by Erin Rylie
Rafe: I found an app I think you would like. It’s called Ovia, and it shows you the size of the baby, and tells you what to expect during this time in your pregnancy and how your body is changing.
Rafe: Did you know that our baby is the size of a poppy seed right now?
Sophie smiled at his enthusiasm, feeling just a little bit more sure about their decision. She still didn’t know how all of this was going to play out, but she knew that he would be there with her every step of the way.
Sophie: You’re so weird.
Sophie: ...I’ll download it.
After a shower and a cup of decaf tea, Sophie called her gynecologist’s office and scheduled an appointment. Due to a last-minute cancellation, she was lucky enough to get a spot today. She immediately texted Rafe with the address and time before grabbing her purse and heading out the door. She was halfway to her car when she realized that her appointment was at eleven a.m. and it was still only eight.
Sighing and shaking her head at her own stupidity, Sophie walked back into her house and plopped down on the couch. She downloaded Ovia from the app store, thinking she might as well check out the app Rafe was so excited about. Two minutes into setup, she was already frustrated. How the hell was she supposed to know when her due date was? She hadn’t even been to the doctor yet!
Sophie: This app is stupid. I can’t know my due date if I haven’t seen a doctor yet.
Rafe: LOL, I calculated the due date to be somewhere around March 14th.
Sophie: Overachiever.
She typed in the due date Rafe had calculated and found out that her baby’s first placental cells were currently developing. She had no idea what any of that meant, and found herself getting frustrated all over again. Feeling wholly unprepared to deal with the things going on in her body, she grabbed her purse and headed to her local bookstore. Bookstores held all of the answers.
Walking into a bookstore was like coming home for Sophie. Nothing could quite compare to the smell of fresh books and fresher coffee. Unfortunately, she could only indulge in one of those, so she headed to the young adult section. If she was going to buy pregnancy books, she would have to work up to it. She grabbed the latest Jenn Bennett book off of the shelf, and treated herself to a few others while she was at it. She then headed over to the kids section, picking up a few of her favorite children’s books for James. Her godson would be a reader if it killed her.
After she had procrastinated for about an hour, Sophie looked around, making sure she knew nobody in the store, before creeping over to the parenting section.
Holy shit, there are so many choices.
The aisle was jam-packed with colorful books, celebrity guides to parenting (pass), books on child-raising theory, and finally, a pregnancy section. She quickly grabbed What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a classic, and a copy of Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. She was about to leave the aisle when she spotted a book called The Birth Partner. She threw it on top of her pile of books, figuring that Rafe would plow through it and any other pregnancy book she offered him.
On her way to the register, Sophie shuffled around her books, hiding the pregnancy books at the bottom of the pile, as though that would hide them from the checkout clerk. When it was her turn in line, the person behind the counter efficiently scanned and packed her items before asking if she had a membership card.
Sophie scoffed. She practically lived here; of course she had one. Only amateurs were dumb enough not to take advantage of that ten percent discount.
By the time she’d gotten back in her car, she had thirty minutes to make it to her gynecologist’s office. Fortunately, traffic was light on a Thursday morning, and she pulled into the clinic parking lot with ten minutes to spare. Before she could even step out of her car, Rafe was there, pulling the door open farther and offering a hand to help her stand.
“I’m not showing yet. I can get out of a car just fine by myself, thank you.”
Rafe smiled and shrugged. “Can’t fault a man for trying to be chivalrous.”
She closed the door behind her and locked the car. Throwing her keys back in her purse, she glanced at Rafe, taking in his appearance. His blonde hair was still wet, as though he’d just stepped out of the shower, and he was wearing his usual: a pair of dark-wash jeans and a Henley. What must his closet look like? Sophie guessed it was filled to the brim with this exact outfit in variations of gray, blue, and black. A five o’clock shadow graced his jawline, making her want to nibble on it just a little bit. The man looked entirely too fuckable for his own good, and Sophie had to remind herself that looking at him this way had gotten her into her current predicament.
She pivoted and walked toward the front door of the doctor’s office, leaving Rafe behind. Unfortunately, his legs were much longer and he quickly caught up, thrusting a to-go cup of something in front of her.
“Coffee? You brought me coffee?”
“Well, I did some research online, and most doctors say that one cup a day won’t hurt you or the baby. Plus, I know you practically live on the stuff, and I remembered your order from the last time we ran into each other at the coffee shop.” He shrugged.
Sophie took a deep drink from the coffee cup, moaning loudly as she felt the warm drink slide down her throat. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste. When she opened them, Rafe was grinning widely at her. She watched as he reached down, adjusting the rapidly growing situation in his pants.
“Sounds like that coffee gives better orgasms than I do,” he said with a chuckle.
“Don’t be offended. If I had to choose between a life of celibacy and a life without coffee, I would drop sex so fast it would make your head spin. Sign me up to be a nun and keep the cappuccinos coming.”
