be ninety-nine percent accurate on the day you miss your period. Although research suggests that most home pregnancy tests don't consistently spot pregnancy this early, home pregnancy tests are considered reliable when used according to package instructions one week after a missed period.”

  “So what are you saying? That I should just take another test?”

  “Uh…yeah!”

  “Too chicken!”

  “Too chicken?”

  “Yeah. I’m not going to bother. I’m just going to get that book on instant conception and let my husband make love to me like he’d never done before.”

  “Until when? Your first visit should be about eight weeks after your last period, Emma!”

  “Yeah, I know and that’s because they need to do a dating ultrasound.”

  “So you giving them a date of June the first means that you are telling them that you’ve already had your dating ultrasound and you know the date.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So in other words, you’re supposed to be two months pregnant.”

  “Yeah. Which is about right since it’s late October now.”

  “But, honey you’d better get cracking on acting like a woman two months pregnant.”

  “Oh, boy!”

  “Exactly! Oh, and another thing. You’ve got to register with babycenter.com. All smart mothers and new moms or wannabe’s go there. They have all the info you need in one place from preconception to after the baby is born and get this—my cousin also got weekly e-mails showing her what the baby should like inside you and what you should be experiencing.”

  Emma’s eyes widened up. “That is so…”

  “Awesome, isn’t it? Honey, that is the answer to your questions. All of them. That way you can try to get pregnant while you understand what symptoms you should be experiencing.”

  Emma knew she’d dug herself into a deeper hole but right now there was no going back. The condom hole poking thing seemed almost appealing now. After all, she wasn’t trapping a man. She was just…making sure that her husband got the child he really wanted to have.

  Emma rubbed her forehead with the moist palm of her hand. She just knew she was going to hell soon.

  ***

  Later that afternoon, as Emma drove up the beautiful interlocking paving stone driveway to her house she was stunned to see Dale’s car parked, the VP of Fletcher Adverting. She didn’t mind so much because it was a three-door garage but what was Dale doing there at that time of the day? Shouldn’t he be in Dallas?

  When Emma turned the key to French doors of the home, she noticed the sound of men laughing and glasses clinking coming up from the second floor. She closed the doors and slowly placed her keys in her handbag and took off her brown fall jacket then proceeded upstairs.

  “Oh, there you are,” June called out to Emma as she walked from the kitchen down to the foyer with a tray of fruits and juice. “Evan wanted to make sure that you got a nice afternoon healthy snack before your nap.”

  “My nap?”

  “Yes, we’ve noticed you’ve been looking very drained lately. Evan said you probably needed your rest. Since your body is going through so many changes.” June looked at Emma with admiration and love. “You know, you’ve made Evan a very happy man. I haven’t seen him this…alive since, I don’t know when. You really have done wonders to him. You and the baby.”

  Emma swallowed hard but somehow the lump of guilt in her throat wouldn’t go down. She almost choked on her own saliva again.

  “Are you okay, Emma? Here is your drink. It’s organic. Just like Evan said.”

  “Oh, um…thank you, June.”

  “No worries, mommy-to-be.”

  Emma almost choked and sprayed out the juice in her mouth. The word mommy just got her so…nervous these days.

  “So…um…June, what’s Dale doing here? I thought he was in Dallas.”

  “Oh, yes he was. But he got back a bit earlier and well, since he’s the godfather of your child, he’s helping Evan out with the nursery.”

  “The what?”

  “The nursery, dear? Emma, you don’t look so well, dear. You look as if you’re about to faint.”

  “Oh, um…No. I’m good. I’m good, thanks!” I’m so dead! This has gone way too far now. Evan is spending real money building a real nursery for a real baby that doesn’t exist….yet!

  Emma slowly walked up the winding stairway not sure of what she would say to Evan now. By the time she got to the top, she saw eco-friendly cartons in the hallway leading up to the spare room.

  “Hey, baby,” Evan beamed as he walked up to Emma and gave her a lovable hug and kiss on the forehead and lips. “You okay? I’ve missed you and the baby today.”

  “But we’ve only been apart for a few hours,” Emma gave a nervous chuckle.

  “Oh, he’s just in love with being a daddy and a husband, of course,” Dale chimed in. “You’re looking as lovely as ever, Emma.”

  “Thank you, Dale.”

  “So what’s all these boxes for, hon? June said you were building a nursery. It’s so…soon.”

  “Oh, nothing’s too soon for us, hon! I just wanna make sure that I’m doing my part.”

  �
��Yeah, you have him going crazy calling up all over town to get the best for his unborn child,” Dale added looking on.

