“Yeah. Let me just call Roger and let him know I’ll be late getting back.”
As they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Steve was still trying to process the emotions that had overtaken him at the doctor’s office. How could he have such strong feelings for a little, tiny creature he’d only seen on a computer monitor? Was this what Michelle had been feeling the past couple of months as she thought about the baby and prepared its nursery?
“I love you, Michelle,” he said as he looked over at her sitting in the passenger seat.
“Love you, too.”
“No. I mean really,” he replied, his voice shaking slightly.
She looked into his eyes and saw tears. “What? What is it Steve?”
“I feel like I’ve really let you down lately. You know, with all the baby stuff.”
“It’s okay. I know it’s been hard for you.” She reached across and put her hand on his leg.
“Something about that ultrasound. I don’t know how to explain it, but suddenly I realized that might actually be my kid in there.” He took a deep breath. “I guess ever since the insemination, I’ve just felt like it’s not my baby. Like I let another man have a part of you that I can never have.” He paused and swallowed. “Can you understand that?”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “Oh, Steve. I’m sorry. I’ve been so consumed with my own perspective on all this... I guess I sort of lost track of yours.”
He gazed out the windshield and said, “Anyway, I’m sorry I haven’t helped much with the nursery.”
She patted his leg. “Not to worry. There’s still plenty left to do,” she added, winking.
Looking back into her eyes, he promised, “I’ll try to help from here on out.”
“Thanks, honey. Thanks for going today. I’m glad you were there.”
“Me, too.” He cupped her face in his hands, gently kissing her lips. “Hungry?”
“Famished!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Steve was determined to make up to Michelle for the time he had neglected her during the first few weeks of her pregnancy. He began surprising her with flowers, buying little knick-knacks for the nursery, and even brought home an outfit for the baby.
“A football uniform? In size 0-3 months?” She laughed, hanging it up on a little blue hanger in the baby’s room.
Ben and Kelly were the first to see the ultrasound video. “Look at that kid! What a kick he’s got,” Ben commented as the baby on the screen moved.
“Would everyone please knock off the ‘he’ stuff?” Michelle asked with an exaggerated sigh. “What if this is our precious baby girl?”
“Then I’d say she’ll make a great soccer player,” Ben added with a wink.
Kelly swatted him in the arm. “Quit it, Ben.”
“Okay, okay. Just calling it as I see it.” He grinned at Steve, who held up his hands as if to say, ‘Don’t involve me in your mess.’
“Have you guys started picking out names?” Kelly asked.
“Yeah. I think Madison if it’s a girl and maybe Jake if it’s a boy. Steve isn’t sure about Jake yet, but we both agree on Madison.”
“It sure is a pain having to consult the guys on this name thing, isn’t it?” Kelly asked with grin.
“Sure is,” Michelle replied, but her eyes glowed with love as she glanced over at Steve.
Steve and Michelle took a long weekend and flew down to Orange County to share their ultrasound video and pictures with her family and Kristin and Mark. Sheila insisted on having a huge buffet spread, and they had a great time catching up with everyone and showing off the images of the baby.
Michelle’s dad was getting stronger and was now home full- time. Tim remained there for the transitional period, but John was getting to the point where he could move around independently and was getting proficient with his cane. The wheelchair was nowhere to be seen.
“You’re looking great, Dad,” Michelle exclaimed the minute she saw him.
“Thanks...Mimi. You, too.” John smiled warmly.
“You’re father’s got me quite busy these days,” Sheila remarked. “Every day we head over for physical therapy, then out to lunch and down to the beach.”
“The beach?” Steve asked.
“He likes to sit on a bench at the park by the pier and feed the birds.”
“Oh. Good for you, Dad.” Michelle put her hand on his shoulder. She thought back to the time when her father was always so driven by work. Although he’d lost that compulsive drive, he seemed to have gained a new peace.
“I look at things... different…ly now,” John replied haltingly, as if reading her thoughts.
“I know. Me too,” Michelle said, bending over and kissing the top of his head. She couldn’t help but think of all the blessings God had given them. How would they have fared without Him?
Michelle savored every moment of her brief visit with Kristin. It was still hard for her to be so far away from her lifetime friend. Kristin and Mark seemed to have settled into married life well, with both of them working at the church and Mark praying about the possibility of coming up to Oregon to help out in Ben’s new church. “I sure hope that works out,” Michelle said.
“Yeah. Especially now that I’m going to be an ‘auntie’,” Kristin added with a grin.
While the guys settled in to watch sports on television, the girls took off to shop for baby things. They ended up at a cute shop on Main Street. It was clear from the way Kristin oohed and aahhed at all the tiny clothes, that she was destined to have her own children someday. She insisted on buying Michelle’s baby an adorable pink gingham sundress with matching bonnet and socks. “I just know it’s going to be a girl,” she told Michelle.
“Hooray! Someone who thinks ‘girl’ for a change.”
“Just ignore the guys. They don’t know what they’re talking about. That ultrasound has Madison written all over it,” Kristin added with a grin.
