Pregnancy Countdown

by Linda Wisdom

  Mark stared at the monitor. He stared entranced by the wavy lines that soon took shape.

  He was looking at his baby!

  “He’s one active little guy,” he said hoarsely.

  The technician chuckled. “Judging by the lack of certain equipment, I’d say she’s one active little girl,” she told him. “Congratulations, you’re having a daughter.” She pushed a button for photographic copies.

  “A little girl,” Nora whispered. Her laughter was shaky.

  Mark’s fingers tightened its grip on her hand. “Oh my God, a daughter,” he muttered. “I’m the guy mothers warn their daughters about and I’m having a daughter. What’s wrong with this picture?” He was in shock and didn’t see the look of amusement pass between Nora and the technician.

  “It’s common among men,” the technician said. “They realize they’ll be watching those horny kids sniffing after their daughters. They’re afraid they can’t handle the pressure.”

  “I can handle the pressure!” Mark said indignantly. “I’ll just tell the boys what my dad told my sisters’ dates. ‘There’s a lot of empty land out there and I’ve got a big shovel.”’ He looked at the photograph the technician gave him. “A little girl,” he whispered. His knees suddenly buckled. He blindly groped for a chair.

  Nora started to rise then realized there was no way she could. “Mark, are you all right?”

  “It just hit him,” the technician explained. She peered at him closely. “No, he’s not going to pass out.”

  “Says you,” he whispered, staring at the picture. “There’s spots before my eyes.”

  “He’s a paramedic,” Nora told her.

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ve had doctors pass out. Wait until the delivery,” she said knowledgeably. “He’s the kind who will crash fast.”

  Mark was still staring at the picture when they walked out of the doctor’s office.

  “What do I know about having a daughter? Except for protecting her from jerks like me,” he said. Dismay was written on his face as he looked at Nora.

  Nora reached his truck before he did and stood by the passenger door. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll let you give her the talk.” She started laughing. “You should see your face!”

  “Don’t scare me like that.” He had to press the button for his alarm system twice before it deactivated.

  “Breakfast?” Nora prompted as he helped her into the truck. “I’m starving.”

  “Hmm? Oh, yeah.”

  Mark didn’t want to admit his head was still spinning at the news.

  “Now I can fix up the nursery for a little girl,” Nora said. “I wanted to know the sex so I could decorate accordingly.”

  “I’ll do the heavy work,” Mark volunteered.

  “You know how to hang wallpaper? Stencil walls?”

  “Sure I do,” he bluffed. He made a mental note to get his brothers to help. He figured they’d know how to hang wallpaper and stencil walls, whatever that was.

  “Um.” Nora didn’t look convinced.

  By mutual agreement, they stopped at a local restaurant known for its home-style cooking and large portions.

  “I’m having a daughter,” Mark announced to the waitress the moment they were seated in a rear booth.

  “Congratulations.” She smiled brightly. “Too bad you don’t have the fun of going through labor, too.” She winked at Nora as she went off to get coffee for Mark and orange juice for Nora.

  Mark looked at Nora. Since the day promised cold and rain, she’d dressed in an olive polo-style sweater and matching leggings. Even her flats were the dull green color. He wondered if she’d hit him if he teased her that she could be in a martini. Then he remembered his brothers talking about how women had no sense of humor when they were pregnant, so he decided it might not be a good idea to tease her. This morning, she’d swept her hair up into a ponytail and only wore her dangling stars earrings. He noticed her nails were polished a bronze color. She looked so beautiful his heart ached.

  “We can do this,” he said.

  She looked startled then laughed. “I think we already have.”

  “No, what I mean is we can do this. Raise the baby together. Be together.”

  She leaned back against the seat. “I told you we would share custody.”

  “Why not more?”

  “Because there’s too many differences,” she told him.

  “You didn’t think so six months ago.” He winced the moment the words left his mouth. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

  Nora’s eyes flared bright green. “Yes, it is.” She was silent as the waitress left their drinks. They gave their orders and watched her leave. Nora held up her hand when Mark opened his mouth. “Could we hold off on this discussion until after we eat?”

