Pretty and Pregnant Again

by Johns,Madison

  “Good, because she’s your secretary.” Kimberly stared at the box. “Look, Abigail, daddy is going to try and put together the swing. This might be the best thing I’ve seen all week.”

  “I’ll have you know that I’m capable of putting together a swing.”

  “Oh, and here I thought you only pushed a pencil,” she joked.

  “I’ll show you, how hard can it be?”

  “It should be easier than taking care of a baby, providing you actually own tools.”

  “I have some I’ll have you know.” He scratched his head. “I just don’t know where I put them.”

  Jeremy walked into the kitchen and opened all the drawers.

  “Wouldn’t you find tools in the garage?” When he gave her a look, she added, “It was merely a suggestion.”

  All the parts of the swing were laid out on the carpet and Jeremy stared at the manual as if it were blueprints that he wasn’t trained to read.

  “I’ll check in the garage for my toolbox.”

  “Oh, you have an actual toolbox, too? I’m impressed.”

  He shook his head with a smile as he walked outside to the detached garage.

  Just then a car pulled into the driveway and there was a knock at the door. When Kimberly opened the door, Jeremy’s parents, Martin and Frances stood there. She quickly ushered them inside and Frances gushed, “How precious. Isn’t she, Martin?”

  “Yes, for a baby, I suppose.”

  “That’s just like a man to say that. May I hold her?” Frances asked, her eyes watering.

  Kimberly handed Abigail to Frances, and Martin asked, “Where’s Jeremy?”

  “In the garage looking for a toolbox. He’s supposed to put that swing together.”

  “Jeremy and toolboxes don’t exactly go together,” Martin said with a chuckle. “I have a toolbox in my car.”

  “Oh, are you here for a long visit?”

  “Well, we’ve been meaning to come and see the baby,” Frances said. “So we drove up with a car load. We’ll be staying at the chalet hopefully, unless Jeremy sold it.”

  “He didn’t. I’m not sure if he’s made a decision about what to do with it yet.”

  Jeremy came through the door carrying a toolbox that he held up for all to see. “See Kimberly, I do own a toolbox.” He set it down and shook his dad’s hand. “It’s good to see you two finally made it here.”

  “We meant to sooner, really,” Frances said. “But you know how hard it is to pull your father away from his social season.”

  “My parents have a long list of friends where they live,” Jeremy explained.

  Jeremy knelt and opened his toolbox.

  “Do you need help, son?” Martin asked.

  “ I’d rather not have you help. I’m trying to prove a point to Kimberly that I’m capable of this task.”

  Kimberly picked up the dishes and washed them while Frances stood by with Abigail. “So, how is Jeremy doing as a dad?”

  “Great. He’s really hands on, but he needs his self confidence built up a little more.”

  “I think the same could be the said for all new fathers. So Jeremy is embracing Abigail as his own.”

  “Frances, that’s none of your business,” Martin said.

  “It’s fine,” Jeremy said, as he had the swing half together. “My name is on the birth certificate.”

  “I hope you can accept her as your granddaughter, too,” Kimberly said.

  Frances squeezed Kimberly’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about that. I understand the importance of that more than anyone. My parents didn’t understand that they should call Jeremy their grandson since he was adopted. I constantly had to remind them of the fact.”

  “Did you ever tell you parents how that made you feel?”

  “Believe me I tried, but Martin reminded me it didn’t matter what my mother thought, or what anyone else thought, for the matter. I love Jeremy with my whole heart. I’m sorry that our delay to Redwater made you think we weren’t accepting Abigail as our grandchild. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  Chapter 9

  “I’m done,” Jeremy announced, as he presented the swing he had put together.

  “How can we be sure it will hold Abigail without her crashing to the floor?” Kimberly fretted.

  “I have an idea,” Jeremy said. He raced off to the refrigerator and pulled out a watermelon. He placed it in the seat of the swing and pushed the button. “Hum, it doesn’t appear to work.”

