Page 8 of Baby Makes 3

While we eat, Molly asks me how my book is going. I ask her how her commission is coming along. The one destined for some fancy law office downtown.

After she’s done eating, Christy thanks me for lunch. She offers to pay me, but I decline. “It’s my pleasure,” I tell her.

When we’re alone, Molly says, “I have an appointment to see Dr. Shaw tomorrow morning.”

“Good. I’m glad you called. Do you want me to come with you?” I’m hoping she says yes. I want to be there for her, to support her, but if she wants to do this alone, I have to respect that.

“I was hoping you would,” she says. “We’re in this together, right? So we’ll deal with it together.”

“Right.”

Molly sounds upbeat, and I’m trying to sound confident for her sake, but I think we both know how this is going to go. And I’m afraid it’s going to break her heart.

Chapter 5 – Molly

The next morning, as I’m getting dressed to go see Dr. Shaw, Jamie pops his head through the bedroom doorway. “Ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I’ve been dawdling all morning. My stomach is in knots. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous. I slip my shoes on and grab my purse. “All right. Let’s go.”

We leave Gus at home since I’ll be there to serve as Jamie’s guide.

It’s a quick trip to my doctor’s office in the Gold Coast. We walk inside, and I let the receptionist know we’re here. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long before a nurse calls us back. She takes my blood pressure and records my weight. Then we’re led into an exam room.

The nurse hands me a small plastic container. “We need a urine sample.” She points to a line near the bottom of the cup. “At least that much. The restroom’s right down the hall. Last door on your right.”

I sigh after the nurse leaves us. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Jamie.

As I walk past him to the door, he snags my hand and squeezes it. “It’s going to be fine, honey. No matter what. Just remember that.”

I squeeze his hand in return, but don’t say anything. I’m so close to tears, I don’t trust myself to speak. When I’m done in the bathroom, I hand the collection cup to the nurse, who’s waiting nearby. She sits me down to draw a blood sample, and then she sends me back to the exam room to wait for Dr. Shaw.

Jamie and I sit in silence, the air heavy with tension and dread. Or at least, I’m feeling it.

There’s a quiet knock on the door, and a moment later it opens, and in walks Dr. Shaw. She’s a tall, statuesque woman with short blonde hair. “Hi, Molly,” she says, giving me a warm smile. She looks at Jamie. “And you must be Jamie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She pulls a wheeled stool away from the desk and takes a seat, facing us. “I’m sending Molly’s bloodwork to the lab for testing.”

I nod and squeeze Jamie’s hand.

“However, I did run a urine test in-house.” She looks at me. “And I performed a pregnancy test. It was negative. And your FSH level is elevated.”

“And that means?” I ask.

“Are you experiencing any symptoms such as hot flashes or night sweats?” she asks.

My heart slams into my ribs. “No.”

Dr. Shaw nods. “Not everyone does. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones. And it’s still early.”

“So, I’m in menopause?” I ask.

“It’s possible, yes. I’ll know for sure when I get the blood test back but my guess is you’re in perimenopause—the first stage. You might still have periods once in a while. You have to go an entire year without a menstrual cycle before you’re officially considered to be in menopause.”

A painful lump forms in my throat, but I’m determined to keep my composure. “I’m only 38.”

Dr. Shaw gives me a sympathetic smile. “I know. I’m sorry. Some women enter into menopause earlier than others. It’s unpredictable.”

“Does this mean I can’t get pregnant?”

“No, not necessarily. But it’s less likely, at least without medical intervention. There’s still IVF.”

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