Michelle hugged her. “Thanks, Kristin.” Just then she felt her baby move. “Oh my gosh.”
“What?”
“I think I just felt her move.”
“Oh, `Shell — I’m so excited for you,” Kristin exclaimed.
“Me, too. I can’t believe this. I never imagined it would feel like this. Hey, maybe she moved because you called her by name,” she added. “Let’s go. I want to tell Steve.”
Kristin paid for the little outfit, and they headed back to Michelle’s parents’ house.
When they walked in the door, the men were engrossed in the game, calling out directions to the players and coaches and reacting to the refs. Even John seemed to be sitting slightly forward, his arms resting on his thighs.
“Steve?”
“Yeah, babe?” he replied without taking his eyes off the television. “No way — that ball was out of bounds!”
“Steve.”
“What?” he looked up momentarily.
“The baby moved,” Michelle smiled.
“What?”
“The baby. She moved.”
Tim reached over and hit the mute button on the remote, and all eyes moved to Michelle.
“I just felt her move when we were in the baby store.”
Steve shook his head as if shaking off the game. He stood up and walked over to Michelle, a huge grin on his face. “How did it feel?”
“Weird. Like a butterfly fluttering around inside of me.”
He held his arms open as she walked into his embrace.
“Well, I’d say this calls for a celebration,” said Sheila, who had been standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Tim, get the sparkling cider from the refrigerator and turn off that game.”
Within moments, everyone had a glass of sparkling cider, and John was proposing a toast. “To my... precious... prin… cess... and... her baby.”
“And to Steve, the new papa,” added Sheila as she raised her glass.
A warm feeling of peace and joy embraced Michelle. Everything was going to be fine. Mor
e than fine.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Eight weeks later
It was 10:18 and Steve still wasn’t home to take Michelle to her 10:30 ultrasound appointment. At eighteen weeks, they were hoping to learn the gender of the baby. Although Michelle was convinced it was a girl, Steve wanted verification.
As she picked up the phone to call him, she heard his car pull into the driveway. “Bye, Max,” she called over her shoulder as she raced out the door.
“Sorry I’m late, babe,” he offered. “My meeting went longer than expected.”
“I’m just glad you made it. But we’d better hurry.”
“Right.” He quickly maneuvered the car out of the driveway and headed for the clinic. Thankfully the lights were in their favor, and they arrived at 10:30 on the dot.
After they checked in at the front desk, the nurse escorted them to the ultrasound room. Soon they were watching their baby appear on the screen. Michelle noticed the intensity in Steve’s countenance. He asked several questions about the baby’s size, its heart rate, and finally about the gender.
“Looks like a girl to me,” the nurse replied with a smile.
“Madison,” Michelle whispered in awe.
“A girl.” Steve’s face showed his amazement that this tiny creature was actually their daughter.
As soon as the ultrasound was over, Michelle raced to the restroom while Steve waited for her in the lobby. When she came out to meet him, he had a funny look on his face. “What is it, Steve?”
“You won’t believe who I just saw.” Steve’s forehead was furrowed and his fists clenched by his side.
“Who?”
“Your friend. That Trevor guy.”
“Trevor? He was here?”
“It sure looked like him to me.”
“I wonder what he’d be doing at an obstetrics clinic,” she said, her brows raised.
“Just what I was wondering. Do you think he might be following you? I mean the guy’s weird, Michelle. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Honey, listen. I haven’t seen or talked to Trevor since before I got pregnant. Why would he start following me around now? I think you’re getting paranoid.”
“I’m telling you, I don’t trust that guy.”
“Okay. I know. But let’s forget about him. Maybe it wasn’t really Trevor anyway. Maybe it was someone who just looked like him. Besides, you don’t have anything to worry about. You’re my husband, Steve. I’m in love with you, not him.” She took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers and giving a little squeeze. “And we’re having a baby. Can you believe it’s a girl? Little Madison. I can hardly wait to hold her.”
Steve’s expression relaxed some. “Yeah. I guess your right. It’s pretty amazing to see her swimming around in there,” he added as he patted Michelle’s swollen abdomen. “Time to go home, little one, so Daddy can go back to work.”
Michelle’s heart skipped a beat as she heard him call himself Daddy. She squeezed his hand again. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.” He opened the car door for her and helped her inside.
After he dropped her off at home, she decided to do some more work in the nursery. She was stenciling a little footstool when she heard the doorbell. “Who could that be, Max?” she asked the cat as she pushed herself up off the floor and headed downstairs.
“Monica!” she exclaimed as she opened the door. “Hey, pal, I’ve missed you.”
“Me, too.” Monica stepped in to hug Michelle. “I decided it was time to come and check on you and see how the baby’s room is coming along.”
“I was just working on it,” she said as she brushed a stray hair off of her forehead with the back of her hand. “Come on up. I’ll show you.”
