We spent the entire day in bed or in the kitchen, eating and making love in either room.
Thank God it was Rosa's day off.
Chapter Twenty-Two
What?! Oh, no…
I smiled as I remembered Marcus waking me in the middle of the night. We had another one of our marathons and he still was able to get up and go to the hospital.
Marcus nudged my nose with his.
“Baby... there's an emergency. I have to go to the hospital.”
“Okay, Boo,” I sleepily mumbled.
“Meet me for lunch today. I'll call you later and let you know where I am.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Baby. I love you,” he murmured, as he kissed my throat.
“Bye,” I whispered. “I love you, too.”
I hoped all goes well. I looked at the clock. 2:33 am. He's going to be so wrecked later.
Marcus and I had been living together for almost two months and I hadn’t regretted a single moment. Nathan moved in with Lisa at the condo and we all met up at least once a week, usually at the karaoke bar with Monica and T, or Tom as he wants to be called now. Joshua and Mandy joined our group and when Matthew was in town, he was there, too. He didn't sound bad at all, and I believed he’d be even better, if he’d just stop being silly with it. Marcus was right; Matthew was a joker and did almost anything for a laugh.
I glanced at the clock on the table. 7:51. Shit. Better get a move on. I hate being late.
As I dressed I heard Rosa coming in. I still can't think of why Marcus is intimidated by her; she's as sweet as she could be. It may’ve been because he couldn't understand her, as she only spoke two words of English: yes and no.
“Hola, Rosa,” I called.
She smiled as she entered our bedroom. “Buenos días, Mariah. ¿Cómo estás?”
“Bien, ¿y tú?”
“Muy bien, gracias. Mi hija está en la mano de obra. ¡Que debería ser una abuela de hoy!”
Ah, her much talked about first grandbaby was coming today. She shouldn't be here cleaning; she should be with her daughter. I told her that. She protested.
“No, Misses. No quiero que la ira Señor Marcus. Se asusta la mierda fuera de mí.”
I laughed after she repeated what Marcus says about her. It's a shame they scare one another. I assured her it was okay to stay off until the baby came, and promised I'd smooth it over with Marcus.
“Gracias, querida. Voy a estar aquí mañana por la mañana.”
“Esta Bien, Rosa. ¡Felicidades!”
I smiled as we left together, mentally noting to pick up a gift on my way home tonight and to tell Marcus that Rosa planned to return in the morning.
* * *
Later that day, Marcus and I were sitting in his office on the eighth floor having lunch when my cell went off. Good, I thought. I wasn’t feeling well anyway. I checked the ID and frowned.
“Who is it, baby?”
I shrugged as I answered. “Hello?”
“Hello, may I speak with Mariah Hollander?”
“This is her.”
“Miss Hollander, I'm calling to remind you of an appointment with Dr. Fisk tomorrow at ten a.m. Will you be keeping said appointment?”
“That's tomorrow?”
“Yes, it is. Three months from your last.”
“Okay. Yes, I'll be there.”
“That's fine. Dr. Fisk will see you at ten. Have a nice day.”
I pressed end.
“Everything okay?”
I put my head on his lap, feeling a little nauseous. Fucking period was coming soon.
“Yeah, just time for that Depo again.”
“You don't want to do it,” he asked quietly as he stroked my hair.
I looked up at him. “Well, I don't have a choice, do I? You don't like condoms, I don't want the pill and the only thing I want up my sex is you, so... it messes with my cycle, and the guess work is crazy.”
“Good points. Especially the last one.” He grinned then sobered. “I wanted to talk to you about birth control anyway. After we marry –”
He stopped when my phone went off again. I checked the ID again.
“It's Katherine. She's been trying to make me do that awful seaweed bath again. I don't know why Mandy and Evelyn can get away with not going and I can't!”
The phone stopped ringing. “Think she gave up?” I asked hopefully.
He frowned at me. “You've known her how long now?”
The cell rang again, making Marcus laugh. It was Katherine again.
“I love your mother, but that green shit is the absolute worse. I wish she’d find something else for us to do together.”
He laughed again as I slid the bar to answer.
