Chapter 24

"Are you sure about this, girl?"Myra asked.

I was on the way to my OBGYN for a checkup and to discontinue my birth control. Since the pregnancy scare two weeks ago, it had been heavy on my mind. I had to weigh the decision and sit with it for a bit. I still felt the weight of the disappointment from the test being negative. Sometimes, I found myself staring at my reflection, imagining a cute little bump.

I thought about baby names and laughed at myself when I tried to come up with names that were a combination of ours. They were all horrible. I wasn't sure why the baby fever kicked in so heavily. Maybe it was the scare. Potentially having a baby on the way and then discovering it was a false alarm had me a little fucked up.

Jacob and I hadn't discussed it further, but I knew he was sad.

A few times, I'd caught him staring into the drawer that housed the second pregnancy test. He wanted a baby. It was evident in the way he'd taken to laying on my stomach or rubbing it when we cuddled. I didn't think he even realized he was doing it. His actions told me his desires even when he couldn't.

While our marriage was still fresh, we both wanted children. We were financially stable. Our relationship was more stable than people who had been married for years on end. Having his baby wouldn't be a problem.

I just wanted to get a checkup to make sure everything was okay once I stopped the birth control. I didn't want anything to hinder the process. I still hadn't gotten my period, and I was a bit concerned about that.

"I'm sure, My. You didn't see how disappointed he was when he looked a that negative test."

"Awww! He really wanted a baby."

"He did, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will be a great father."

"I can see a bunch of spoiled-ass, little red babies running around."

I giggled. "Heavy on the spoiled ‘cause Daddy is gonna do the most."

"Don't blame it on their daddy. You'll be just as bad. Look at you with those puppies."

"Why are you bringing up irrelevant shit?"

She laughed loudly. Barkly and Pawly were already spoiled rotten, and it was largely in part to me. I just adored them! They were the sweetest fur babies and one of the best things my husband could have given me.

"Anyway! Have you told him you were stopping birth control?"

"No. I thought it might be nice to surprise him when I pop out pregnant. You know, do one of those reveals? I wanna find a cute, creative way to announce it. Knowing me, I'll probably tell him before I can plan anything. You know I can't keep a secret."

"Bitch, you kept your pending marriage a secret!"

"That was different, My! The circumstances aren't the same as announcing a pregnancy."

"Kay, go to hell. Those are two very big things. The only difference is the feelings surrounding them."

"Get off my phone, Myra," I said as I turned into the parking lot.

I hated when she made sense.

She laughed at me. "Call me later, ho. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I ended the call as I pulled into a parking space. After shutting off the car, I grabbed my purse and headed inside. The receptionist greeted me with a smile.

"Welcome to Colonial Women's Center. How can I help you?"

"Hi. I'm Kachelle Mitchell. I have an appointment with Dr. Jenkins."

She clicked away on her keyboard for a moment. "I see you right here. I just need you to fill out this paperwork, and someone will call you back shortly."

I nodded as I took the clipboard from her outstretched hand. Grabbing a seat, I quickly filled out the papers and returned them. While I waited to be called back, I busied myself with tuning into this show playing in the lobby call I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.

I'd seen the show and always thought it was crazy how someone could deliver a full-term baby and not know they were pregnant. I hadn't personally met anyone who experienced that, but it was wild. I got so caught up in this episode that I didn't hear my name being called.

"Mrs. Mitchell!"

I looked up to see a nurse standing off to the side.

"Yes?"

"We're ready for you."

I stood with my purse. "I'm sorry. I was a little too into that show."

She giggled. "I get it. Strange things happen."

"Tell me about it."

She led me to the back and gave me a cup to collect a urine sample, a standard procedure during a checkup. I quickly emptied my bladder, washed my hands, and left the bathroom. A few seconds later, I was shown to an exam room, where collected my vitals and gave a gown to put on.

"The doctor will be with you shortly.'

"Okay."

