“From the measurements, I would say you’re about fifteen weeks along,” he says, looking at me. I immediately feel guilty for not knowing sooner that I was pregnant.
“Is everything okay? I mean, is he healthy?” Asher asks.
“Everything looks perfect.”
“I was on the shot and had no idea I was pregnant,” I blurt, not wanting him to think that I’m going to be a horrible parent.
“You would be amazed at the number of times I’ve heard that story. It’s not as uncommon as some might think.”
“Really?” I am so glad I’m not the only one this has happened to.
“Really!” He chuckles.
“You’re far enough along to know the sex, if you would like to find out?” he says, looking back at the screen.
“Um.” I bite my lip and look at Asher. He nods his head, so I take that as a yes.
“Yes, please.”
“Okay, let’s have a look,” the doctor says, moving the wand around a bit. “I hope you like the color pink.” He smiles.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, looking up at Asher’s pale face. “Babe, are you okay? You look sick,” I say, trying to sit up. I didn’t expect this from him. He seemed so excited.
He swallows and shakes his head. “I’m having a daughter.”
“Yeah,” I say slowly, hoping that he isn’t going to start freaking out. I need him to be together. I didn’t even remember that I needed to make an appointment. I didn’t know that I couldn’t drink coffee until he told me. He had to be the one to hold it together.
“Look at you.” His hand frames my face and his eyes roam all over me. “Jesus, God is fucking playing a joke on me.”
“What?” I whisper.
“You’re so beautiful. I was not a good guy before you. God is getting even.”
I can’t help it, I start laughing. I grab his face and look into his worried eyes. “Honey, you’re going to be able to pick out the bad boys from a mile away. She will be a total daddy’s girl, and you will keep her safe. I love you, okay?”
He takes a deep breath and kisses me, bringing his hand to my stomach where we know our daughter is. His eyes come back to me. “I keep thinking that this is all a joke, that no one should ever be this happy.”
“I know,” I laugh, shaking my head. It feels unreal.
“So, I read in that book that you should wait to tell people until you’re twelve weeks. We’re past that so who do we want to tell first?” he asks with a smile.
“Miss Alice,” I say right away. She has been so happy since me and Asher got together. I know that she will be excited to hear that we’re having a baby.
Asher smiles and I know that I chose the right person.
I am standing in front of the barbecue with the lighter in my hand and I’m getting ready to set the stupid pregnancy book on fire. It’s been four weeks since we went to the doctor and confirmed that I am pregnant. Everyone has been so excited. When we told Miss Alice that we were having a girl, I thought she was having a seizure. She started jumping around in her chair, clapping and mumbling incoherently. Then she told me that I needed to go to her old house and pick up all the stuff for the baby’s room. I looked at Asher and he shrugged his shoulders.
After we left Miss Alice, we went to my dad’s house and told him that he was going to be a grandfather. I think he almost fainted. Then he called my grandmother, uncles, and cousins, and had everyone come over so we could share the news. For Asher’s mom, I sent her a dozen pink balloons and a card telling her that she was going to have a granddaughter. When she called me screaming into the phone, I knew that she was happy. She made us promise not to tell Mr. Mayson or her boys until that evening at dinner. When Asher stood up at the table and announced that he had, as he said, knocked me up, I thought I would be bruised from the amount of hugs I got from everyone. After that, the book started to make appearances like Chucky.
Two days after dinner with his family, we went to Miss Alice’s house to see what she was talking about. We found a beautiful antique baby bed, dresser and changing table that she had stored up in the attic. They all needed to be refinished but even with the paint chipping and peeling, I could tell they would be beautiful. I told Asher that I wanted to repaint them but he’d read in the book that strong chemical fumes weren’t good for the baby. But he promised to get his brothers to help him refinish them in time, so I agreed without a fight. A week later, when all of Asher’s extended family came over for a big barbecue to celebrate our news, I had been getting ready to dig into a delicious looking tuna steak when it was taken right out from under my fork. Asher told me that I wasn’t allowed to eat it due to the mercury in the meat. Again, I wasn’t happy about this, but I wasn’t going to risk anything happening to our baby, so I had a piece of chicken instead.