  Mark nodded. He was positive the meal lasted forever. Nora kept conversation casual and he spoke by rote. But he knew something was bothering her. He feared what bothered her was him.

  All through breakfast, Nora wondered if she shouldn’t just explain why she felt the way she did. Tell him about her fears.

  “You don’t work until this afternoon?” Mark asked when they drove back to her house.

  “I’m not going in until one.” She unlocked the door and led the way inside. They walked back to the family room. Mark collapsed on the couch then picked up Brumby and set him on the cushion next to him. Nora took the chair across from them. She linked her hands in front of her.

  “I’ve never said much about my father,” she began. “Mainly because he left us when I was young.”

  “You only said your parents were divorced,” he replied.

  Nora sighed. “It was really more than that. My mother was very insecure. Anytime my father even talked to a woman, my mother was convinced he was hitting on her. He liked to flirt and she used to think it was going beyond that. They’d go out a lot at night and they were always fighting when they came home. My mother would accuse him of taking a woman’s phone number and my dad would call her a nagging bitch. Pretty soon he got fed up with all her accusations and he left. What I couldn’t understand was that he left without me,” she said in a voice that left her disconnected from the subject. “He never even said goodbye to me. I remember hearing my mother on the phone demanding he give up all his girlfriends and come back to her. Of course, he didn’t.” She took a shuddering breath. Mark started to say something but she shook her head. “Please, let me finish this first.”

  Mark nodded.

  Nora pressed her fingertips against her temples.

  “My father paid alimony and child support with the stipulation he never see me or my mother again,” she continued. “We moved in with Grammy Fran. Later on, I came to realize that Grammy Fran had practically ordered my mother and me to stay with her. My mother continued thinking my father would come to his senses and come back to us. Grammy Fran took over all the mom duties. She enrolled me in school, made sure I got there on time, joined after-school activities and had a normal life, even if my mother was lost in her own little world.”

  “So you think I’m like your dad,” Mark guessed.

  “No!” she shouted at him. “He was not my dad, he was just a sperm donor. He was nothing more than a signature on a check every month. A dad is like your dad and your brothers. A dad is someone who cares about his kids. Who believes in the word family.”

  “But you think I’m like him.” Hurt crossed his face when her silence was his answer. He thought for a moment. “Is this why you broke up with me? You thought I was like him? I never cheated on you. In fact, I never cheated on any woman I dated on a regular basis.”

  “You never dated a woman on a regular basis. Three dates was usually your limit. Everyone calls you the three-strike date!” She curled up in a tight ball.

  “Not until after you dumped me. I was hurt, dammit! All I could think about was you. What could make you think I’d cheat on you when you were the only woman I wanted to be with?” Mark jumped to his feet
and paced the length of the room. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this back then? We could have worked things out.”

  “I didn’t see working things out when you had firefighter groupies hanging all over you.” She glared at him.

  “Great, just great,” Mark muttered, turning in a tight circle before facing her. “Then you remember a hell of a lot more about that night than I do. You know what I remember?” He pointed his finger at her. “I remember picking you up because we were going out for dinner. I remember you wearing a cute little turquoise sundress that had crisscross straps across the back. You had one of those temporary tattoos on your shoulder. A small red rose. Your hair was shorter then, curlier. We went down to Corona Del Mar for dinner then stopped at that club the guys hang out at. A new band was playing and we wanted to dance. After we’d been there for about an hour, you suddenly turned cold. You acted as if you were spoiling for a fight. I’d barely gotten you home before you told me we were through. I asked you why and you said you didn’t need to give me a reason. Just don’t call you again. Then you slammed the door in my face. That’s what I remember.”

  Nora stared at him openmouthed. “You remember what I wore?” she whispered. “Even the tattoo?”

  He nodded. “I remember everything, Nora. The only woman I would have cared hanging over me was you. If someone else was flirting with me, I was polite and that was it.”