“Hello, Katherine,” I sang.
“Mariah, darling. Would you like to join me for a seaweed wrap tomorrow?”
I mouthed 'told you!' to Marcus.
“Tomorrow, Katherine? I don't –”
Marcus took my phone and I sat up.
“Hello, Mother ... I'm fine. You? ... What time tomorrow?”
Pause.
His eyes twinkled at me. “No, that's not a good time. How about two?”
I waved a frantic no at him then tried to get my phone back. He shooed me away then swatted at my hands. I crossed my arms and vowed to kill him.
“No? … Oh. How about next week then?”
Pause.
“No, she can't do Monday. Now that I think about it, she's slammed until mid-November; you know her brother's wedding is October 22nd then…”
I was in awe. Marcus could really handle his mother!
“I'm sorry, too. You should call Mandy and take her.”
Marcus got me out of the seaweed wrap! However, Mandy is going to kill him.
“Allergic reaction? I hadn’t heard that. Huh.”
Ooh, why hadn’t I thought of that? Good one, Mandy!
“Well, what about Evie? Allergic reaction with her, too? What a coincidence, Mother. Are you sure you should do it? I see. Well, sorry about Mariah but like I said, her time is pretty much taken up until the beginning of December and then there’s going to be our first Christmas together, so…”
“Thank you,” I whispered. He smiled at me and caressed my cheek. I was so happy I dropped to my knees and sucked him off right then and there.
“Mother, I have to go. I'll call you later. FUCK, Mariah!”
* * *
The next day, I smiled when Dr. Fisk entered the exam room.
“Hello, Mariah. How are you feeling?”
“I'm fine, Dr. Fisk. And you?”
“Fine, fine. Mariah, I wanted to talk to you about your urine test.”
“Listen, Dr. Fisk, I can't squeeze out another drop right now. Perhaps I can come back later; perhaps in an hour. I have been voiding a lot lately.”
“I see. No, you gave enough this time. Mariah, I can't give you the Depo shot because you're already pregnant.”
The floor fell from under me. I had to have heard wrong. I shook my head in confusion and disbelief.
“Wait... I'm sorry... what, now?”
“You're pregnant. I'd like you to go to OB and have an ultrasound, just to see how far along you are. When was your last period?”
I wrecked my brain. “August ninth, I think,” I replied. He consulted a calendar wheel.
“Around May fifteenth delivery. Congratulations.”
“Are you sure? I mean, could my urine have been mixed up with someone else's?”
“I don't see how, Mariah. You’re a nurse here, so you know how careful we are. I'll order another test with your blood panel... would that convince you?”
“I don't know,” I whispered. “What happened with the last shot?”
“I'm not sure, wore off perhaps? Sometimes, nature will just... find a way.”
“Okay,” I whispered again. A tear fell down my cheek. I swiped it away and said, “You mentioned something about blood work?”
“Mariah, would you
like to discuss your options, instead? Would you like to keep the pregnancy,” he asked, cautiously.
I shot my head up. “Of course! I couldn't... no! That is not an option for me. Period.”
“All right. I'm going to order a panel and send you to ultrasound A.S.A.P. I'll have the nurse make an appointment but you can do the blood draw now. Be sure to pick your doctor while you're at OB for the sonar, Mariah.”
Pregnant? Pregnant. Pregnant!
Oh, shit!
Yeah, no kidding. What was I going to do? Marcus was going to explode.
‘I don't want children,’ he said.
Several times... but he also said he may be willing to discuss it.
Yeah, in a few years, and that was a maybe.
Shit! It's only been a couple months. And now, once again, I was talking to myself. Fuck, that’s so not a good sign but at least it’s not aloud. Sigh.
I had to get out of there. I couldn't think straight. I jumped off the exam table and ran to the door. The nurse was there making a note in my file.
“Oh, hello. Ultrasound will be ready for you Monday. Follow me and let's draw your blood now then you can go,” she stated, looking fifteen with those stupid pigtails in her hair.
She didn't do anything to you, leave her alone.
Shit! “All right. Fine,” I mumbled, more to my conscience than her.