  “Eco friendly, hon. Our baby is going to have the best of the best and starting off with what’s best for the environment, too!”

  “Oh, sounds…fantastic,” Emma chuckled sheepishly. “But aren’t you spending an awful lot here?”

  “You kidding? Nothing’s too good for my child. Our child,” he corrected.

  “Oh. My. God. Is that what I think it is?” Emma walked over with her jaw wide open towards an acrylic clear crib in the corner of the large room as the sun peeked through the tall ceiling to floor windows.

  “Yep. It sure is. If it’s good enough for Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby girl, why can’t we have one?”

  “Oh. My. God. A Vetro Crib!!! Honey, that’s the new 'in' thing now. The crib must have cost like…”

  “Three thousand, five hundred,” Dale added.

  “No shit!” Emma cried out. She could not believe this. She really needed to get knocked up fast. Like yesterday.

  “Uh, honey,” Evan gave Dale a funny look then turned to his wife. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

  “Yes, hon?”

  “I really would prefer if we could not have any form of swearing or offensive language when you’re carrying our child. I mean, I want our baby to have the best start in life and studies have shown that babies can hear from inside the womb.”

  “But, honey, our baby doesn’t even have ears yet! Not until the second trimester!”

  “Actually as early as eight weeks the ears begin to form, hon.”

  “Honey?”

  “Listen, let’s not argue in front of…while you’re in your condition. Agreed?”

  Emma sighed. “Agreed.”

  11.

  “The woman's hips should also be positioned in such a way that the sperm released is kept inside, giving it enough time to swim up to the female cervix,” Emma later read from the pages of Instant Conception to her friend Gina over the phone. Evan and Dale had finally left the home to gather more stuff for the baby’s room. He was so excited, Dale told her while Evan went to get some stuff from the den, that he wanted to make sure that he was doing what he could to contribute to his child coming into the world. Though Emma joked that he’d already done enough.

  If only that were true.

  “Okay, so your hips should be positioned so that the sperm can be kept inside? How?”

  “Well, according to this book there are five true and tested ways in the first chapter alone. Common positions that most people do anyway.”

  “Like?”

  “Like the missionary position.”

  “The missionary position?”

  “Yeah. You know the man on top. That’s said to be the best position according to this book because it allows for the deepest possible penetration. The sperm needs to be deposited closest to the…um…cervix. You can also do that with the spoon-position, which is side by side lying.”

  “Okaaaaay.”

  “Anyway,” Emma continued reading as she curled herself up on the bed in her bedroom chewing on celery sticks and dip. “Oh and another one is to raise the hips.”

  “Raise the hips?” her friend almost sounded dubious.

  “According to the book, elevating the hips by placing a pillow behind my back exposes my…um…cervix to as much semen as my husband can release."

  “Okay, I think I’m hearing TMI.”

  “TMI?”

  “Yeah, girlfriend! Too much information.”

  “Very funny, Gina. You promised you’d help me.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have to hear all the details, do I?”

  “Well, I’m hoping you’ll help me choose the best position to start off with.”

  “Well, uh…shouldn’t Evan be the one you decide that with? I mean it’s not like I’m going to be there, God forbid!”

  “Yeah and what do I say? ‘Honey could we try this position so that I really get pregnant this time?’”

  “Okay…what other positions do they suggest?” Gina sighed heavily.

  “Doggy-style!”

  “Okay, I’m outta here. Talk to you later.”

  “Gina!”

  “Did I hear you say, doggy-style, hon?” Evan stood in the doorway smiling, his hands shoved in the pocket of his dress pants. How long had he been listening?

  “Oh, um, I was just talking to Gina.”

  “About doggy-style? What’s that you’re reading?” Evan tried to read the wording on the book cover.

  Emma slapped the book shut quickly and tossed it in her handbag at the side of her bed. “Oh, nothing. Just a bit of…um…erotica.”

  “Okay, you’re talking about erotica and sexual positions with your best friend.”

  Oops!

  “No, hon!” Think fast, Emma! Think fast! “I’m just telling her which positions are best to um…you know, get pregnant.”

  “Why?”

  “Because maybe, she’s so happy for me that she wants to get pregnant, too!” Okay that sounded soooo lame!

  Evan drew in a deep breath and raised one of his sexy dark eyebrows. Then there was a twinkle in his eyes. “You know speaking of positions,” he said, in his deep, sexy low voice. His eyes slid down Emma’s body admiring her lovingly.