  She shook her head. She was hearing a different side to the story and having trouble comprehending it.

  “Maybe it looked like I was flirting that night,” his voice softened. “I don’t know. But I do know the only woman who had my attention back then was you.” He picked up his jacket. Before slipping it on, he picked up Brumby and set him on the floor. “But I guess it’s easier to remember what you want to, isn’t it?”

  Nora remained curled up in the chair. The sound of the door softly closing was like a death knell.

  She felt guilt dump acid into her stomach. Then the baby kicked as if offering her own opinion. Nora placed her hand on her abdomen. “You’re going to tell me I was wrong, aren’t you?” Another kick was her answer. She heaved a deep sigh. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mark wasn’t his usual enthusiastic self during his next shift at the station. Sensing his need, the others left him alone.

  He’d come to more than one decision during this time.

  He wanted Nora to realize he wasn’t like her father.

  He wished he’d known two years ago what he knew now. Maybe times he’d been polite to a woman looked like flirting. Especially to someone as sensitive to it as Nora was. He would have been more understanding about her feelings.

  Since today was a sunny day, Mark had taken a chair outside so he could be alone with his thoughts.

  “So, Jeff, what all are you and Abby doing for your anniversary?” Brian asked as the two brothers walked outside. Jeff had a basketball in one hand and was bouncing it up and down.

  “Oh man!” he groaned. “That’s why she’s been hinting about a getaway weekend at the Del Coronado.” He mentioned the popular hotel in San Diego.

  “And you didn’t pick up on hints that I’m sure were less than subtle?”

  “The girls were down with the flu then Seth caught it,” Jeff replied. “I’ll get her something she’s wanted for a long time.”

  “We’ll watch the kids if you want to take Abby out for a nice romantic dinner,” Brian offered.

  “She’s so tired lately she’d probably prefer staying in,” Jeff said.

  Mark caught Brian’s attention and grimaced at him. Brian nodded. Both brothers knew Abby would not prefer staying in.

  “Either of you know how to wallpaper and stencil?” Mark asked.

  Jeff and Brian exchanged looks.

  “She’s getting ready to set up the nursery,” Jeff said.

  “And she’ll want everything just right,” Brian added. “You can’t make any suggestions because she’ll tell you you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you ask her if she’s feeling all right, she’ll think you’re telling her she’s fat.”

  “If you offer to rub her back she’ll accuse you of just about everything known to man,” Jeff said. “Then there’s labor.” Both brothers groaned.

  “Gail turned into a raving maniac during her labor,” Brian recalled. “She was downright scary.”

  “You want scary, be with Abby when she’s in labor,” Jeff said. “If she could have gotten her hands on something sharp, I probably would have lost something important.” The other two men winced in sympathy.

  “Thanks a lot, guys.” Mark stood up and picked up his chair. “Now that you’ve shared your expertise in these matters, I am now going to go inside and cut my throat.”

  “We’re always here to help, little brother,” Jeff called after him.

  “Call on us anytime,” Brian added. He stared at Mark’s departing figure. “He didn’t mean that, did he?” he asked Jeff. “He really meant that to be a wave, right?”

  “He could have been pointing at the sky,” Jeff suggested. “Of course, he wouldn’t have used that particular finger, would he?” He bounced the basketball a couple times. “I tell you, good advice just isn’t appreciated the way it should be.”

  NORA WAS TIRED when she got home from work. She was used to working even longer days and had never felt her energy level lag. Now she learned she couldn’t stand on her feet all day. She took advantage of CeCe’s advice and rested whenever she could.

  At the moment she just wanted to collapse on the couch and put her feet up.

  She realized she wasn’t going to have that peace and quiet when she saw a familiar pickup truck parked in her driveway with the front end facing outward. She also felt her heart get a little kick start when she saw a bare-chested Mark in her front yard pushing a lawn mower over the front lawn. He’d left the garage door open and Brumby was secured by a long lead that was wrapped around Mark’s truck’s rear bumper. The bulldog barked and strained forward to greet her as she carefully climbed out of her little Bug.

