He and Shay had been young, in love, blessed beyond belief, and looking forward to a life of happiness. Their dream life had only been dimmed slightly when they hadn't been able to conceive a second time. Because of their involvement with their local church, their life was full of children already, and he was sure that at some point they would have added to their family by adoption.
Then Marvin Jr. had been killed, and life as they knew it had been forever changed. His smile receded. Lord, he prayed silently, please let the news from the doctor be good. I need this sign from you that all is going to be well with my new child and my wife.
Chapter 14
Shay felt a peace in her heart as she and Marvin waited for Dr. Thompson's pronouncement. They'd seen the ultrasound, heard the fetal heartbeat, and now they waited for the final word from the doctor. Her husband had a tight grasp on her hand, and she could feel his anxiety. Though his fear about this pregnancy irritated her more often than not, her heart went out to him today. The news has to be good, she thought. It has to be.
"Well," the doctor began, closing the file in front of her. "The ultrasound results are excellent, the fetal heartbeat is strong, your blood pressure and glucose levels are within range and, most importantly, we're going to rule out any possible cervical problems based on your previous pregnancy. I had the information to rule this out on your first visit, but I sensed your concern and decided to be overly cautious. This means, of course, there's no need for any surgical procedures. I fully expect you to carry this baby to term."
Shay expelled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as her husband leaned across her and planted a solid kiss on her lips. Then with his hand resting across her midsection, he said, "We're going to have a baby."
Though Shay was relieved and excited herself, she focused most of her attention on Marvin. Those few words from Dr. Thompson had wrought a complete and immediate change in him. Shay watched him turn to the doctor. "Is there anything we need to be aware of?" he asked, the panic that had laced his questions during previous appointments gone.
"Nothing special. If you experience anything out of the ordinary, give me a call and come on in. This is something I tell all my patients, so don't think I'm expecting anything to go wrong."
Marvin processed that information with a smile. "What about our appointments? Should we continue to come in every two weeks?"
Dr. Thompson nodded again. "I think we should continue the two-week schedule for the remainder of the pregnancy, and though this isn't your first child, I encourage you to attend childbirth classes. They host regular sessions at the hospital." She handed both Shay and Marvin a brochure describing the classes.
Marvin, who still held Shay's hand in one of his, though now without the tight grip, scanned the brochure with his free hand. "We've talked about classes," he said, "and we'd like to do them." He turned to Shay, a big grin on his face. "Wouldn't we, mama?"
Shay was taken aback at Marvin's attitude. How could her husband change so drastically because of a few words spoken by a doctor? "Yes," she said. "We want to do the classes."
"Good, good," the doctor said. "Do you have any other questions?"
Marvin looked at Shay, and she shook her head. "I guess we're fine for now," he told the doctor.
The doctor stood, and Marvin and Shay followed her lead. Marvin extended his free hand to the doctor. "Thank you. We really appreciate the care you're taking with this pregnancy and the way you've handled our concerns."
After shaking Marvin's hand, the doctor put her hands in the pockets of her white lab coat. "No problem. My job is to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable with this pregnancy so that you can enjoy it."
"We still appreciate it," Shay added. "Thanks again."
The doctor accepted their kind words, and then Marvin led Shay out to the receptionist's desk, where he scheduled their next appointment. He kissed Shay again, a big public display of affection, before he led her out of the doctor's office and to their car. He seated her in the front seat, where he—reluctantly, she thought—released her hand. She expected him to go around the car and join her, so she was surprised when he stopped at the trunk. She wondered what he was doing.
She heard the trunk open and close and waited expectantly for her husband to join her in the car. She leaned over and unlocked his door. Instead of coming around to the driver's side, Marvin returned to the passenger side and opened Shay's door. He wore a huge grin, and she noticed he had one hand behind him, obviously hiding something.
"Surprise!" He pulled out a yellow stuffed dog, just the right size for a baby's crib. "Our baby's first gift," he said as he handed the dog to her.
Shay couldn't stop her tears. This was the husband she'd been looking for all this time. This was the excitement she wanted to share with him. She hugged the stuffed animal to her chest, remembering clearly that Marvin had purchased a similar gift for Marvin Jr. She tried to smile up at him, but her tears got in the way.
Marvin stooped down so that he was eye level with her, picked up one of her hands, and pressed it to his lips. "I love you, Shay," he said. Then, placing the kissed hand against her midsection, he added, "And I love our child. Very, very, much."
Shay continued to cry as Marvin pulled her close for a hug and another kiss. Then he closed her door and joined her in the car.
* * *
Marvin felt as though a ton had been lifted from his chest. Their baby was going to be all right. He knew it. He just knew it. Thank you, Lord, for our growing miracle.
He glanced at his wife sitting next to him, placed his arm across her shoulders, and urged her to sit as close to him as her seat belt and the gearshift console would allow. "You're going to make yourself sick if you keep crying like that, sweetheart," he said. These tears he could deal with because he knew they were happy tears. The stuffed animal had touched her as much as it had touched him the first time he'd seen it.
