"Jade, did you have these dizzy spells when you were pregnant with Ava?" Her question took me off guard. I thought back to when I was pregnant with Ava.
"Not that I can remember. Why?" She looked me squarely in the eye and her next sentence knocked the breath out of me.
"You're pregnant, Jade."
"Pre... Preg... Pregnant?" I stuttered, my body frozen in shock.
"Just about two months along," Dr. Grayson said, nodding as she looked over her notes again.
I fell back against the couch, speechless. Absentmindedly, my hand pressed against my stomach as I stared down at the floor. It was nerve wrecking and excited all at the same time. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I had to tell Paul. Now.
"Thank you, Dr. Grayson, for coming and taking care of me."
"Anytime, Jade. Now, I want you to come see me sometime next week. The sooner, the better. It might be a good idea to go over a new pregnancy plan and we’ll look at the best options for taking care of your new addition," she smiled. I walked her out, not surprised to see Paul, Sky, and Leo standing in the foyer. Once she was gone, I turned to them and they looked at me expectantly.
"Well?" Sky asked first. "What did she say?"
"I don't have any concussions and everything is fine," I said. "She says my dizzy spell happened because... I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Paul looked at me and I nodded.
"Two months roughly, Dr. Grayson guesses. I won’t know until my appointment next week.”
“We’re having another baby?” Paul asked again, the news not quite sinking in yet.
“We're going to have another baby."
"We're having another baby! We have to go tell Mom!" Paul was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.
"Congrats!" Sky hugged me, then Leo. He held onto me a little longer, then pulled away to look me in the eyes.
"Are you ready to go back out there?" Leo asked; taking a deep breath, I nodded.
"Sky, bring her out some water," Paul said as he basically dragged me outside. "Excuse me, everyone. I have an announcement to make. I know tonight is about Alpo and Lola celebrating their engagement and baby. But tonight, I am celebrating as well."
He turned to me and gestured for me to say something. I smiled at the crowd.
"We just wanted everyone to know that I'm okay," I took another deep breath, "and we're having another baby!"
"What?" Clara squealed and clasped her hands together as tears instantly sprang to her eyes. "Oh, I'm going to be a grandma again!"
Everyone cheered as she threw her arms around us. I couldn't help but blush and smile from the attention. Once everyone either hugged us or congratulated us, Paul spoke again.
"We'll celebrate our baby another night. Now," he raised his glass of wine. "I'd like to make a toast in honor of Alpo and Lola. May you two experience nothing but absolute happiness in your life together. You're going to make kick-ass parents!"
Everyone cheered again and the DJ started playing some corny slow song, dedicated to couples of all relationship stages. People drifted off either to tables or to the dance floor with their partners. Paul held out his hand and I took it, letting him put me close. We swayed to the music, my head against his shoulder.
"I'm the luckiest man in the world," he whispered and I smiled.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I have a beautiful fiancée, a beautiful daughter, and a bundle of joy on the way." He smiled at me. "I can't wait to marry you, Jade Corbett."
"And I can't wait to marry you either, Paul Centofanti."
“So, this doctor’s appointment next week…” Paul trailed off, his expression changing from pure happiness into shyness.
“What about it?” I asked, tilting my head to the side as I smirked at him.
“Would it be okay… if I go with you?” He rushed to continue before I could respond. “I missed out on a lot with Ava because of my own stupidity. I know it won’t make up for the past, but I want to be a better father and a better man for you, because that’s what you and Ava and the baby deserve. And I really want to make sure I don’t mess up this time because I --.”
I pressed my finger to his lips, abruptly silencing Paul.
“Of course, you can go to the doctor’s appointment with me, silly. I want you to be involved as much as you want to be.”
Paul’s face lit up like a kid waking up on Christmas morning and he bent his head down to kiss me softly before twirling me around, my dress fanning out as he pulled me back into his arms.
