“Oh, and we’ll both be mothers of Chris’s half siblings, so we’d be like, co-parents, or half parents … or something.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed.
What else could I do in this crazy-ass situation?
Chapter Thirty-Nine ~ Reardon
I’d given Chloe space, like she’d asked, although while I was doing so I was thinking how frustrating it was that she always seemed to be pushing me away.
Luckily, she’d sent me a text to meet her at the doctor, so I was hoping we’d take the time to have a serious conversation. After we knew the results, of course. It was stressful enough not knowing whether the drug store tests were correct or not, without bringing up our first terrible fight.
I stopped at the welcome desk to get directions to the obstetrician’s office. The appointment was with the same doctor that Zoey had used, but I’d never been to his office.
I searched the waiting room as I entered and saw that Chloe had already arrived. She was sitting in a chair in the corner, thumbing through a magazine. I knew she wasn’t reading it though, because her eyes were staring, unseeing, at the floor.
“Hey,” I said as I crossed the room and sat next to her. Wanting to relay that I was no longer angry, I picked up her hand and brought it to my lips. Her face was wary and unsure as she watched me kiss her lightly, then lower her hand to her lap, keeping it in mine. “Are you okay?”
She gave something between a nod and a shake, then said, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Things will be fine, no matter what happens,” I assured her, then sat back and stared at the door to the back, willing it to open.
We sat quietly, holding hands, until the door opened suddenly, causing us to jump.
“Ms. Zahn,” the woman in scrubs called.
We stood and walked toward her.
“Right this way.”
We followed her down a stark, bright hallway, then turned into a small room with a bed with stirrups, a machine, a small sink, and a couple of chairs on wheels.
“There’s a gown that you can change into,” she said, indicating a folded blue piece of fabric on the cot. “The doctor will be with you momentarily.”
I watched as she drew the curtain and walked out, then turned to Chloe and asked, “Do you want me to wait outside?”
“No, please,” she replied, her tone conveying her fear. “Don’t leave me.”
“All right,” I promised, but turned to survey the room and give her some semblance of privacy.
I was touching stuff, picking it up, examining it, curious as to what all of these strange instruments were for, when Chloe said she was finished.
I turned, holding this long dildo-looking thing that was attached to a machine by a cord.
Chloe laughed and said, “That wand is for an internal ultrasound.”
“Hmmm,” I said, turning it over in my hand.
“It’s in
serted into the vagina,” she added, and I dropped it like a hot potato.
Chloe laughed as I walked to the sink to wash my hands.
When I was done, I turned to see her settled on the cot, her feet already in the stirrups, with a sheet covering her from the waist down.
“I guess you’ve done this kind of thing before,” I said, taking the chair on wheels closest to her and rolling over.
“Yeah,” she said with a chuckle. “Whether I wanted to or not.”