Chapter Six
Bright and early Monday morning Bekim appeared at Emily’s door ready to accompany her to the prenatal visit. He brought her a big teddy bear to commemorate the event.
Emily put the teddy bear on the sofa, grabbed her purse and followed Bekim out the door. A chauffeure-driven car waited at the curb. “We could have taken the bus,” Emily told him as he helped her into the back seat of the car.
“I know, but you could get jostled or you might fall exiting the bus.” Bekim climbed in next to her and the chauffeur drove away from the curb and entered the traffic.
“Now you’re just being silly. I can trip in the apartment.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Bekim said. “Maybe you should move in with me until after the baby is born.”
“Why?” Emily asked. Things were moving entirely too fast between them.
“Because you need someone to hold your hair when you vomit, and someone to make sure you eat and rest.”
“I’m perfectly capable of doing this for myself, in my own apartment,” Emily said. “If I get desperate enough I can move back in with my father.”
Bekim laughed. “You wouldn’t want to move back home with Solomon. You’d be under the control of one of his current girlfriends.”
Emily grimaced. “I hadn’t thought about that, but like I said before I’m perfectly capable of looking out for myself.”
“For now,” Bekim said. “But in two months you won’t be able to tie your shoes. Hell, you won’t be able to see your feet.”
“You always have to have the last word, don’t you?” Emily asked.
“Yes. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?”
“Nothing yet,” Emily said.
“See, the baby needs nourishment even if you don’t feel like eating. I’ll fix you breakfast after we return from the doctor’s office.”
“What about work?” Emily asked.
“What about it? It will still be there tomorrow.”
“I didn’t plan to take the entire day off. My father will be worried.”
“No, he won’t,” Bekim told her. “I’ve already spoken to him this morning. He said have fun.”
Emily grimaced. Was no one on her side? “I promised Deandria I would help her today.”
“Deandria said she’d see you tomorrow and go right to bed after the doctor’s visit.”
Emily frowned. Even her best friend had turned against her. “I’ll agree to take the day off, but the moving in with you will take some serious thinking over on my part.”
“Okay,” Bekim said. “I’ll agree to just the breakfast for now.” He settled back in the seat next to her.
Why did she feel like she’d lost the war?
The driver maneuvered his way through traffic until they finally arrived outside the Women’s Clinic. Bekim helped her out the car “I’ll call you when we’re ready to leave,” he told the driver. He and Emily walked toward the door and the driver drove away from the curb.
The obstetrician’s office was on the fifth floor. Emily and Bekim rode the elevator up and then Emily led the way to the office. Bekim opened the door for her and they stepped inside. The office was already occupied with expectant mothers and fathers. Emily signed in, gave her insurance and identification cards to the receptionist, and paid her co-pay. She and Bekim found seats next to a huge aquarium of salt-water fish and waited for Emily’s name to be called.
A half-hour later Emily and Bekim walked to the back where Emily was weighed and told to change into a paper gown. Bekim joined her in the examining room and he talked to her while they waited for Doctor Kim to arrive.
Moments later the door opened and the doctor entered.
Emily introduced Bekim.
Doctor Kim took Emily’s pressure and tested her pulse while Bekim sat in a chair listening closely to everything the doctor said.
Doctor Kim made Emily lay down on the table while he measured her stomach.
Bekim was on his feet now checking everything out personally. It didn’t help matters much that her breasts and all her other goodies were exposed during the examination.
“I am going to listen for the baby’s heartbeat now,” Doctor Kim told them. He rubbed a cold gel all over Emily’s stomach and moved a cold piece of equipment over it. “Found it,” he said. Doctor Kim turned up a couple of controls on a monitor so they could hear.
Emily smiled when she heard the heartbeat.
“The baby has a strong heart,” Doctor Kim said. “Would you care to see the baby?” He helped Emily to sit up.
Bekim looked down at the monitor and chuckled. “It’s a baby,” he announced.
“Most certainly,” Doctor Kim said. “We should be able to determine the sex soon.”
“We don’t want to know,” both Emily and Bekim said simultaneously.
“We’re old fashioned,” Bekim explained. “We want to be surprised.”
Emily nodded in agreement.
Doctor Kim moved the monitor away and a nurse entered to clean the gel from Emily’s stomach. “You can get dressed now and the two of you can meet me in my office,” Doctor Kim said. He left and the nurse followed him out.