* * * * *
“Good morning!” A nurse in bright pink scrubs beamed warmly as Paul and I walked into Dr. Grayson’s office, Paul’s fingers intertwined with mine. “How can I help you?”
“I have a 9:30 appointment with Dr. Grayson,” I responded with a smile. “Jade Corbett?”
“Ah, yes, here we go.” She handed me a clipboard through the sliding glass. “Dr. Grayson just wants you to fill these out before we bring you back: any insurance updates, address change, any changes in your eating and sleep patterns, that kind of thing. If you have any questions, please let us know.”
“Thank you.”
I led Paul to a corner of the waiting room, smiling at a woman who had a little boy about Ava’s age with her. She nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment before her eyes darted to Paul. As I sat down in a chair and began filling out the forms with Paul next to me, the woman quietly told the boy to go play in the children’s area before she moved closer to us.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said softly, “but are you Paul Centofanti?”
“Yes?” Paul said slowly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Have we met before?”
“You don’t know me… but you knew my sister. Sarah McGuire?” The woman looked at me sheepishly, holding out her hand. “I’m Mary.”
“Jade.” I shook her hand before turning to Paul. He stared at Mary like a ghost appeared in front of him. “Paul?”
“Yeah?” He snapped out of his trance and faced us. “Right, sorry. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you about this yet, babe… Uncle Leo just showed me Mary’s letter a couple days ago.”
“What letter?”
Before either one of them could answer my question, a nurse appeared in the doorway separating the waiting room from the rest of the office.
“Jade?”
“Coming.” I offered a small smile before looking back at my fiancé. “Are you coming?”
“In a minute,” Paul gave me a look, silently pleading with me to understand. I nodded in return and spun back to the nurse, grabbing my purse and the clipboard off of the chair before I followed her through the hallway.
After getting my vitals checked, the nurse left me in a room to wait for Dr. Grayson. Silently laying back on the seat, I studied the familiar photos on the wall while I waited; the sight of autumn leaves floating down a creek instilled a peace within me and I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. A light knock on the door broke the quiet and Paul stuck his head through the door, his eyes watching me carefully.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” I turned my gaze to the white ceiling as he stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him.
“I know you don’t like doctor’s offices. Or hospitals,” Paul said softly, taking a seat in a nearby chair.
“I guess my mind is preoccupied at the moment.” I said darkly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the letter,” he squeezed my thigh gently to get my attention. “Uncle Leo and I weren’t sure if bringing it up would trigger any trauma from… your kidnapping.”
“I understand,” I sighed, sitting up to face Paul. “I just don’t want there to be any more secrets between us. Keeping secrets destroyed us last time.”
“I know.” Paul kissed the top of my hand. “I promise, no more secrets.”
“Okay.” I paused, contemplating my next thought. “What was Mary’s letter about?”
“She wrote
to Uncle Leo, asking if the Carmichael-Centofanti gang would protect her and her nephew from Ramsey’s gang.” Paul said, leaning back in the chair so his head was resting against the wall.
“What about her sister, Sarah?” I asked curiously, sensing something was wrong.
“Are you sure you want to know before Dr. Grayson checks you out?”
“If you don’t tell me now, I’m going to be stressed out. And that’s not good for the baby.”
“Okay. But save your questions until the end.” Paul waited until I nodded, pretending to lock my lips with an invisible key; he rolled his eyes and smiled before telling me everything.
“And that’s about it,” he said a few minutes later, running a hand through his hair.
“That’s why the warehouse smelled like bleach…” my voice trailed off as my body involuntarily shivered.
“Yeah,” Paul grimaced, taking my hand in his.
“Of course, we have to help Mary out. If that was Skylar and Ava in their position… I would want them to be protected, no matter what.”
“We’re doing everything we can. I promise.”
“Okay. Good.” I reached for Paul’s hand, tears swelling in my eyes as I processed everything he told me.
A light knock on the door paused any further discussion on the matter as Dr. Grayson walked into the room, a warm smile on her face.