Rafe barked out a surprised laugh, his eyes moving to her lips. The heat she was becoming all too familiar with had returned to his eyes. He leaned down slowly, making his intent clear, and swiped his tongue across her bottom lip. He kissed her gently before pulling back.
“You had a little foam on your lip,” he said, turning away from her and walking into the building. Sophie followed him, her legs feeling a little bit weaker than they had just a few moments ago.
After she’d checked in with reception and taken a seat in the waiting room, she pulled her phone out of her purse and texted Kelsey. She needed reinforcements.
Sophie: He brought me coffee…
Kelsey: Marry him. Wait, who brought you coffee?
Kelsey: Actually, doesn’t matter. Same answer. Put a ring on that shit.
Sophie: Rafe did. He showed up to the doctor’s appointment, brought me a bone-dry cappuccino, and then kissed me in the parking lot.
Kelsey: Are you still at the doctor’s office? The guy deserves at least a thank you BJ. Reschedule and thank the man properly.
Sophie: Just because I’m having a baby with him doesn’t mean I want to start anything, Kels! When do pregnancy hormones start making you horny? I’m pretty sure that’s what’s going on.
Kelsey: Yeahhh, nice try. That happens in your second trimester. You’re just plain horny now.
Sophie: Well, fuck me.
Kelsey: Say that to him and you’re golden.
Sophie chuckled, tucking her phone back into her purse. She should’ve known Kelsey would have no helpful response. Give the woman coffee and you were in the running for a Nobel Prize.
“What’s so funny?” Rafe asked, smiling softly at her. Sophie wasn’t sure what to do with this new Rafe. She was used to quiet, sullen, asshole Rafe. This new version of him was disconcerting. She had been attracted to him before—when he was a player and an all-around dick. She had a feeling that this version of Rafe—the open and honest one—could steal her heart. They were having a baby together, but the last thing Sophie wanted was to fall for him. She’d been heartbroken enough times in her past to know that men who looked like him were trouble.
“Oh…” Sophie answered distractedly. “Just Kelsey being a dork. She thinks that you deserv
e a blow job for bringing me coffee.”
Rafe made a choking sound and started coughing. He gestured at his throat and mumbled, “Went down the wrong pipe.”
Sophie blushed. She hadn’t meant to let that slip, but her mind was elsewhere, and it had just sort of popped out. She’d never been the best at filtering her thoughts.
Once Rafe had recovered, he offered her a boyish grin and shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to that form of gratitude.”
Unbidden, an image of her on her knees in front of Rafe, taking him into her mouth, filled her mind. She shifted in her seat and felt herself flush. Before she could come up with some sort of response, a nurse came into the waiting room and called her name.
Rafe started to get up, but Sophie waved him back. “No, no, you can wait here. I’ll let you know what the doctor says.”
He shot her a dark look and stood. “If you think I’m missing a second of this, you’re fucking crazy.”
Chapter Fifteen
The doctor’s appointment had gone well. Sophie’s gynecologist was also a licensed OB/GYN, so they wouldn’t have to find another doctor to get her through the pregnancy. Dr. Welsh had given Sophie a urine pregnancy test, something about detecting a change in her hCG levels. They would have the results of the test by Monday, but he had assured them that if the at-home test had said she was pregnant, this test wouldn’t change anything. The change in hCG levels would let them know if the pregnancy was healthy. Since they knew the exact date of conception, and the date of Sophie’s last period, he was also able to tell them that the estimated due date would be around the tenth of March.
He gave Sophie a list of do’s and don’ts and told them that they would receive a call by Monday afternoon to confirm that the pregnancy wasn’t chemical or ectopic. From there, they would schedule an appointment at the ten-week mark for the baby’s first ultrasound. He had also recommended a prenatal vitamin and a few parenting books.
Now, more than ever, Rafe wanted to spend more time with Sophie. It wasn’t just that she was the mother of his child, it was everything about her. Her dry wit and coffee addiction, the way she spoke with her whole body, gesturing wildly as she told stories. He knew though that she wasn’t ready for that and that he needed to bide his time.
“So I’ve been thinking…” he said cautiously. “Maybe we should get to know each other better. We are having a baby together, so it might be good to at least know the basic shit. I don’t even know your birthday.”
Sophie laughed. “It’s September sixteenth. Getting to know you better sounds good, but I still won’t date you.”
Rafe clutched his heart dramatically. “You wound me. Here I was, planning our wedding and naming our four other children.”
She smacked him lightly on the arm. “Don’t be a drama queen. You’re spending way too much time with Carlos.”
He really had been spending too much time with his partner. He’d caught himself saying “that’s what she said” the other day at work. It hadn’t been a proud moment.
Before he left, Rafe and Sophie had agreed to spend some time getting to know one another over the next few weeks. She’d also given him a parenting book, a gesture that had made him smile. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he already owned it. He’d gone a little crazy on Amazon the previous night, purchasing ten pregnancy books and five parenting ones.