* * *
Marcus and I were over. Thinking that, I slowly walked to the elevator and waited for it to take me back to the second floor, since I was floated there. When the doors finally opened, Evelyn was in the elevator. She looked at me and smiled. God, she looks more and more like Marcus every time I saw her. Will my baby look like her?
“Hello, Mariah.” She looped my arm in hers. “I was just looking for you. I hope everything went well with your appointment.”
I smiled back. “Routine stuff. What can I do for you, Evelyn?”
“Two things: first, can you and Marcus come to dinner Saturday night? Russell and I are having a dinner for his parents. We're attempting to soothe them; they're still ticked we eloped.”
Evelyn and Russell surprised everyone by eloping a week after the proposal, just the two of them.
“I think so; I'd have to check with Marcus. I don't know if he has any plans. I'll call you once I’ve spoken to him. What's the other thing?”
“Your three-month float period will be up in a few days. Have you chosen where you'd like to be or are you staying a float?”
“I honestly haven't chosen; can you give me a couple more days?”
“Sure, take a week. I’ll really need to know by then.”
The bell dinged and I stepped off the elevator.
“Okay, a week... I'll talk to you after I've spoken to Marcus, Evelyn.”
“Great.”
I approached the desk and Millie looked at me with utter relief.
“Mariah... glad you're back. Can you go in five with Dr. Alexander and see if you can calm that poor baby in there? She needs vaccinations and she's giving Sherrie and the doctor a hard time.”
“Okay. Where's her mom?”
“I'm here. I'm Ginny Russo,” a pretty strawberry blonde approached me, holding out her hand. “I had to step out a moment. I hate it when Melly cries; it just breaks my heart!”
“I understand, Mrs. Russo. I'm Mariah. Do you allow Melly sweets?”
“Ginny, please. A lollipop, but not this early. It's only eleven!”
“Ginny, sometimes you have to bend the rules a little. Melly needs her vaccinations on schedule, and you don't want to postpone, especially as you're already here. Trust me. Let me have one of her lollipops, if you have any.”
“No, I don't. I didn't think I'd need one here,” she moaned, close to tears.
“That's okay,” I soothed as I rub her arm. “Millie, may I have a lollipop, please?”
Millie hands me a purple one.
“Let's go, Ginny. I'll try with Melly and hopefully I can get her calm enough to be injected.”
“All right.”
I knocked on five, and Sherrie opened the door. Melly, who looked about two, was screaming her little head off. Marcus appeared a little flustered in the background.
“Oh, thank God! Mariah, help! She won’t calm or let the doctor anywhere near her.”
I took Melly from Sherrie then Sherrie almost ran back to the desk. I laughed to myself. She was definitely a desk nurse.
“Hey, hey, Puddin-Pop... what's this about,” I crooned to Melly, who screamed again, her face completely red.
I walked into the room with Marcus.
“Which leg?”
“Left,” he murmured.
I sat Melly and I on the floor on the colorful number mat, and placed her on my crossed legs, her left leg out, facing Marcus.
I lifted her dress a little and, rocking her, I softly circled Melly's tummy and she began to calm. Her mother gasped in surprise.
I used my little girl voice. “My name is Ma-ri-ah. Can you say that? Ma-ri-ah.”
“Ma-wy-ah,” Melly hiccupped.
“Very good! Yay!” I clapped my hands. Melly smiles and sniffles. I rub her belly again. “What's all this noise about Melly,” I asked. “Hmm? What's got you so upset, Bugga-Boo?”
Melly sniffled and pointed to Marcus. I gave him a fake evil-eye.
“What? What did that bad doctor do to you, Bugga-Boo?”
She pointed to her right leg and whimpered through her sobs, “Ouchie.”
I inhaled sharply. “Oh, no! Poor Melly! Shame on you, Dr. Meany-pants! You gave Bugga-Boo an ouchie!”
Melly turned to Marcus. stuck out her tongue then quickly looked away. Marcus smiled and shook his head.
“I think Dr. Meany-pants deserves the time-out chair, don’t you, Melly?”