“How are we feeling today?” She asked, taking in the look on my face with a raised eyebrow before glancing at Paul.
“We’re good.” I replied, wiping at my eyes. “Sorry about the tears, Doc. Just a little emotional, that’s all.”
“That’s normal.” Dr. Grayson reassured me before she flipped open my file to read for a few seconds. “Everything looks good… no signs of distress or abnormality. Would you two like to see your baby?”
“Yes, please.” I looked at Paul and he grinned, nodding his head.
“This is going to be a little cold, okay?” Dr. Grayson said a few minutes later after she helped me get situated on the examination table; I nodded in response and she squirted a clear gel onto my bare abdomen.
As Dr. Grayson went through the ultrasound process, Paul and I shared a smile and he intertwined his hand with mine. A wave of calm filled my veins just as the screen captured the image of my womb. Dr. Grayson pointed out certain areas on the screen, answering all of Paul’s questions as I stared at the screen, letting fresh tears of happiness fall down my cheeks.
CHAPTER 16: A LITTLE HOLIDAY MAGIC
Six and a half months later, I found myself in tears in the middle of a bridal shop, this time from feeling like a bloated whale and hating my body. Our Christmas Eve wedding was in 18 days and I felt overwhelmed, even though almost everything was ordered and ready to go. As I tried to control the tears slipping hotly down my flamed cheeks, I feverishly wished my mom were still alive; she would know the perfect thing to say to calm me down and give me a hug.
It was a relief knowing that Clara, Sky, and Lola had all been able to clear their schedules and come with me; each woman was busy rummaging through a rack in different directions of the store from me in search of more wedding dresses to try on.
Waiting until two weeks before the wedding wasn't exactly traditional, but I thought it was best to wait until I got to at least the 6-month mark in my pregnancy, just in case something happened to the baby or even myself; as morbid as it sounded, I understood that accidents happened, regardless of what plans we try to plan.
We had made a stop to every bridal shop within a travel distance of three hours over the last two days and I was running out of options. The last four dresses I tried at the current store looked ridiculous on me. By the time Sky managed to peel the constricting material off of me, I was ready to give up.
"You can't give up," Clara said softly, pausing from the rack she was shifting through. I looked over to her, embarrassed as I realized I said that aloud. "We'll find a dress that fits you perfectly, dear. Don't worry your pretty little head about that, okay? Too much stress is not good for you, or for the baby."
"What about this one?" Lola called out a few rows over as she held up a sleeveless dress with a sweetheart shaped top. The bottom flared out in a way that reminded me of Belle's gown from the iconic Beauty and the Beast ballroom scene.
"I guess it doesn’t hurt to at least try it on," I said half-heartedly as I took the gown from her and Sky followed me into the dressing room. She let me use her shoulder for support as she helped me step into the dress like the consultant had suggested, then zipped the back up, making sure everything was adjusted properly.
"You look beautiful, Jade," she said, taking a step back to study me carefully. "I think this is the one. Go look in the mirror."
We walked out of the dressing room and she helped me step onto a little platform in our designated bridal party area. Taking a deep breath, I slowly looked into the mirror as the three women stood behind me, supportive smiles on their lips. Sky was right, this was the dress; it just needed something more to make it absolutely perfect for me. I flagged down one of the girls working, her face lighting up as she took in the gown.
‘That looks stunning on you!” She gushed, nodding at my entourage’s praises of approval. “What can I help you with, hun?”
"Do you have any Christmas themed sashes? Like a champagne gold or even a dark red?"
"Let me go check in the back. I’ll be right back." She scurried off, calling out to her coworkers in search of my request. A few minutes later, she returned with a few sashes in her hands. "Okay, these are the ones that are still available in store… We have holly red, a dark green, gold, and candy cane stripes."
“I think the holly red would look good,” Sky said as the woman wrapped each sash around me to show how it would look on the dress. “Red has always been a good color on you, with your dark hair.”