Rafe was grateful for the next two days off; he and Carlos had traded with another patrol team. This morning before the doctor’s appointment, he had gone to his apartment’s leasing office and requested to move to a two-bedroom apartment. He’d have to pay one month’s rent at both places, but a small dip into his savings account wouldn’t hurt anything. He and Carlos would be spending all of today and tomorrow moving his things to the new place. He still wasn’t sure how custody with Sophie would work out, but he wanted to make sure that his child had their own room when they came along.
One day, thirty boxes, and one whiny-ass Carlos later, Rafe and all of his belongings had been successfully moved into his new apartment. Moving all of his things with only Carlos for help had been exhausting, but so worth it.
Rafe was in his bedroom unpacking his sheets and the pregnancy books when Carlos wandered in, grumbling. His friend collapsed on the floor and sprawled out, groaning like a dying man.
“Hey Carlos, help me move some boxes, you said. It’ll be fun, you said. I am never listening to you again. You know, I honestly think I’m sore enough to forgo sex right now. I ache everywhere.”
“Don’t be a pussy, it wasn’t that bad,” Rafe replied, carefully setting the pregnancy books on his bedside table. He’d finished one last night and couldn’t wait to start on the rest.
“I need to find new friends,” Carlos grumbled. “You owe me like fifty beers. And some shots. Maybe a lap dance.”
“I owe you one beer at the most. I’ve had to put up with your annoying ass for a year now. Consider this your way of thanking me for not punching you.”
“You have punched me, you fucker!”
Rafe shrugged. “Well, you deserved it that time.”
“How the fuck did I deserve it?”
“You took all of my clothes while I was showering at the gym and replaced them with a leotard, Carlos. I had to walk home in that damn thing!”
Carlos chuckled. “Yeah, those pictures were priceless. Your ass in that hot-pink leotard is the background on my phone.”
“Is there something you need to tell me, man? We can get that beer at a gay bar if you want. I support your choices.”
Carlos threw Rafe a glare that would send a lesser man cowering. “Fuck you. A beer is a beer though, and the gay bar on Bagby has karaoke on Friday nights.”
Over the next few weeks, work was crazy for Rafe, and his erratic schedule had kept him from really getting to see Sophie. Determined to form some sort of relationship with the mother of his child, even if it was just a friendship, he’d taken to texting her. A couple of patrol teams had been transferred to another precinct, leaving his understaffed. The twelve-hour shifts he was constantly pulling were made bearable when he talked to Sophie.
* * *
SIX WEEKS PREGNANT
Rafe: Our baby’s eyes are beginning to form now.
Sophie: And apparently she is the size of a blueberry.
Rafe: She? Are you assigning a gender to our child already?
Sophie: Shut up, she just feels like a girl.
Rafe: The baby is the size of a blueberry... I imagine she feels more like small fruit than anything.
Sophie: *Gasp* How dare you say such a thing about our precious little girl.
Sophie: Thanks a lot, asshole, now I’m picturing that annoying kid from Willy Wonka that turns into a blueberry.
Rafe: “Violet, you’re turning violet!”
Rafe: Btw the movie is called CHARLIE and the Chocolate Factory. Not Willy Wonka...
Sophie: My child has no father.
* * *
SEVEN WEEKS PREGNANT
Sophie: So if Violet is now raspberry sized, do we need to rename her?
Rafe: Ummm...you are not naming my son Violet.
Sophie: Did you knock up some other chick? You are not getting a son. I’m determined. This baby WILL be a girl.
Rafe: What’s wrong with having a boy?
Sophie: Kelsey MADE me watch James today and it was torture. That little guy is energetic and always throwing shit, and I’m exhausted.
Rafe: How long did you watch him?
Sophie: . . .
Rafe: Sophie, how long did you watch James?
Sophie: Okay, okay, it was just while she was in the shower. But it was a REALLY LONG SHOWER. And that kid is out to get me. He pelted a Cheerio right at my head. Could’ve taken an eye out.
Rafe: THE HORROR! Death by Cheerio! You’ll need therapy for years to recover from your near-death experience.
Sophie: It was a really hard Cheerio.
Rafe: Fine, we will feed our SON soggy
Cheerios.
* * *
EIGHT WEEKS PREGNANT
Sophie: I hate you.
Rafe: I know, but what did I do this time?
Sophie: YOU GOT ME PREGNANT!
Sophie: I JUST PUKED IN THE GROCERY STORE.
Rafe: Do we need to get you another replacement purse?
Sophie: Ha Ha. You’re so funny. Also, yes.
Rafe: So the morning sickness is going well then?
Sophie: Oh, it’s fantastic. The cravings have started setting in too. So I want to eat ice cream and pie...OMG PIE.
Sophie: I think I just came.