  Evan dimmed the lights in the room before moving over to the bed and cuddling Emma in his arms.

  “I love you so much, baby,” he said whispering in her ears. His nose rubbed gently on her neck then his soft lips brushed against her neck. Emma shivered with delight inside. Electrical currents coursed through her veins.

  “Oooh,” she moaned in her throat. “I love you, too, baby.”

  The love-making was incredible and sizzled with passion. She felt closer to Evan more than ever. After several orgasms thanks to the new techniques she’d asked Evan to try from the book, she fell asleep on his chest with a smile. Her ear pressed against his muscular chest listening to the beating of his heart.

  She only wished it were three heartbeats in the room right now instead of two.

  12.

  The following week, Emma gazed around the beautiful eco-friendly high-tech nursery her husband and best friend had spent time building with the help of a few buddies. Evan thought she’d feel much better if she had the nursery built. Well, almost ready. This just caused tears to prickle Emma’s eyes. She sat down on the floor beside the expensive Vetro crib and covered her face with her hands.

  “Honey, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.” Evan’s voice called from the doorway.

  Truth was, she should be happy. Ecstatic. But she was devastated because her lie was becoming an unnecessary financial burden. Evan didn’t know if he’d won over the new deal in Dallas yet and there he was spending tons of money on a baby that did not exist. At least not yet. She didn’t have the heart to poke holes in the condom though tempting as it was. And sure enough, every time they made passionate love, Evan insisted on using a condom because he didn’t want to harm a baby inside her—just in case. Even though it was supposedly safe.

  The gentle touch of his soft hand on her shoulders sent shivers down her spine. Oh, she craved his touch. Evan had been more and more closer to her after she told him about the pregnancy result being positive. Only it wasn’t.

  She was the one who was a positive.

  A positive idiot!

  She just couldn’t let this go on any further. First there was the documentary that everyone was looking forward to. She’d managed to avoid being filmed so far because of her ill feeling which she told them was her morning sickness and she didn’t want to appear pale on the video. Still, she was happy for her grandfather getting filmed periodically and getting a chance to tell his survival story to give others hope. And recently he’d been spending so much time with his PSW, Lina. They seemed to get on very, very well. She took him on excursions and out to the parks on most days. He rarely stayed indoors. It was so wonderful that
he could spend his last days doing what he truly enjoyed.

  “Evan,” Emma said in a low voice. “I have something I need to tell you. I should have told you before but I didn’t have the guts to.” Emma’s gaze was fixed on the beautiful acrylic crib that cost a fortune.

  “What is it, baby?” Evan said, rubbing his nose on her neck again. She loved it when he did that. The freshness of his cologne turned her on. He hadn’t shaved in a little while, but she loved his five-o’clock’ bad-boy looking shadow. God, he was gorgeous.

  “Evan, I—"

  “Evan!” June ran up the stairs interrupting her discussion. “Evan!”

  “Yes, June? I’m in the nursery.”

  “Evan, the Dan Baker Center called. It’s your dad!”

  “What? Is he okay?”

  “You need to come quick!”

  “Oh, God!” Emma cried out. “I hope he’s okay.”

  Evan’s dark sexy eyes grew even darker. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he sprung to his feet. It was as if he knew something was terribly wrong.

  “I’m going with you,” Emma said as she ran to grab her coat and handbag.

  “No, you stay here, hon.”

  “No, I’m going with you, Evan. I need to be by your side.”

  Evan leaned in and hugged Emma. “I love you, baby. Always know that.”

  “I know. And I love you, too.”

  ***

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Fletcher,” the nurse with the long black hair said with sorrow in her eyes. “The doctor will speak with you shortly.”

  “When did he pass away?” Evan’s voice was trembling. He was crying. His head held down and his hand on his forehead. Emma sat there helpless, holding his shoulder as they both sat at the bedside of his father. His body was covered up in white sheet to the neck. A peaceful smile on his face. He lay stiff and flat on the bed. No signs of life.

  When the doctor came in, he explained that old man Fletcher had what was called a PE. Pulmonary Embolism. Basically the culprit of his father’s demise was a blood clot that traveled from somewhere in the body through the blood stream up to the lung and blocked the main artery of the lung or one of the branches of the artery. Sometimes it was termed sudden death because it could happen so fast and nothing could be done about it when it happened. The doctor said that most likely he didn’t feel a thing. Evan had blown it then and asked the doctor how would he know what his dad felt? “Have you ever had a PE yourself?” he had asked the doctor. He later apologized after Emma squeezed his shoulder and rubbed his back trying to calm him.