He'd been shopping around for it since he'd seen one like it in Dr. Holmes's office the day he'd gone over to talk about Shay's pregnancy. He'd wanted to buy it the day he located it in the store, but he forced himself to wait. Yesterday, he'd gone by the store again, and though he told himself he should wait until after their appointment with the doctor, he couldn't help himself. He had to buy the animal then and there. Now he knew why.
"What do you think about our celebrating with Vickie and Daniel on Friday?" he asked. He was ready to put an announcement in the paper. "Maybe we could invite Evelyn and Franklin, and I was thinking Bo should join us too since we haven't seen much of him lately," he told her. "And let's call your parents and our friends in Atlanta when I get home tonight. They'll want to hear the good news."
"Okay," she said.
"Are you all right?" Marvin asked. He'd expected her to be a bit more enthusiastic about the news from the doctor. "You haven't said much since the doctor gave us the news."
"I'm fine," she said.
"Just fine? I would have thought you'd be ecstatic to know everything was going to be all right."
She peered up at him. "We don't know that, Marvin. Something still could go wrong."
Marvin shook his head. "Let's not look for trouble," he said. "We made it through the first trimester, and everything is fine. Let's go with that." He squeezed her shoulders. "Isn't that what you've been telling me to do all along?"
He watched her nod her head. "Yes, but—"
Marvin squeezed her again. "No buts. We're going to have a baby, and we're going to be happy about it."
* * *
By the time they reached their home and Marvin dropped her off, Shay wanted to bite the nails of each of her fingers to the quick. She'd wanted Marvin to be happy about their baby and now he was, but she still wasn't satisfied. Wasn't his excitement what she wanted?
Yes, it was, but there was something wrong with it. Marvin's happiness about their child was based on the circumstances. He was happy because everything seemed to be going well, but would he still be happy
if they experienced a complication? She placed her hand protectively across her stomach. Not that she expected anything to go wrong. She was just well aware something could, as it had with Marvin Jr.
What would Marvin do if she had some late-term complication? Would he withdraw again, or would he be there for her and their child? That was the million-dollar question, and she didn't have a satisfactory answer. She wanted him to be there for them, and she hoped he would be, but when all was said and done she still wasn't sure. Yet she couldn't risk that he wouldn't be.
She'd felt a little uncomfortable when the doctor mentioned childbirth classes. Her thoughts had turned to Vickie's agreement to act as backup coach. Even though Marvin wanted to attend classes with her, Shay still wanted Vickie to go... just in case.
Her telephone rang, and she knew before she answered who was calling.
"It was good news, Vickie," she said before her friend spoke. Vickie's scream of joy sent a broad smile to Shay's face. Sharing the news with Vickie was in some ways more satisfying than sharing it with Marvin had been. She guessed that was because she felt Vickie had been with her all the way, whereas Marvin had been emotionally absent.
"So when do we celebrate?" Vickie asked, her voice full of happiness. "I say we go out this time. No home-cooked meals. Let's do something really special."
"How about Friday?" Shay suggested, remembering Marvin's comments. "That's a good day for Marvin."
"It's good for me, too, and I'll check with Daniel," Vickie said. "By the way, how did Marvin respond to the news?"
Shay forced cheer into her voice. "He was ecstatic, Vickie." She pressed the stuffed animal to her chest. "He'd already bought the baby a toy. It's a stuffed animal. You have to see it. He even brought up our celebration. He's ready."
"Well, thank God for that," Vickie said. "I knew he'd come around. So are things okay with you two now?"
Shay was slow to answer as she searched for an appropriate response. "They're getting there," she said, not ready to share her concerns with Vickie yet. She was sure she would, but she wasn't ready now. She prayed Vickie wouldn't question her further.
"I'll say they're getting there. It's party time! I can hardly wait. Now I can start buying baby things." She paused and then added, "Actually, I've already started buying them. Now I can bring them to your house."
Shay smiled, her doldrums unable to withstand Vickie's joy. "You're something else. Did you know that?"
"I sure did." Shay heard the smile in Vickie's voice. "Couldn't you tell the first day you met me?"
Shay laughed along with her friend. "Before I forget," she added when the laughter subsided, "Marvin wants to invite Evelyn and Franklin and Bo to celebrate with us. Is that all right with you?"
"It's fine," Vickie said, "but do you really think Bo's going to want to hang out with a bunch of old fogies like us?"
Shay chuckled. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but you could have a point. We'll ask him anyway and see what he says."
"Sounds good to me."
Shay realized she had a grin on her face brought on by Vickie's support. "I love you, Vickie," she told her friend. "I've never said the words, and I want you to hear them from me." She felt her throat clog with tears. "You've been a wonderful friend and sister to me from the first day we arrived in Odessa, and I thank God for you."
Shay heard Vickie sniffle and knew her friend was welling up, too. "It goes both ways, Shay," Vickie said. "Our friendship and love is mutual, and I cherish it more each and every day."
Her friend's expression of love made Shay think about a discussion they'd had earlier, and she asked, "Are you going to be all right with this celebration? Going out with Daniel and two couples, I mean."
Vickie sighed, and Shay wasn't sure it was a result of the tears or thinking about Daniel. "I've been living with my feelings for Daniel for a long time," Vickie said. "I can handle the evening."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Remember, it was my idea to have Daniel in on this celebration. I enjoy his friendship, and I've learned to live with our relationship the way it is, despite my pity party the night of my birthday."