Before Monica could even get to the bottom of the stairs, Max was right in front of her, meowing and rubbing against her legs. “Thought I forgot about you, didn’t you?” She reached down and scooped him into her arms. “You should know better than that.” As she scratched his chin, he purred with delight. “Let’s go up and see the baby’s room,” she cooed into his ear. Smiling at Michelle, they started climbing the stairs, with the cat slung over Monica’s shoulder.
“You will not believe what I found out today,” Michelle blurted out with excitement.
“What?”
“It’s a girl. I’m having a girl!”
“That’s great! Oh, we’ll have so much fun with a little girl. The frilly dresses, the lace socks, the little bows for her hair. Listen to me — I’m starting to sound like it’s my baby, too.” Monica’s grin spread from ear to ear as her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Well, you will be little Madison’s unofficial ‘auntie’ you know,” Michelle said, tossing a smile over her shoulder at Monica who was a couple of stairs below her.
“Did you hear that, Max? I get to be an auntie.”
The cat seemed to have had enough of the girl talk and gently pushed himself out of her arms, bouncing back down the stairs to find another adventure.
Monica spent the afternoon with Michelle in the nursery. After the step stool was finished, they stenciled the child’s rocking chair Michelle had found at a yard sale and worked on assembling a bouncer Jim and LouEllen had brought to church for them.
“It sure was nice of them to give you a baby gift,” Monica remarked.
“I think they’re adopting us,” Michelle replied. “They are the sweetest people. I’m so glad they make the trip out here every Sunday. It means a lot to Ben and Kelly, too. Speaking of Sunday, have you thought anymore about going to church with us some time? I really think you’d like it, Monica. It’s not like a traditional church with organ music and rituals.”
“Maybe some time. Right now I’m still trying to learn all the spiritual stuff Trevor is teaching us in our class. I miss you there. I’ve made a few friends and Trevor always makes me feel welcome, but it’s not the same without you.”
Michelle shot up a prayer for wisdom then replied, “I don’t think I could ever go back to something like that. It’s hard to explain, Monica, but I’m getting to know God like a friend right now. It’s so much more...” she searched for the word she wanted. “... so much more personal. More real.”
Monica studied her face. “Trevor asks about you a lot. I told him you were pregnant. He said to tell you congratulations, and he wishes you the best of everything.”
Michelle could feel her heart do a little somersault. She could see Trevor’s face in her mind and could feel his kiss from their weekend at the conference. Would she ever be free of these feelings?
“What is it?” Monica asked.
“Nothing. Just remembering something about Trevor.” Michelle started busying herself putting cardboard pieces back in the bouncer box. She remembered what Steve had said about seeing Trevor at the clinic.
“Monica?”
“Yeah?”
“Something weird happened today at the clinic.”
“What?” Michelle turned to look at her friend.
“Steve said he saw Trevor in the lobby while I was in the bathroom.”
“That’s weird. I wonder what he was doing there?”
“That’s just what we were wondering.” She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “You don’t think he could be...um...following me, or anything, do you?”
“Following you? Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. It just seems strange that he would be at an obstetrics clinic. I mean if it was a regular doctor’s office, that would be different.”
“Yeah. Well, he does seem to really care about you a lot, Michelle. I mean he asks about you every class. It’s hard to imagine him as... you know... like a stalker or something. I mean, this is crazy. There must be some logical explanation.”
“You’re right. And hey, maybe it wasn’t really him. Steve might have been wrong.”
“That’s probably it. It was probably someone who just looked like him. That happens to me all the time. People are a
lways telling me I look like someone they went to school with or something like that.”
Michelle nodded, her face relaxing somewhat but her finger nervously twirling the hair at the nape of her neck.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Monica loved a mystery. Although she could tell Michelle wanted to drop the subject of seeing Trevor at the clinic, she decided she would find out exactly what he was up to. After all, she rationalized, I don’t want anyone stalking my friend. Besides, it’ll give me a good excuse to talk to Trevor alone. Trevor’s magnetism was not limited to Michelle. Like her friend, Monica was also a married woman, but she couldn’t help daydreaming about what might have happened if she’d met Trevor before Tony.
Her hands were shaking as she arrived at the New World Bookstore, where she hoped to see Trevor before the rest of the students arrived for his class. After greeting Starla, she asked if anyone was upstairs yet.
“Trevor went up a few minutes ago. He likes to meditate before the group arrives,” Starla replied.
“Okay. Thanks. I think I’ll go on up.”
As she entered the small attic room, Trevor’s back was to her. He was sitting in a lotus position in the very center of the wood floor on a black cushion with gold tassels. The floor creaked under Monica’s foot as she stepped inside. Her heart started to race and she felt her face flushing.
“Come in, Monica,” he said in a soothing voice without even turning to look her way.
How does he know it’s me? she wondered, taking another step in his direction.
Trevor gently lifted himself to a standing position and turned to face her. His face was very serene and his eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. “You’re early today.”
Monica cleared her throat, willing her voice to speak. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“Not to worry. I was just centering myself and clearing out any bad vibes from the room.” His hand reached out and rested on her shoulder. “Are you alright? You look a little uneasy.”
Through the Tears (Sandy Cove Series Book 2) Page 25