She left me with a smile as she closed the door. I changed out of my maxi dress and slipped into the gown. My nerves were a little on edge about this visit. I sat there taking deep breaths, slightly wishing that Jacob was here with me.

I hadn't told him about the appointment. He thought I was out running errands since I'd taken the day off. I mean, it wasn't a total lie. I did have a few things to do today. This was just a small detour.

After about ten minutes, Dr. Jenkins came in with her usual bubbly personality.

"Kachelle! How are you, beautiful?"

"I'm well. How are you?"

"I can't complain. I didn't even realize you were you. The last name didn't ring a bell, yet you're the only Kachelle I know."

"I um… I got married."

"Really! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

"Shall we get started? I see you're here for a checkup and to stop your birth control, correct?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Well, my period is late, but I took a pregnancy test, and it was negative."

"Hmm. Have you had any pain or irregular periods?"

"No. They come like clockwork every month."

"Do you remember the date of your last period?"

"I don't. If I had to guess it was right before my wedding."

"I see. Do you mind if I do an ultrasound to rule out a few possibilities?"

"Um… sure."

"Great. Give me a second to grab the machine."

"Okay." Just as she opened the door, the nurse who walked me back was about to come in.

"Oh! Dr. Jenkins. I was just coming to inquire about Mrs. Mitchell's last period."

She handed her a piece of paper. Dr. Jenkins looked at it and then back at me.

"This is accurate?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I ran it twice just to be sure."

"Thank you. Could you grab me the ultrasound machine?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She left, and I sat there with a confused look on my face.

"Is something wrong?"

Dr. Jenkins giggled. "No, nothing is wrong. We found the source of your issue. You're pregnant."

"But… but how? I took a test, and it was negative."

She handed me the paper, and sure enough, right there in black-and-white, it confirmed that I was indeed pregnant.

"I don't understand. How can one be right, and the other be wrong?"

"It could have been a faulty test, or you could've been too early to tell. We can further confirm with the ultrasound just how far along you are."

I sat staring at the paper in my hands. Pregnant. I thought back to all the wine I'd consumed. I thought about the blackout drunk night with Myra and Jessa. What if I'd done damage to my baby?

The nurse rolled the ultrasound machine in. She plugged it up while Dr. Jenkins gathered the necessary items needed. She had me lie back and draped a blanket over me before pulling my gown up. The jelly was cold as she squirted it into my stomach.

The moment she placed the wand to it, the screen lit up with an image.

"There is your little bean. Judging by the size, I'd say you're about six or seven weeks. There's the heartbeat. He or she is strong and healthy."

She pointed at the spot on the screen, and I burst into tears. Thank you, God! Dr. Jenkins and the nurse both gave me reassuring pats on the hand as I tried to gather myself.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I was terrified. I've had alcohol and wine since I had no idea. It's been a very stressful couple of months."

"I understand it; life happens. Just no more drinking. It's very unlikely that anything is wrong with the fetus, but now that you are aware that you're pregnant, I need you to be as careful as possible."

I nodded. "Yes, yes of course." I stared at the screen with a wide smile on my face. "I'm gonna be a mommy."

"Yes, you are. Congratulations!"

"You'll have to bring the hubby by so I can meet him. I'm sure he will be ecstatic about the news."

"He will. He's the whole reason I'm here in the first place. He was so disappointed when the test came back negative at home. I can't wait to tell him."

"I'll make sure to have these pictures printed out for you."

"Thank you."

We spoke for a few moments longer before she left me to get. She wrote me a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and scheduled my next appointment. With the ultrasound in my hand, I walked out with a big smile on my face. I couldn't wait to tell my husband.

I tippedinto the house as not to alert Jacob that I was home. I was sure he was in his office working, so I quietly crept upstairs to our bathroom with my gift bag and flowers in hand. The question of the false negative pregnancy test was eating at me. There were two in the box so I put the extra one in a drawer in the bathroom.

Quietly, I shut the bathroom door and shuffled through the drawer t until I found the box. Pulling it out, I turned it over until I found the expiration date. Looking at it, I chuckled to myself. This shit expired eight months ago.

