“I’m a good judge of character, except for you, she isn’t. I’ve had her checked out.”
“Then why didn’t you know she was in jail?”
“Because that was part of her juvenile record. You had no right seeing that.”
Tory shrugged. “Whatever. She’s going to take your money then run back to whatever hole she came out of.”
“Either way, I’ve moved on. Leave me alone, Tory.”
He left her standing in her living room.
***
Violet sat in the doctor’s office wondering where Amedeo was. He was supposed to meet her here. He’d gone into work and she’d slept in. She had her first appointment with the obstetrician who would deliver her baby. And they were doing an ultrasound.
A nurse opened a door to the back. “Violet Taylor?”
Violet glanced at the entrance to the office one more time before she rose to follow the nurse.
“I need to weigh you. Do you have any idea what your normal weight is?”
She told the woman before she stood on the scale. This might be the only time in her life she would look forward to being weighed. Gaining weight was healthy in this case. The nurse wrote down her numbers, then led her to an exam room.
“Remove everything from the waist down. Here’s a paper to drape over your lap. Do you require a nurse with your during the exam?”
“No.”
The nurse left then Violet undressed. She sat on the exam table swinging her legs. She wished Amedeo was here. She was nervous and a little scared, not that she expected bad news.
Someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”
A smiling young woman entered with a folder in her hand. “Hello. I’m Doctor Baron. You must be Violet.”
Violet shook the woman’s hand. “Hello.”
“Well, so you’re having a baby. Do you have any idea how far along you are?”
“I’m guessing eight weeks.”
“Then we’re doing this ultrasound at the perfect time.” The doctor perused her chart. “Your blood pressure looks good. That’s important. You ready?”
Violet nodded.
“Lay back then.”
She did as the doctor asked. On the ceiling someone had put cartoons about labor and pregnancy. Violet read them as the doctor readied the machine. “The wand will be put into your vagina and I’ll be able to see what’s going on in there. At this point, the baby doesn’t look like much, but it’s still a baby.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll feel some discomfort, but then it’ll be fine,” Doctor Baron said.
The doctor looked at the screen as she inserted the wand into Violet. Her body adjusted to it inside of her so she was fine in a minute. She would have liked to have Amedeo here, anyway. Maybe she’d have a picture for him.
“I have to look at a few things. I won’t be able to tell the sex of the baby yet. That’ll be during your next ultrasound in a few months. Do you want to know?”
“Yes.”
She and Amedeo hadn’t talked about it, but she wanted to know. Might make this all the more real. “Your husband couldn’t make it today?”
“Uh, he got held up at work.”
“That’s okay. Most men can’t see anything this time around. The next time it’ll be more important.”
She still wished for him to be here, but then again she’d gone through so much of her life alone why should now be any different. She should enjoy getting the first glimpse of her child without him. His loss. Not hers.
With that thought she smiled. “It’s fine.”
“Okay. I’ve looked at all I need. I’ll print you a picture that the receptionist will have in an envelope for you.”
“Thanks.”
She removed the wand. “Now we’ll hear the heartbeat.”
She took what looked like a radio with a microphone out of the cabinet. She put the microphone part on Violet’s tummy.
“Listen.”
There, she heard it. Her baby’s heartbeat. Suddenly it was all real. She had a human inside of her. She was going to have a baby. Amedeo’s baby. Her eyes moistened and she was overcome with emotion. Mostly good ones.
“The heartbeat sounds great. So far your baby is healthy. The receptionist will have a goody bag for you and some recommended reading about what you can expect in the coming months.”
The doctor put away the contraption that let her hear the baby’s heart. The sound still rung in Violet’s ears. She’d remember that sound forever. Her baby. Her child. She sighed.
“You can get dressed. Make an appointment for about one month from now. I’ll see you again.”
The doctor left. Violet dressed in a daze. This was all so real. Suddenly her life seemed so much better than it had ever been. Maybe she needed to think about keeping this child? Raising it with Amedeo in its life also.