That hurdle taken care of, Shay talked with Vickie for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone. As she was about to return to her bedroom, the phone rang again. She thought it was Vickie.
"How are you feeling, Mama?"
She was wrong. It was Marvin.
* * *
Because of Franklin's work schedule, they weren't able to arrange for the celebration until the following Friday. Using his connections, Daniel secured them complimentary use of a limo and driver for the evening and tickets to a dinner theater production sponsored by the drama club at nearby Tougaloo College.
"Nothing but the best," Daniel told them as he held the door for them all to precede him into the limo.
"I'm sorry Bo couldn't make it," Shay whispered to an elegantly dressed Vickie. Her friend wore a black knee-length sheath with a high neckline, accessorized with what Shay suspected were real pearls.
Vickie only shrugged. "I didn't think he'd want to hang out with us." She chuckled. "If I were his age, I know I wouldn't. Would you?"
Shay laughed. "Maybe not."
"Definitely not," Vickie said as the three women slid into the limo. "Daniel did good with the limo, didn't he?"
Evelyn giggled. "I feel like a princess."
"You're not a princess," Franklin said, slipping in beside his wife. "You're a queen. My queen."
Shay thought Evelyn looked like a queen. Dressed in a mid-calf rich purple number with her face expertly made up, the mother of four looked much younger and more relaxed than Shay had ever seen her. She practically glowed—from the inside out.
Shay rested comfortably against Marvin's side while the laughter of her friends danced around her. Both Vickie and Evelyn looked wonderful in formfitting dresses that accentuated their figures, while she was relegated to maternity wear. She'd tried to slip into one of her favorite after-five dresses, but the dress had been more than a little snug around the waist. So she was stuck with maternity wear—a dark blue satin tunic-and-pants outfit that she was convinced would still be too big for her on her delivery date. She breathed a frustrated sigh. How different this pregnancy was from the one with Marvin Jr.
She knew the reason. Marvin had reveled in her first pregnancy. His attentiveness and support had made her feel beautiful and desirable even as her body had expanded and contorted to accommodate their child. This pregnancy, though, he'd been distant and uninvolved, and she guessed she'd internalized his feelings. As a result, she didn't feel as good about herself and her changing body. Marvin was trying to make up for it now, but much of the damage had already been done.
"You're beautiful," Marvin whispered as the conversation continued to swirl around them.
Shay squeezed his hand, giving him a smile that told him how much she needed and appreciated his compliment. He winked his acceptance and returned to the conversation. Shay continued to watch him under her lashes. He'd been so attentive and so loving since their last visit with the doctor. He was the perfect expectant husband. Now. Though she tried hard to enjoy his solicitousness, she found herself growing more and more angry with him as he carried out his role.
Playing a role. Is that what she thought Marvin was doing? Not really, she told herself. She knew he was sincere. She just couldn't forget his behavior, his attitude, before their most recent visit to the doctor. She couldn't get over the abrupt change in him. He'd been able to shut off his emotions and his emotional contact with their baby until he thought it was safe to turn them on. She found that scary. She felt as though she were walking on pins and needles, waiting for the event that would make him turn off his emotions again. Hating her thoughts, even though they were honest, Shay forced them out of her mind and concentrated on enjoying the company of her friends.
* * *
Marvin watched with pride as Shay, Vickie, and Evelyn made their way out of the main di
ning room of the dinner theater and to the powder room, leaving the men alone for a few minutes. He grinned when he turned and found Franklin and Daniel watching the women as well.
Franklin spotted Marvin watching him first. "Hey, I travel a lot, so I take special pleasure in looking at my wife."
"No need to make excuses, my man." Marvin lifted his flute of sparkling cider. The dinner theater served only nonalcoholic beverages in deference to the college students providing the evening's entertainment. "You're in like company here."
Franklin clinked his glass against the other two. "Here's to beautiful wives and beautiful sisters."
"Here, here," Daniel and Marvin chimed in.
"You're some blessed guys," Daniel said to them, "to be married to such gems."
"That reminds me." Marvin lowered his glass and reached into the inside pocket of his deep navy suit. Shay had suggested he wear the navy instead of the black so that the colors of their outfits would match. Of course, he'd obliged her. He pulled out a pack of the cigars he'd picked up the other day and offered one to each of his friends.
"Don't mind if I do," Franklin said, smiling at the pastel-colored candy cigar. "Where in the world did you find these?"
"Where else?" he said with a grin. "Wal-Mart." He'd also gotten a stash from Stuart and Nate after he and Shay called their Atlanta friends to give them the good news. All of them were excited about becoming uncles again.
Daniel chuckled and took one for himself. "Wal-Mart? It figures."
Franklin rolled the candy around in his fingers. Marvin said to him, "I would have thought you'd know all the spots."
Franklin put the candy in the inside pocket of his jacket. "I haven't given out candy cigars since the first baby," he said. "That seems like a long time ago."
"It has been for you," Daniel said. "I guess when you get to number four, the novelty wears off."
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