Page 88 of The Seven Month Itch
I bite my lip to suppress a giggle. Terrence wiggles his eyebrows in victory. His arms hang off the doorframe, putting his broad muscles on full display. He took his shirt off and stands in gray sweatpants slung low enough to see his crown over the waistband.
Our eyes stay locked on each other, and my legs part like the Red Sea in a slow tease, ready for his staff to perform another miracle. “I finished a pretty intense workout.” My hand circles my clit. “I’m a little tired but want to do another one soon.”
Lord, the things this man makes me do.
“That’s good. Do you and Terrence have time to swing by my office today? There’s something I need to go over with you two.”
My gaze falters at her request. We had our first appointment a week ago. Why does she want to see us again so soon? Terrence and I share a look.
We can’t lose this baby.
“Justice?”
“Sure—yeah. We’ll come by today.”
“Good. It’s best to go over this in person. I will see you both at three o’clock, if that works?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “That’s fine.”
Terrence is by my side before I hang up. Emotion wells in me. I want to cry and scream. One pregnancy loss was horrific enough. Two almost made me lose hope. If it happens again…
“Don’t go there, baby,” he murmurs. “We don’t know what she wants, so let’s stay positive.” Strong arms hold me. “Stay with me, Justice. Don’t get inside of your head.”
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough.” My voice cracks.
He kisses me again. “Then I’ll be strong for the both of us.”
The smell of disinfectant overwhelms my nostrils. Paper crinkles when I shift my weight on the examination table. Each minute that passes before Dr. Gayle enters traps me in my thoughts.
“Breathe, baby.” Terrence kisses my hand interlaced with his. He’s in the chair next to me and does his best not to look nervous. He’s terrified, but he won’t show it.
I jump when the door opens. “Good afternoon, Justice. Hi, Terrence.”
“Good afternoon,” we say in unison.
“Thank you both for meeting me here today,” Dr. Gayle says. “Something caught my attention when I reviewed your chart again. I want to reexamine you today.”
At my nod, she lowers the table and the lights in the room. She puts on the glasses that hang around her neck. With kitten heels, Dr. Gayle is five-three at best and reminds me of my Grandma Edith. She was a short little thing but quite the firecracker who served her community and the church. Grandma was a sweet woman who loved baking cookies but would be the first to tell you when she’d had enough or if it was time for you to go home. I was her favorite and only granddaughter, and we enjoyed our time together until she transitioned on when I was fifteen. Sheled a full life, passed in peace, and headed into the arms of her Maker with the joy of reuniting with my grandpa, who died five years before her.
I miss her so much.
Dr. Gayle sheathes the transvaginal transducer—the alien dildo, as Terrence likes to call it—and applies a gel. “This might feel cold and a little uncomfortable. Same as last time.”
She sits on a stool and rolls next to me. I squirm at the pressure from the transducer; I'm still sensitive from what Terrence and I did hours before we got here.
“Is everything okay with the baby?” He frowns at the monitor.
Dr. Gayle doesn’t take her eyes off the screen. “One second, please.” She moves the wand inside until she lands on the spot in question.
If something’s wrong, I need to know now. I squeeze my eyes shut to focus on my breathing. Terrence runs this thumb over my clammy hand, but it’s not enough. We’re so close to the second trimester. We’ve never made it this far and had plans to tell our parents and friends about our pregnancy next week. If we… If history repeats itself…
“I knew it,” she says to herself. She takes a screenshot and turns to face us. When she opens her mouth to speak, I cut her off.
“We lost the baby, didn’t we? Like the last two pregnancies.”
She covers my hand closest to hers. My lips quiver.Please not again, God.
“I’m very sorry you experienced that, sweetie.” Her voice carries the tone of a loving grandmother. “Miscarriages are much more common than people think. But that’s not why I called you in today.”
