Something Blue - Emily Giffin [30]
The second of May would be Dexter's thirty-fifth birthday. I looked at Marcus, who was clueless as to the implications of the due date. It's amazing to me how few guys know their friends' birthdays. So I announced to Jan and Marcus, "I hope I'm late—or early—because that's my ex-fiance's birthday."
Marcus rolled his eyes and shook his head while Dr. Stein laughed and then reassured me that only about 10 percent of babies are born on their actual due date.
"Why's that?" I asked.
Jan looked stumped for a second—not a good sign if such an easy question threw her—and then said, "The due date is only a useful guide."
"Oh," I said, thinking that an older doctor would be able to come up with a better answer than that one. Or even a younger doctor who was less attractive. Ugly girls had more time to study in medical school. I bet Jan finished at the bottom of her class. I bet she wouldn't even be sitting here today but for her surgeon boyfriend. "I see."
"So," Jan said briskly. "I'd like to run through your medical history, ask you some questions."
"Sure," I said, catching Marcus examining Jan's toned left thigh.
I glared at him as Jan launched into her Q&A. She asked me my age (I was glad to say twenty-nine and not thirty), all about my medical history, what medications I was taking, and a bunch of questions about my lifestyle: how often I drank, exercised, whether I smoked, all about my diet, etc. After she had my life story fully recorded, she looked up, a smile plastered on her heavily made-up face.
"So, how have you been feeling?" Jan asked. "Any symptoms? Nausea?"
"My breasts are a little sore," I said.
Marcus looked embarrassed, so I added a gratuitous, "When he touches them."
Jan nodded earnestly. Marcus cringed.
I kept going. "And they're a little bigger, fuller… And the areolae are darker… But other than that, I feel exactly the same. And my weight is the same," I said proudly.
"Well, you're only about five and a half weeks pregnant, so it would be a little early for weight gain," Jan said. "Although you might notice an increase in your appetite if you haven't already."
"Nope," I said proudly. "And I don't plan on being one of those chowhound pregnant women. I'm sure you see plenty of those."
Jan nodded again, making a note on my chart. Then she announced that we were ready for the physical examination.
"Should I go?" Marcus asked.
"You're fine to stay," Jan said.
"Told ya," I said to him. And then to Jan, "He feels all awkward."
"Well, he shouldn't. It's great that he's so involved."
"Yeah—we're not married yet," I said. "But he's still very into it."
Jan smiled and told me to change into the gown on the table, she'd be right back. As soon as she left, I asked Marcus if he thought our doctor was pretty.
"She's all right," he said. "Cute, I guess."
"How old would you say she is?"
"Twenty-eight?" he asked.
"Am I prettier?"
"Yes, Darce. You're prettier."
"Will I still be prettier when I'm twenty pounds heavier?"
"Yes," he said, but without much conviction.
Tan returned right as I was getting settled on the table. She took my blood pressure and then examined my heart, breasts, and lungs. "Now I'm going to examine your cervix."
"Does that confirm the pregnancy?"
"Well, we're going to give you a blood and urine test for that, but yes, this will give us further information about the approximate age of the pregnancy, as well as help us assess the size and shape of your pelvis."
I nodded.
"Now, just relax," Jan said.
I let my knees fall apart. "No problem," I said, looking past her at Marcus, who was clearly pretending that he was somewhere else.
After the physical examination was complete, I dressed, went to the bathroom, and peed into a cup, got my blood drawn in a small lab, and returned to the exam room, where Jan told me she'd be in touch with the results of my blood work.
"In the meantime, Darcy, I'm going to give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. They contain folic acid. It is extremely important for your baby's spinal cord development. You're