“I agree,” Clara said, Lola nodding right beside her. “Red goes extremely well with your complexion.”
“We have some bridesmaid dresses available in holly red, too. If you would like to look at them,” the salesgirl said to Sky and Lola, motioning to the far-left side of the store. “Unless you had a different color in mind for your bridesmaids?”
"I was thinking either red or green,” I admitted, putting each sash up against the dress a couple more times. After a few more moments of back and forth, I made up my mind, smiling as I held the holly red sash up. “I definitely like the holly red better… Let’s go check out the bridesmaid dresses.”
Once the girls decided on their dresses - both holly red, but in a style that best matched their personality - and everything was paid for, we headed home exhausted and happy. Sometime during our trip, it had snowed, covering everything in sight in a giant white fluffy blanket. People already had their houses and yards decorated for Christmas, most of them finished the day after Thanksgiving in preparation for the colder weather.
Christmas music flowed through the stereo from the local radio station as we pulled into the driveway, singing along off key much to Clara’s amusement. Once parked by the front door, Clara shooed me toward the mansion as Sky and Lola began grabbing the shopping bags from the trunk; obeying my soon-to-be mother-in-law, I stepped through the doorway and gasped, my pupils dilating in awe.
While we were gone for the day, the men had decorated the inside of the mansion to match the outside, reflecting the Christmas spirit in every nook and cranny possible
The staircase in the foyer was wrapped in dark green garland with multicolored lights twinkling throughout it, accompanied by an equally color-cladded Balsam Fir tree at the foot of the stairs. There was a second Balsam Fir tree, although slightly smaller, in the living room, which was currently being decorated by Paul and Ava. I could hear Christmas music playing from the radio above the fireplace, the same station as the one we were listening to in the car.
There were Christmas figurines all over the place - on the bookcases, on the coffee tables, even the mantle of the fireplace. I smiled, feel
ing the spirit of the season melt away every problem brewing within me. Paul noticed us in the doorway separating the living room from the foyer just as he helped Ava place her 1st Christmas ornament near the middle of the tree.
"Hey.” Paul wiped his hands on his jeans as he turned towards me. “We weren't expecting you back for a while. Did you find a dress?"
"Yeah, I found one," I said, moving towards the couch as I rubbed the top of my stomach absentmindedly. "So did Lola and Sky, and your mom found a flower girl dress for Ava. I never thought I’d say this, but all that dress shopping wore me out."
"Mommy, look! Daddy and I made the tree pretty!" Ava climbed up next to me, excitedly pointing to the tree as she made sure to avoid putting too much pressure on my stomach.
"I see that! Good job baby, it's beautiful." Ava beamed at my praise, then pressed her ear against my stomach.
"Hi baby," she crooned.
Paul and I smiled at each other over the top of her head. Ava was just as excited as everyone else to have a baby around; the sight of her bubbly acceptance almost reminded me of how excited I was when Mom was pregnant with my younger brother at Ava’s age. The thought of not hearing from any of my brothers, especially around Christmas, left a hollow pain in my chest; Paul noticed the saddened expression on my face and reached for Ava, pulling her into his arms with a small understanding smile on his lips.
"Okay, Ava. Let's go see if Grandma wants to bake cookies so Mommy can rest."
Paul quietly ushered Ava toward the kitchen with promises of chocolate chips and I couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath as I laid down on the couch. Throwing a fleece blanket over my lower body, I snuggled into the cushions and drifted off to O Holy Night by Celine Dion floating through the stilled air.
* * * * *
What felt like an eternity later, I woke up to see Paul kneeling a few feet away as he made sure there was more wood in the fireplace to keep the fire alive. The radio on the mantle was still on, just turned down enough so it played softly as background noise. I pulled myself up from the cushions a little bit, yawning and stretching.
A Heart of Gang (The Centofanti Gang Book 1) Page 13