Page 63 of This Memory
The lights went out, and I closed my eyes as Dr. Lark inserted the wand, then turned my head to look at the screen.
She moved the wand slowly—and I smiled when I saw the little peanut shape appear on the screen.
“There it is. Looks like there’s just one.”
Evelyn gasped next to me and squeezed my hand. “The baby’s moving! I see the little arms. Oh my gosh, is that the heart beating?”
Dr. Lark smiled. “Yes, it is. The baby’s measuring three-quarters of an inch. Let’s measure the heartbeat.”
The sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room, and Evelyn dropped my hand, struggling to hold her phone with both hands.
“Heartbeat is strong and healthy at 176 beats per minute.”
I turned to see Evelyn crying. I blinked back my own tears and focused on the screen as Dr. Lark pointed things out about the beats.
“By the measurements, and the fact that we know the date of conception, the baby is exactly eight weeks and two days.”
“The due date is still June twenty-third?” Evelyn asked.
Dr. Lark nodded. “It is, indeed. Here are a few pictures I printed for you.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Lark!” Evelyn said, hugging the doctor.
“You’re welcome. Now, you can head back out to the waiting room while Brystol gets dressed.”
Evelyn seemed a little taken aback for half a second. “Uh, yes…yes, of course.”
She turned to me and smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “I’ll be in the waiting room.”
Fifteen minutes later, as we walked to the parking lot, I found outwhyEvelyn seemed so surprised when she was asked to leave the room.
“Brystol, we need to discuss your appointments with Dr. Lark.”
We were parked next to one another, and I leaned against my car. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t like that they kept me waiting for as long as they did. What were you and Dr. Lark talking about?”
My eyes widened, as Denny gently grabbed Evelyn’s arm and attempted to get her into the car.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We’re paying for those visits!” Evelyn said loudly, as Denny closed his eyes and let out a small sigh.
I drew in a slow breath, reaching for patience. “Yes, you are, as part of the agreement that I carry your child in my body.”
She pointed to my stomach. “Exactly! That’smychild! I had every right to be in that room the entire time.”
I folded my arms over my chest and tried to stay calm. I didn’t know what Evelyn was going through, and I was sure most of this anger was about her being unable to carry the child herself.
“Evelyn, I’m not just some baby vessel. I’m aperson. I’m your best friend—in case you forgot—and I agreed to do this for you because I love you and Denny, and I desperately want you to have a baby. But…this is still my body, my life, and my privacy. Dr. Lark asked me howIwas feeling, and howIwas doing, because believe it or not, the two things are separate—me and the baby.
“I will do everything in my power to keep this child safe, and I will do everything in my power to eat right, exercise, and keep my stress levels down, because I do want you to have this baby. I need you to trust that I will always have your best interests at heart. But, at the same time, Eve, I deserve to have a wand stuck up my vagina in privacy, without you and Denny watching.”
Denny held up his hands. “I didn’t want to watch, for the record.”
Evelyn closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Denny asked me not to say anything, and I shouldn’t have. I just don’t want to miss anything!”
“I swear, we just talked about how I’ve been feeling, whether I’ve been eating well, experiencing any morning sickness, things like that. Dr. Lark would have asked you to come in if it was just questions about the baby. She understands how the process works. But in the future, Eve, I’m going to continue to go in first, do what I need to do, andthenyou can come in. When we do the regular ultrasounds, Denny’s more than welcome in the room. I know this is your baby, and I’m not trying to take anything away from you.”