She nodded with a sniffle. I looked a Marcus with a raised brow. Head shaking again, he grabbed a chair, turned it toward the corner and sat with his arms crossed.
“Look, Melly. Dr. Meany-pants is in the time-out chair now so he won’t bother you again, okay?”
“’Kay,” she mumbled, after softly giggling at the grown man in a corner.
It was quite funny.
Melly curled into me, and put her thumb in her mouth. She trusted me. Time to strike and get this over with.
“Would you like a lollipop, Bugga-Boo?”
She looked at me with her big green eyes. “No,” she answered and held out her hand. I laughed and unwrapped the pop and gave it to her. She smiled then she put it in her mouth. I'm in!
“Bugga-Boo, can I draw a pretty sun on your leg? To make you feel better?”
“Sing,” she demanded.
“You want a song?”
She nodded and continued her assault on the lollipop.
“Okay, Bugga-Boo. How about a song while I draw you a sun?”
“No,” she said. I smiled, knowing she meant yes.
I looked at Ginny. “Mommy, what's Bugga-Boo's favorite song in the whole wide world?”
“You Are My Sunshine,” she said, and gave me an 'ironic, huh?' look.
I smiled at Melly. “It is? Oh, that's my favorite, too!”
I pulled out my pen, alcohol pads, a bandage and a numbing stick.
“I'm going to sing now, okay, Bugga-Boo?”
“No,” she yelped. I smiled.
I ripped the pad open and rubbed her leg as I sung the first line. I drew a circle on her thigh and little squiggles around it. I popped the numbing stick and rubbed inside the circle, then looked at my watch as the song finished.
“More,” Melly demanded.
Marcus stood and got the needle. I laughed, and held her closer, putting her face to my throat so that she couldn't see Marcus squat in front of us.
“Okay, Bugga-Boo... once more.” I rubbed her belly again in the same slow circles. She was completely relaxed. I sung slowly and looked at my watch then nodded to Marcus. He squatted at my knee, swabbed her leg inside the circle and successfully gave her the vaccinat
ion. He quietly went back to his spot in the corner. I put a smiling sun bandage over the injection site. I pulled a pack of tissues from my pocket and cleaned her face as I informed Marcus his time-out was over.
“Feel better, Bugga-Boo?”
“No,” she smiled.
“Good,” I looked at Marcus with a mean face. “Are you finished with Bugga-Boo, Doctor Meany-pants?”
“Yes, I am, Mariah.” Marcus squatted again. “I'm sorry I ouchie you, Melly.”
“Bugga-Boo,” Melly yelled at him.
Marcus laughed. “I'm sorry I ouchie you, Bugga-Boo.”
“’K,” Melly muttered and shoved the sucker back into her mouth. Smiling, Marcus stood, took off his gloves and washed his hands.
“Come on, Melly. Let's go find Daddy,” Ginny said, holding out her hand.
Melly pouted. “Bugga-Boo!”
“Bugga-Boo, let's find Daddy.”
“’K.”
‘Thank you,’ Ginny mouthed to me, as I stood. I smiled at her.
“Bye, Ma-wy-ah!” Melly waved.
I cannot believe we have one of those inside us right now.
I grinned and waved back. “Bye, Bugga-Boo.”
She turned and skipped out, holding her mother’s hand. I smiled and turned to Marcus. He was leaning on the edge of the sink with his arms crossed, staring at me. He has the sweetest smile on his face.
“What?”
“Come here, baby.”
I walked in front of him.
“You are...”
I raised my eyebrows. He tried again. “You are... indescribable.”
I laughed. “Is that good or bad? Should I be nervous?”
“No, it’s a very good thing.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. I rested my hands on his arms.
“I like that belly rubbing thing; almost calmed her right away. Where did you learn that move?”
Tears stung my eyes and I turned my head away from him.
“Mom used to do that to the twins when they were upset,” I whispered. “She did it to me when I was in the hospital after the accident, when she could.”
He kissed my forehead. “I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean –”
“No, it's okay. Sometimes the memories sting, sometimes they put a smile on my face.”
Mariah: The M Series: Book Two Page 29
