He turned, pulling her into his chest. God, she was beautiful and kind and loving. Did he deserve her? Alex didn’t know but he would do everything in his power to prove that he did.
*****
A couple weeks passed and Bianca was getting used to the routine of spending time with Alex, work and school. She was excited about her upcoming doctor’s appointment and ultrasound; the first one. She and Alex spent hours at night talking about baby names, baby gear and if he should move into her house. He was currently living in a one bedroom apartment that he kept for in between his deployments, it wasn’t like they could all live there, so her place made more sense. Smiling uncontrollably for the fifth time that day, Bianca rounded up fifteen tiny little people into some semblance of a line. It was time for lunch and then recess, their favorite part of the day, and the kindergarten class was restless.
“Tommy, get back behind Melinda,” Bianca ordered, guiding him with a gentle hand on his back. “You know that it’s her turn as line leader.”
Tommy scowled at her but did as he was told. Bianca held back a laugh and turned to Mrs. Jensen. She had the same look on her face. Five-year-olds were hilarious.
“How are you feeling, dear?” Mrs. Jensen asked Bianca as they walked the class to the cafeteria.
Bianca had told Mrs. Jensen about her pregnancy, she was the only person at school so far, in case she had to run to the bathroom from morning sickness.
“I’m feeling pretty good actually,” Bianca beamed as she talked, “I was slightly nauseous at the very beginning but it seems to have subsided.”
“How far along are you again?” Mrs. Jensen asked.
“Just about six weeks.” Bianca answered.
Mrs. Jensen frowned but didn’t say anything. Bianca thought that was strange and just as she was about to ask why she looked like that they entered the lunchroom and the chaos of two hundred elementary aged children talking and laughing all at the same time. The rest of the day went by in a blur and Bianca was antsy for three o’clock to meet Alex at the doctor’s. The good part was that the class kept her so busy she didn’t have too much time to think about the appointment. When the time finally came to leave, Bianca gathered her things and practically ran from the building. All the way to the doctor’s Bianca tried to imagine what her baby would look like at this stage. Her expectant mothers’ book said it would look like a bean. Butterflies of anticipation assaulted her stomach and when she finally arrived at the doctor’s office she was giddy with anticipation.
Bianca drove around the lot searching for Alex’s car. He wasn’t there yet. Parking, she dug her cell phone from her purse to call him but there was already a missed call from him. Her head swimming with confusion, Bianca swiped her finger over the missed call icon to call Alex back.
“Bianca?” Alex answered on the first ring.
“What’s wrong?” She immediately asked, worried.
“Nothing, but I’m going to be late for your appointment. I’ve just received a call about a job opportunity and if I don’t interview today then the p
osition is going to be offered to someone else.” Alex said, his voice was filled with excitement.
Knowing how hard he took it when his dream of the security company fizzled out, Bianca decided not to be too hard on him for missing the ultrasound, even though she was disappointed.
“Okay,” she replied, unable to hide her disappointment.
Alex sighed on the other end, “I’m sorry, baby. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
They talked for another few minutes and then Bianca hung up, a frown of unhappiness lining her face. One glance at her dashboard clock and she realized she was already a few minutes late. Cursing under her breath, Bianca exited the car. A sudden cramping in her abdomen took her by surprise, but it wasn’t overly painful, just uncomfortable and she shook it off as growing pains. Halfway to the building Bianca noticed she forgot her purse. Worried that Alex would call and she would miss it, she trudged back to the car, parked all the way in the back of the lot, to retrieve it. Now almost ten minutes late, Bianca entered the doctor’s office just as another twinge gripped her belly. Doubling over, Bianca noticed this one was sharper and more painful than the first. Suddenly afraid for her baby, Bianca hurried up to the reception desk. After checking in she explained to the receptionist what had occurred.
“I’m sorry, Bianca. Since you were ten minutes late you will have to wait a bit for the doctor to fit you in. Her four-thirty just arrived.” The receptionist explained.
Bianca’s face dropped as another twinge of pain made her bend over. “But what about what’s happening to me?” She asked with fear in her voice.
“Cramping and growing pains are common in the early months. If you’ve not had any spotting or bright red blood you should be alright. Please have a seat and the nurses will call you back as soon as they are able to.” The tone of the receptionist’s voice took on a condescending note and Bianca glared at her through the glass partition.
Once she was seated, Bianca pulled out her phone to text Alex about her cramps. Maybe he could talk her down from the unsettling panic she was feeling.
Bianca: I’m waiting to see the doctor. I was too late for my appointment. I’ve been having some cramping.
Alex: Is it bad?
Bianca: Not unbearable, but enough to double over.
Alex: Round ligament pain?
Bianca: Possibly. I hope she can see me soon.
Alex: I’m walking into my interview now; I’ll text you when I’m on my way. It’s going to be okay, babe.