  Kimberly looked at it and removed a panel. “You could try putting batteries in it. Just a thought.”

  Jeremy scratched his head. “You might be right.”

  He put batteries in the swing and pushed the button again, smiling as it now moved in the back and forth motion. And without the watermelon crashing to the floor.

  “Fine, you’ve proved it,” Kimberly said, as Frances put Abigail in the swing, securing the safety belt. Abigail squirmed in excitement. “Would you look at her face. I don’t think she knows what to think.”

  Indeed, Abigail’s eyes widened as the swing moved, but she didn’t cry.

  “This is really a great idea, Jeremy,” Kimberly began, “thank you for thinking of it.”

  “Well, she can’t sleep her life away.”

  “Oh,” Frances said. “Surely she can’t be sleeping through the night already.”

  “Actually she slept four hours last night,” Kimberly said.

  “That’s great. So what’s happening on the modeling front?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I guess I’m in a holding pattern. I’m sure I’ll find out more in a few days.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Corrine rapped on the door and Kimberly frowned as she answered. “I’m ready, but let me make sure Jeremy knows our plans.”

  Kimberly had barely made it up the hall before Jeremy met her halfway. “Are you certain you don’t want me to go with you to the doctor?”

  “I’m positive. Corrine is taking me.”

  Jeremy’s brow furrowed. “Okay, but you’d tell me if it was anything serious, wouldn’t you?”

  “Of course, Jeremy. Why would you ask me that?”

  “I just feel that you’re holding back about something.”

  “I think Corrine is going to talk business with me after my appointment.”

  “Oh, is that all?”

  “Did you find someone to watch Abigail today?”

  Jeremy frowned. “I’m taking her over to the chalet. My parents are staying there while they’re in town.”

  Kimberly kissed Jeremy and left. Corrine drove down the street, asking,” What is wrong?”

  “Jeremy is so sweet and it’s killing me to keep this secret from him.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell him? Your test at the doctor’s office came back positive. Do you really need a positive blood test to prove you’re pregnant?”

  “It was the doctor’s suggestion. I’m sure he wants to be sure, too.”

  They arrived at the doctor’s office and Kimberly and Corrine walked inside, waiting. Kimberly picked up a magazine, dropping it like a hot potato when she realized it was a parenting magazine.

  Corrine observed Kimberly in amusement. “It’s a parenting magazine, not a pregnancy magazine, you know,” Corrine said.

  Kimberly sighed. “One of these days it’s going to be you in my place. I think you’d be a wonderful mother. Don’t you want a mini version of you?”

  “Fine, I’ll leave you alone, but don’t you ever suggest I have a baby or in a committed relationship. I’m a career-oriented woman and men don’t relate to that well.”

  “How about someone like Clive? You seem to get along well.”

  “I can’t believe you said that. We work together on our perfume line, nothing more.”

  “Oh, I had no idea it belonged to the both of you.”

  “Yes, it would be hard to keep his name off of it since he’s the one who helped bring it to be a viable line. Thanks to your r
ole as spokesmodel.”

  Kimberly smiled. “I’m glad you think that. It’s been life changing for me. I don’t think Jeremy would have ever noticed me if it wasn’t for Clive’s offer.”

  “I think you’re wrong about that. I believe Jeremy realized that you were the one for him, even though he wasn’t willing to admit to it.”

  Kimberly was too touched to respond.

  Her name was called and Kimberly stood up and said, “Can you come in with me, Corrine? I need all the moral support I can get.”

  Corrine smiled they walked into the back and were ushered into a room. Kimberly’s vitals were taken and the medical assistant had no sooner left than the doctor came into the room with a brown paper bag. He said down on the stool and said, “The blood test confirmed your pregnancy.”

  “Don’t you need to do an ultrasound to see how far along she is?” Corrine asked.

  “We’ll be doing that in a few minutes. What I wanted to know is, how do you feel about the pregnancy, Kimberly? You look quite pale.”

