Page 61 of This Memory
The nurse looked past me to Evelyn and Denny. I leaned in and said quietly, “I’m their surrogate.”
“Oh, okay. I’m sorry, I didn’t see that in the file.”
“This is my first prenatal visit.”
The nurse smiled. “Got it.” She looked at Evelyn and Denny, then back to me. “Um, you’ll need to change into a gown as they’ll be doing a transvaginal ultrasound.” Her eyes went to Denny.
“I’m not missing this,” Evelyn insisted.
Taking a moment to breathe, I turned to my friend. “May I please at least undress in private? Then they can come and get you.”
Evelyn looked at the nurse, then at me, then back at the nurse. “You’ll come get us before the ultrasound?”
The nurse glanced at me. “You’re comfortable with him being in the room for the ultrasound?”
“As long as you can position him somewhere he doesn’t see my vajayjay.”
Denny choked, and Evelyn hit my shoulder.
“What? I’m being serious, Eve. There are some things that I have to put my foot down.”
“I can wait out here,” Denny said quickly. “My wife can video the ultrasound, right?”
When the nurse glanced at me again, I nodded.
“Yes, she can. If you wait here, ma’am, I’ll get Brystol settled then come get you.”
Evelyn and Denny returned to their seats as I followed the nurse to get my weight. Once we were in the room, she grabbed a sheet and laid it on the table.
“I’m so sorry, and they should have put in your file that you were a surrogate. The first visit is always a hard one, and it depends on the surrogate if she wants the father in the room or not.”
I nodded. “They’re both my best friends, and I don’t mind Evelyn, of course, but I have to admit I was a little worried about Denny.”
She squeezed my hand. “It’s a great thing you’re doing for them. Are they both the biological parents or did you donate an egg?”
“No, it’s their baby all the way.”
She smiled.
“So, do I have to get completely naked?”
“No. You’ll want to take off your pants and panties, then drape this over you. We can’t let Mom film the whole appointment, but once the doctor does the ultrasound, she’ll let her know when she can record.”
“Sounds good.”
The nurse left the room, and I did as instructed. I draped the sheet over me as I sat on the table.
A light knock on the door came, and the nurse popped her head in. “Ready for Mom?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Her name is Evelyn.”
The door closed, and I glanced around the room. Abouta minute later, there was another knock on the door, and my doctor stepped inside.
“Hi, Dr. Lark.”
Her brilliant smile revealed a bronze glow on her cheeks, and her warm brown eyes instantly put me at ease. I’d known Lisa Lark for several years. Her younger sister, Melanie, and Aurora had been good friends throughout elementary, middle, and high school, since they were both cheerleaders. Melanie was just finishing law school and about to return to Moose Village to practice.
“Hi there, Brystol. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked the nurse to hold off on sending Evelyn in for a few minutes.”
