Page 4 of Always My Comfort
Mom would have been so disappointed if she could see me now. Cheated on by a baseball player and pregnant with another one’s child.
She always told me to stay away from them. I should have listened. I didn’t want to be a cleat chaser, yet here I was.
The same night Richard locked me out of his apartment and I missed two days of my prescription while I licked my wounds and found the courage to go in there while he was at practice.
Two whole days. After a one-night stand with the sexiest man I had ever seen.
“But we used a condom,” I sputtered, choking on the realization that there was a baby growing inside of my very flat stomach.
“They aren’t always effective, but that’s beside the point. I would like to do an ultrasound, and then get you a list of prenatal vitamins you need to begin immediately.”
“This is all too fast; I’m not even married! This goes against my ten-year plan!” I screamed, shoving my distressed hands through my hair.
“Is there someone you want to call? Maybe your best friend?” Scarlet was the last person I wanted to call. She would only make fun of me for having hot sex with a stranger and then getting knocked up.
The person I wanted to call was unreachable. My mom.
“No. I just need a minute. This is all very alarming.” She stood, nodding her head in understanding.
“I’m going to grab some pamphlets about what to expect and tell a nurse to come help you get prepped for the ultrasound so we can see the baby.” She squeezed my hand and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I dropped into the plastic chair, covering my face with my hands. The first tear rolled down my cheek.
This isn’t happening.
Slapping my hot cheeks, I prayed that I was going to wake up from this nightmare, but instead, there was only another knock on the door, and the same nurse from earlier came in.
“Alright, honey. Let’s get you prepared for this ultrasound.”
This had to be a dream.
This couldn’t be real.
Twenty minutes later, after hearing my baby’s heartbeat and seeing the very tiny, very real baby in my stomach, I was overcome with emotion—sadness, happiness, distress. I didn’t know how I made it back to my car, but I was sitting there, tears streaming down my cheeks, a list of vitamins to take and a handful of pamphlets crumpled in my fist.
Holding my phone to my ear with a shaky hand, I waited for Scarlet to answer.
“What’s up, bestie?” Her voice drew out the sob I’d been struggling to contain. “Oh, no, today was your doctor's appointment. Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”
“I’m pregnant, Scar. I’m pregnant,” I cried into the phone, throwing the papers on the passenger seat and picking up the black and white pictures of my baby.
My baby.
Something clattered to the ground, and Scarlet sighed. “Well, fuck. That wasn’t part of the plan. Does Richard know?”
“It’s not his,” I whimpered, closing my eyes.
“No! You’ve been sleeping around? My best friend? Girl, who are you, and what have you done with my boring best friend?” She giggled like I was the brunt of some hilarious joke, which made anger replace my sadness.
“This isn’t a freaking joke, Scar. I’m pregnant from a one-night stand. A god damn one-night stand. Did you hear me? In case you didn’t—a one-night stand!”
“Yes, I heard you. Now, who the hell knocked you up, buttercup? Please tell me he’s cute. I want my god-baby to be cute. I’m sure he or she will be, but you know it doesn’t hurt for the father to be good-looking.” She was rambling like she always did, and usually, I’d play along, but I couldn’t because none of this was funny.
“Jaxon Dexter.” I hit my head on the steering wheel. “Jaxon freaking Dexter is the man I slept with.”
“The pitcher for the Braves?” she asked.
“The one and only.”