  “Hey there!” Mark grinned at her. He shut off the mower and walked over to the front steps where a large water bottle resided. He twisted off the top and drank deeply. He poured the rest of the water over his chest. “Hi, honey, how was your day?”

  Nora stopped long enough to pet Brumby and scratch him behind his ears.

  “Long. What are you doing?”

  “I’d say I was mowing your lawn for you,” he said. “Ginna mentioned you’d fired your gardener because he was doing a lousy job. You’re right. He wasn’t doing much more than the basics. Your plants needed feeding and your grass definitely needed to be aerated. I got the back lawn done too. I see what you mean about the Brumb. He sat facing the back fence the whole time a bunch of kids were playing in the park. I think he enjoyed himself as much as the kids did.” He picked up a hand towel and wiped the sweat off his chest.

  Nora’s mouth went dry as she watched his hand move across his chest.

  Had it always been this muscular? His tan had faded some because of the winter weather, but his skin still retained a hint of dark gold color.

  “Nora?” He looked at her inquiringly. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” her voice came out squeaky. “Fine. This was very nice of you.”

  He stepped forward. “I like your hair.” He brushed his fingers against the wispy curls feathering her cheeks.

  Nora touched the short curls that lay against her neck. “I asked Ginna for something easy to take care of and she sort of went crazy with the scissors.”

  “Cute. Like you.” He stepped even closer.

  She inhaled the heated scent of his body. Thoughts of dragging him into the shower and soaping him all over ran through her mind.

  “Ah.” She found it difficult to get past the picture of a naked Mark in her shower. “I feel like I should fix you dinner as a thank-you.”

  Mark shook his head. “Actually, I’m
kidnapping you to my place. I figured I’d soften you up first with my landscaping skills.” He wiggled his eyebrows in a comical manner. “Come on, Nora,” he urged softly. “I promise I won’t give you food poisoning. Mesquite-grilled chicken kabobs, potatoes baking on the grill. S’mores,” he added as further inducement.

  Nora swallowed a soft moan.

  “You fight dirty,” she whispered.

  He grinned when her stomach growled loudly.

  “Your eyes may say no but your stomach says yes. Come on, it will be fun,” he invited. “Brumby can come too.”

  “Let me change first.”

  “I still have to edge the lawn and put the tools away,” he told her. “Why don’t you change into something comfortable, we’ll go eat at my place and I’ll have you back home in bed before you yawn once. If you’ll give me your keys, I’ll put your Bug away when I’m finished.”

  Nora’s mind went traveling again. Now they were out of the shower and into bed. She noticed she didn’t resemble a baby whale in her private fantasy. In fact, she looked pretty darn good.

  “I’ll be out as soon as I change.”

  In Nora’s mind she might have been moving swiftly, but she was actually waddling more than running as she searched through her wardrobe for something that wouldn’t make her look, well, pregnant.

  “Your daddy’s doing things your grandfather would never have done,” she told the tiny kicker inside her belly. “Lawn work was beneath him.” She tossed items of clothing out of the closet. She’d kept her pregnant wardrobe limited to some knit pants and skirts with elastic waistbands and loose tops. She couldn’t find one thing that could be considered remotely sexy. At least nothing that she could wear at this time. She sighed with regret when she looked at one of her favorite tops. It was a black sequined halter top she usually wore with a skinny black silk skirt that had a slit up to the thigh. When she wore that outfit with her favorite black satin high-heeled slides, she felt invincible.

  Tonight, she settled for a V-necked teal knit top with black leggings and black flats. She fluffed up her hair and exchanged her gold studs for the dangling stars and moons Mark liked so much. With a touch of golden coral blush, coral lipstick and mascara, she felt ready for pretty much anything. When she walked outside, she found Mark sitting on the top step with a contented Brumby leaning against his hip. Mark looked up and smiled.