  “I-I just didn’t expect this. I went away for a weekend with my husband when the baby was six weeks.”

  “It’s quite normal for a woman to conceive when she resumes marital activity. Why, some are even pregnant at their six-week checkup.”

  Kimberly shook her head. “I’m not prepared to be pregnant again. I’ve barely established a routine with Abigail.”

  “How does Jeremy feel about your pregnancy?”

  “I didn’t tell him yet. I wanted to wait to see what the blood test revealed. I know he didn’t want another baby this soon, or he’s said as much.”

  “Jeremy is one of the good ones,” the doctor began. “I imagine even if it’s not something he wants now, he’ll adjust to it, as will you.” He went to the door. “We’ll be heading into the ultrasound room now.”

  Kimberly and Corrine followed the doctor and the nurse prepped Kimberly. The warm gel was placed on the ultrasound wand and the doctor moved it on Kimberly’s lower abdomen. He turned the screen to face her and said, “I can see a tiny dot, or what an embryo looks like at this stage. If what you’ve told me is true, I’d say you’re four weeks along.”

  Kimberly sighed, but as she looked over at the image she couldn’t stop the smile that formed. She’d finally be having Jeremy’s baby as she had wanted to. Kimberly gazed up at Corrine, who appeared very interested in the image, tears twinkling in her eyes.

  “I don’t think you know how lucky you are, Kimberly. You have a beautiful daughter and a wonderful husband. And you’ll have a new addition to your family in about eight more months.”

  “Thank you, Corrine.”

  “Who knows, you might have changed my mind about meeting a man and settling down. Perhaps being a career-oriented woman isn’t enough. It’s important to have someone to love, and who loves you in return.”

  It was Kimberly’s turn to tear up. “I think you need a man in your life, Corrine, but you should do what feels right for you.”

  “I’ll leave you two to talk while Kimberly cleans off the gel,” Dr. Harris said. “I’ll also leave your bag of vitamins with the nurse.”

  He handed Kimberly a cloth and left the room. Kimberly wiped her abdomen and they left, picking up the paper bag on the way out.

  She didn’t say a word on the way home. All Kimberly could think about was how Jeremy would react when he found out she was pregnant. Should she tell him right away or wait for the right moment?

  “Thanks, Corrine,” Kimberly said when she arrived at her house.

  Kimberly walked through the door and Jeremy was sitting in the living room with his parents while Abigail was in the swing.

  She was about to greet them when she became too nauseous to do anything other than run to the bathroom. She applied a cool cloth to her forehead before she ventured into her room.

  Jeremy walked in and sat in a chair near the bed. “What did Dr. Harris say about the blood test?”

  Kimberly sighed. “Do we really need to talk about this right now?”

  Jeremy took her hand in his. “I’m positive that it’s important to talk right now. I’ve been so worried about you. I hope you know that you can share anything with me.”

  “I usually feel that way, but this is too much to deal with right now. I’m trying to come to grips with it myself.”

  “You trust me, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do, Jeremy. It’s that I’m not sure how you’ll react.”

  “How I’ll react? You should know me well enough to know that no matter what you tell me, I’ll handle it just fine. I love you Kimberly and it’s important for us to be honest with one another.”

  Kimberly nodded as she sat on the edge of bed. “So you promise me you won’t file for divorce when I tell you?”

  Jeremy frowned. "I can’t imagine what you want to tell me that’s that drastic. I thought you knew me by now and know that I’m here for the long haul.”

  Kimberly let out the breath that she had been holding since they began this conversation. She knew it wasn’t exactly the right time, but when would it ever be?

  “Okay. Jeremy, I’m pregnant.”

  Chapter 10

  Jeremy stared blankly at Kimberly. Had he heard what she said? No, he reasoned with himself. They hadn’t even had time to be intimate lately, certainly not with Kimberly being sick. Except for that one weekend when Abigail was six weeks old. He must be a fool not to have known that she was pregnant. But how could he have guessed, when she hadn’t shared with him what the doctor said.