Bekim helped Emily down from the examination table and waited patiently while she dressed. They walked down the hall to Doctor Kim’s office for their consultation.
“Please be seated,” Doctor Kim said. “It’s nice to speak with both parents. Mostly it’s just the mother. The fathers miss out on so much by not coming along to some of the prenatal visits.”
“I plan to be here with Emily every step of the way,” Bekim said.
“Good,” Doctor Kim said. “Emily’s going to need someone there for her as the pregnancy advances. But don’t get alarmed if her hormones go all wonky and she calls you names and tells you that she hates you.”
“She already calls me names,” Bekim said with a smile. “I can handle it.”
Doctor Kim chuckled. “Good. You’re going to need that sense of humor. Now let’s see. Emily’s weight and pressure are good. Her recent blood tests show no deficiencies. Hopefully she’s taking the prenatal vitamins and Folic Acid I prescribed for her.”
Why did she feel like she wasn’t in the room?
“I want you to drink plenty of milk and eat nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. You can also do some walking and a little exercise, but no heavy lifting or standing on your feet for long periods of time.”
“How long can she continue to work?” Bekim asked.
“Most women work well into their eighth month,” Doctor Kim said. “But it all depends on Emily and the baby. If it gets to be too much I will recommend bed rest.”
“I’ll make sure she listens even if I have to get her father to help me.”
“There will be no need for that,” Emily said. “I will be good and do what I’m supposed to do.”
“Good, then I’ll see the two of you next month,” Doctor Kim said. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a book and a DVD disk and handed it to Bekim. “I recommend you read the book and view the video. It’s Emily’s body but you will be of more help to her if you know exactly what she’s going through.”
“Thank you,” Bekim said rising. “I’ll watch the video later.”
Doctor Kim rose and then Bekim helped Emily to her feet. They left the office and Bekim called the driver back.
“Take us to my condo,” he instructed the driver once they were back inside the car.
The driver went off again once they reached Bekim’s place.
“There are some clothes for you in the other bedroom if you want to change into something more comfortable while I fix breakfast,” Bekim told her. “And some slippers too. Your ankles look a bit swollen.”
“Yes, Doctor Lacolmn,” Emily said walking from the living room to the hall.
Bekim followed. “I need to change too.” He disappeared into the master bedroom and Emily entered the guest room. All of Bekim’s designs, his sewing machine and the bolts of material had been removed. In their place was a lovely new white bedroom suite, a rocking chair and a desk.
A maternity smock lay on the bed and a pair of soft slippers sat on the floor beside the bed. Emily took a few minutes to grasp the severity of what he’d done for her. Maybe she’d underestimated his sincerity.
Emily used the toilet and changed her clothes. It did feel good to get out of the bra and heels and to slip into something less constricting. She sat down in the rocker to try it out. I could get used to this. Emily rose and tested the bed. Good mattress. She yawned, suddenly feeling tired. She didn’t think Bekim would mind if she took a little nap before breakfast.
* * * *
Bekim looked down on Emily as she slept in the white bed. He’d come up to check on her when she didn’t join him in the kitchen while he prepared breakfast. You are so beautiful, Emily Bucktell. Motherhood certainly agrees with you.
Emily moved on the bed when he sat down next to her. She opened her eyes. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long,” Bekim said. “Breakfast is ready.” He moved so Emily could get off the bed.
“I have to pee,” she announced.
“That is to be expected,” Bekim said. “Come down once you’ve finished.” He left her and went back downstairs to the kitchen. Emily joined him several minutes later looking refreshed.
“I must have been asleep for a long time,” Emily said as she sat down.
He’d prepared eggs, oatmeal, fresh squeezed orange juice, and wheat toast and turkey bacon. He fixed a cup of coffee for himself and put a glass of milk in front of Emily. After eating everything on her plate, Bekim placed a bowl of fresh fruit in front of Emily. She ate this too.
“I’m so full,” Emily said pushing away from the table. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
Bekim cleared the table and then he and Emily walked to the entertainment room to watch the video Doctor Kim gave him. Things were going along swimmingly until they got to the part with the baby being born. Emily turned an unhealthy shade of green. She hopped out her seat and ran to the bathroom. Bekim chuckled. He couldn’t wait to be in the delivery room to find out if Emily would faint.