I shook my head as I tossed it on the counter. "Oh my God. That man."

Grabbing my items, I left the bathroom and then the bedroom, heading back downstairs to Jacob's office. I could hear him clicking away at his keyboard with music playing softly in the background.

Through the crack in the door, I could see Barkly and Pawly's bed sitting on top of his huge L-shaped desk. They were quietly napping their little lives away. I giggled to myself because he talked about the way I spoiled them, but he was just as bad.

Pushing the door open, I walked in with a smile on my face.

"Hey, baby," I said, strutting around the desk to him.

He looked up at me and grinned. "Hey, my love."

Leaning in, I pecked his lips. "These are for you," I said, handing him the flowers.

His eyes widened. "You brought me flowers?"

"I know it's not traditional?—"

"No, no, I love it. Nobody has ever given me flowers. You got me blushing and shit."

His face did have a slight red tint to it. I was hesitant to buy the flowers in the first place, but seeing his reaction made me happy I did.

"Thank you, love." He peeked at the bag. "What's this?"

"A surprise."

"What are you up to, woman?"

I was giddy with excitement. "Open it and see."

Skeptically, he pulled the bag toward him. My feet pitter-pattered as he pulled the tissue from the bag. An elated squeal left my throat, causing him to laugh.

"You must have put a lot of thought into this," he said, shaking his head.

"Let's just say a lot of work went into it."

He grinned as he pulled the ribbon-wrapped box from the bag and placed it on the desk. I wanted to shake him as he took his sweet time untying the bow. My breath hitched as he pulled the top off and pulled back the tissue paper.

His eyes widened as he zeroed in on the ultrasound pictures and custom flask that read, Daddy EST. 2024.

"You… you're pregnant? We're pregnant?"

I nodded vigorously. "We're preg?—"

I barely got the words out before he was on his feet, scooping me in the air. I giggled as he spun me around, then abruptly placed me on my feet. Dropping to his knees, he placed his hands on my stomach and kissed it. Tears fell from my eyes as he cried against me.

In that moment, I knew that even if this was happening fast, this baby would be born into nothing but love.

"Thank you," he whispered, kissing my belly again. "Thank you."

He climbed to his feet and crashed his lips into mine, kissing me passionately.

"This is the best thing you could have even given me next to you," he said, pressing his forehead to mine. "I love you so much, Kay."

"I love you, too."

By this time, Barkly and Pawly were awake and whining for attention. I scooped them up from their bed and hugged them to my chest.

"You're gonna be big brothers!" I sang to them.

"Wait… when did you go to the doctor?" Jacob asked.

"Today. I was going to stop my birth control."

"But the test you did… it was negative."

I laughed. "Come here."

Cradling my babies, I grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to our bedroom bathroom. Retrieving the pregnancy test, I handed him the box.

"Read the expiration date."

He took it from me, mumbling the date to himself.

"Oh shit!" He laughed. "I probably should have looked at that."

"You think? No more gas station pregnancy tests. I can only imagine how many people have gone through this."

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "My bad, my bad."

Taking the puppies from me, he placed them on the floor. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me again.

"We're having a baby," he said, grinning.

"We're having a baby, Daddy."

"Prepare to be sick of me."

"No, we're gonna prepare to be sick of Jessa and Myra."

He laughed. "That part."

"When do you want to tell or family?"

"I at least want to get out of my first trimester, you know? Make sure everything is safe."

"Okay. I'll try not to say anything, but can't make any promises."

"Jacob! Don't ruin the surprise!"

"Baby, I'm excited! My baby is having my baby."

He lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom. Gently, he placed me on the bed and climbed in beside me. His lips captured mine as his hand slipped under my dress.

"What do you say we celebrate making a baby by practicing making another one?"

I giggled. "Don't you have work to do?"

"The only work I'm trying to do is on you, love."

His hand slipped into my panties, and I folded. There was no way I could ever deny him what was his.