  “How long have you known?”

  “I’ve been in denial for the last week.”

  “Even though you were getting sick?”

  “Yes, but it didn’t get out of control until the meeting with Clive and Corrine. That day was the first time it went beyond a queasy stomach. I was in the bathroom for a half hour. Every time I thought I was feeling better, I got sick again.”

  “I had wondered. It seemed to come out of nowhere. But I reasoned that you had the flu. I knew last night you were holding back. I tried to get you to tell me what was really going on with you, but I couldn’t make you tell me.”

  Kimberly’s face was devoid of color and he wanted to reach out to her, but they needed to talk about this. “Did you know you were pregnant when you saw the doctor?”

  Her eyes watered and Jeremy pulled out a tissue. But he didn’t give it to her. Jeremy gently dabbed the tears away.

  “Y-Yes. The urine test came back positive, but the doctor wanted me to get the blood test to be sure.”

  “So why didn’t you tell me that when I asked what the doctor said?”

  “Believe me, I wanted to, but I thought it would be better to tell you after the blood test came back.”

  Jeremy’s eyes softened. “I would have come with you, Kimberly.”

  “You would?”

  “How can you think otherwise?”

  * * *

  Kimberly’s heart pounded as she felt pressure build in her chest. Jeremy’s face wasn’t hard. His jaw wasn’t tense. Why, even his mouth held a hint of a smile, even though it didn’t appear fully.

  “You made it clear that you didn’t want to have another baby.”

  “Oh, and you did?”

  “No. Believe me, I’m just as upset as you are.”

  “Except I wasn’t the one who kept something from you,” he stated matter-of-factly. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I love you more than anything.”

  Kimberly tried to wipe the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, too. I just didn’t want you to hate me when you found out I was pregnant.”

  “I’d never hate you and it took two of us to create that baby.”

  “And what does that mean for us now?”

  Jeremy sighed, dabbing at her tears as he smiled slightly. “It means we have a baby on the way, or another one, since we already have Abigail.”

  Kimberly smiled through her tears. “Will anything change now i
n regards to Abigail?”

  “I already told you, she’s just as much your daughter as mine. I was at your side to see you through the end of your pregnancy. I even held your hand during the delivery.” He opened and closed his hand. “I thought you had broken my hand.” He laughed.

  “How do you really feel about the baby?”

  Jeremy kissed Kimberly gently. “I’m thrilled, but I really had wished to wait a few years, at least until Abigail is out of diapers, to have another baby.”

  “Me, too, and this pregnancy certainly isn’t off to a good start. I never had morning sickness when I was pregnant with Abigail.”

  Jeremy helped Kimberly up. “Perhaps it would be better to tell my parents now since they’re here.”

  “Can’t we wait until my parents are here, too?”

  “I have a better idea. My sister Betsie will be here tomorrow and my mother has planned a barbecue. We can invite your parents, and Corrine and Clive, too.” He shook his head. “So I suspect that Corrine knew all along.”

  “Not until I went to the doctor’s appointment. She encouraged me to tell you. Clive suspected I was pregnant when I was sick at his new house, but Corrine swore him to secrecy.”

  “That must be why he’s been blowing me off. I’ve wanted him to meet me for lunch so I could pick his brain about the modeling you might be doing for them.”

  “Well, I think he didn’t want to be in the middle of our relationship. He might have felt inclined to tell you about me getting sick at the meeting.”

  “That makes sense since Clive and I go way back. He likes you, Kimberly, and that’s why I think he kept your secret.”

  “But he wasn’t certain unless Corrine told him,” Kimberly insisted. “Corrine was great going to the doctor’s office with me. And she never once suggested I resume in the role of promoting the Pretty and Pregnant line.”

  “I’m sure that will change. It’s your decision if you want to be involved with it or not.”

  “Well, at the meeting Corrine joked that that if I was pregnant, it would play into ads for the Pretty and Pregnant lotion and perfume line.”