Page 4 of For Her

“Yeah, it just kind of hit me. I probably just need to adjust to normality still.” It’s winter, a football game is on, and I’m pressed against my girl. It’s the perfect time for a nap for both of us. Mayzie slowly dozes off before I fucking crash.

Two

10 Weeks

Mayzie

“Aww, it looks like a little snowman with just two sections,” I marvel at mine and Jack’s baby on the monitor at our ten-week ultrasound. Jack’s fingers are laced with mine, and we smile at each other and the screen.

“Everything looks really good,” Dr. Whitman tells us. “Heart rate is 144.”

“Whoa. That sounds fast,” Jack looks between me, the doctor, and the screen with concern in his eyes.

“It’s normal,” she says casually, not looking away from the monitor. “Some of them are up in the 170s.”

We can see said heartbeat flickering away in the middle of our little tiny snowman blob. I feel like I could lie here all day and watch what the baby is doing on the screen, except the probe that Dr. Whitman has wedged in my junk is a tad uncomfortable. She reaches over and touches a couple of buttons on her computer to print out some pictures, and then kindly removes it.

When we get home, Jack takes the clearest one and puts it on our fridge while I go throw up. We also found out at our prenatal appointment that I have hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition in some pregnant women where you barf 24/7. As I rest my head on my arm, I feel Jack’s warm, strong hand on the back of my neck, gently rubbing. Shit! I forgot to lock to door.

“Jack, I don’t want you to see this,” I moan into my arm, only half meaning it because his touch feels so comforting. “It’s so gross…” I groan.

“It’s a normal symptom of pregnancy; it’s not gross.” He continues to rub my neck from where he sits on the edge of the tub.

“You’ve been talking to Sarah too much,” I rib. Sarah is his older sister who happens to be an obstetrician – with twin babies of her own.

“Actually, I haven’t.” His hand moves from my neck to stroke my hair out of my face. “But maybe I should. She might know what to do about all the sickness you’re having.” I hear the drawer open where I keep some extra hair ties before feeling Jack’s hands gathering my hair and tying it back for me. I barely hear his footsteps retreating as I heave one more time and flush the toilet. After washing my mouth out, I come out into the hallway and find him there, already holding a ginger ale can out as his other arm goes around me, guiding me to sit down at the kitchen island with him as he pulls his phone out and dials his sister’s number. He’s so sweet and attentive, driven to take care of me as always, but with a little extra purpose behind it now. Forgiving him for blabbing the baby bomb hasn’t been too hard. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one he needs to earn forgiveness from.

“I’m mad at you,” Sarah greets gruffly as she picks up on speaker phone. Jack blows out a frustrated breath.

“Take a number. Listen, I need some help here.”

“And why the hell would I help my little brother who thinks it’s more important to tell his adoring legion of fans that he’s going to have a baby before telling me?” she returns petulantly, sounding not one bit like the eldest sibling with a medical license.

“Fine.” He tosses a hand up in frustration. “Will you help Mayzie then? Her nausea has gotten bad.”

“What? Oh, Mayzie…” her tone immediately turns nurturing. She knows I wasn’t behindtellthewholeknownuniverse-gate. We hear a huff and then, “Fine, I will help my poor little sister from another mister. I might have a couple tricks up my sleeve. Mayzie, are you taking a prenatal vitamin?”

“Yeah,” I mumble into my hand that’s propped by my elbow.

“Okay, stop taking it for a week. Give your guts a break okay?”

“’Kay.” No argument here, I hate those damn horse pills.

“And when you start back up, switch to a gummy. Sea Bands help too.”

“Sea Bands?” Jack pipes up as he rubs circles on my back. “Like for motion sickness? Where do I get those?”

“Any pharmacy, ass-face.” Disgruntled big sister is back. Jack sighs and rolls his eyes.

“You’re so mature. You know you’re going to have to get over this at some point, right?”

“Yeah, it’s on my to-do list. I gotta run, I have to see a patient. Feel better, Maze!”

“Thanks,” I call half-assed into the phone, not moving from my comfy position.

Jack sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “Have you even forgiven me yet?”

I look up at him and rest my chin on his shoulder.

---