Chapter 31: 6: A Visit to the Doctor

SHAY

Shay Haze breathed a sigh of relief as she slid her car into a recently vacated parking spot. The last time she visited, she had to park two blocks away and endure a sweltering walk with baby Nate in tow.

She killed the engine and glanced at her watch. Realizing she was running late, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and scrambled to the backseat. As she fumbled with the car seat’s seatbelt, she couldn’t help but sigh at the complexity of it all, while baby Nate watched her with wide, innocent eyes.

“We’re running a bit behind, sweetheart,” she cooed, fully aware that her words were lost on him. She was just grateful he was content, amusing himself in his seat.

With the car seat in one hand, Shay balanced her purse and the baby bag in the other. After locking the car, she made her way toward the doctor’s office, the scent of disinfectant already wafting toward her from the entrance.

As the automatic doors slid open, she stepped inside and scanned the room. Recognizing a few faces, she offered a small smile and a nod, acknowledging her tardiness. She quickened her pace toward the reception desk, where the familiar receptionist was busy typing away in her nurse’s scrubs.

“I have an appointment for Nate Van Acker,” Shay announced.

The nurse looked up, offered a smile, and then returned her attention to the computer. “Ah, yes,” the nurse responded, rising from her seat. “Follow me, please.”

With Nate still nestled in his car seat, Shay trailed behind the nurse, taking in the soothing pastel hues of the pediatrician’s office. They arrived at a door adorned with a large, painted giraffe. The nurse knocked twice before pushing the door open and gesturing for Shay and baby Nate to enter.

“Hello, Dr. Lim,” Shay greeted warmly, setting the car seat on an empty chair.

“Mrs. Van Acker,” the doctor replied, adjusting her glasses. Her eyes lit up at the sight of baby Nate.

Shay didn’t bother correcting the doctor’s mistake. After her marriage, she had chosen to keep her maiden name, Haze. She had built a reputation with that name and didn’t mind when people referred to her as Mrs. Van Acker. Carefully, she lifted Nate from the car seat and cradled him in her arms.

“How’s our little patient today?” Dr. Lim asked, prompting Shay to position Nate so he could see the doctor.

Nate stared up at Dr. Lim, his tiny hands in his mouth. “He’s been doing really well, and behaving, most importantly,” Shay replied.

Dr. Lim nodded and began her examination, starting with Nate’s hands before moving on to the rest of his body. This was a routine check-up. They would measure his weight and height, and then Nate would receive his vaccination.

Shay was a firm believer in vaccinations. She had been vaccinated herself and turned out just fine, so she wanted the same for her children. Nate cried after the jab, and Shay gently pulled his shirt down.

She cradled him in her arms, trying to soothe him. She wished Adam was there. He had a knack for calming Nate down, while she often found herself flustered.

“Would you like a nurse to take Nate?” Dr. Lim asked, noticing Shay’s struggle.

Grateful for the offer, Shay nodded. Managing three kids was no easy task, and she was always open to any help she could get.

Dr. Lim called in a nurse to help soothe Nate while they continued their conversation. As Shay adjusted her top, she noticed the nurse out of the corner of her eye, gently playing with Nate to calm him down.

“Is everything okay?” Shay asked as Dr. Lim jotted down some notes.

“Yes, he seems healthy,” Dr. Lim confirmed, to Shay’s relief. “Is he still breastfeeding or on the bottle?”

“He’s still breastfeeding. His appetite is increasing,” Shay explained.

“And how are you feeling?” Dr. Lim inquired.

“I’ve been feeling a bit bloated and nauseous, and my appetite has decreased,” Shay admitted.

“When was your last period?” Dr. Lim asked, typing something into her computer.

“I haven’t had one,” Shay confessed. She had read that it was normal after giving birth, and her OBGYN had confirmed it during her last check-up.

“Have you been sexually active?” Dr. Lim asked.

Shay blushed and cleared her throat before answering. “Yes,” she admitted.

Dr. Lim nodded and reached under her desk. “Just to be safe,” she said, handing Shay a sample cup.

Shay took the cup, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “I’d like you to collect a urine sample so we can run a quick pregnancy test,” Dr. Lim explained.

Shay nodded, unable to find her voice. She took the cup and turned to Nate. The nurse gave her an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, Shay left the doctor’s office and headed for the bathroom.

As she walked down the hallway, she couldn’t resist peeking into the rooms on either side. After a quick glance, she continued to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Inside the bathroom, Shay stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was taken aback by the doctor’s suggestion, but she knew Dr. Lim was right. It was better to be safe.

She locked the door and set the cup on the sink countertop. After sanitizing the toilet seat, she picked up the cup and began to unbutton her pants.

***

^Flashback^

Shay had been feeling anxious and on edge for the past few days. She had missed her period, which normally wouldn’t bother her, but she knew she had been sexually active and they had been careless more times than she could count.

She stared at the four pregnancy tests she had bought from the store. She had an appointment with her OBGYN in a few hours, but she couldn’t wait. She had convinced herself she could wait for the appointment, but when she saw the pregnancy tests at the pharmacy, she couldn’t resist.

She bought four tests and hurried home. Shay had been telling herself that she wasn’t pregnant, that her period was just late. She had been reassuring herself that there was no cause for alarm, that she wasn’t carrying a child.

She had even made an appointment with her OBGYN two weeks ago, intending to start birth control. As the alarm on her phone sounded, she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before flipping over the pregnancy tests.

She had been too anxious to watch the line or lines appear in the small window. Her eyes focused on the window of the first test as she turned it over. Her heart hammered in her chest, her eyes widening at the sight of the pink lines.

Two lines.

She swallowed hard, turning over the second pregnancy test. The same result. Quickly flipping over the third and fourth tests, she stared at the results.

All of them showed double lines.

Shay was pregnant.

Her hands instinctively moved to her stomach, gently rubbing it. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Shay lifted her shirt slightly, staring at her belly.

There was a life growing inside her.

She turned to the side, seeing no physical change yet, but she couldn’t help but smile. There was a life growing inside her. She was carrying a life, something she hadn’t expected to happen so soon.

She had always planned to do things in order: get married, then have kids. She wasn’t sure how Ethan would react to this news.

Shaking her head, Shay gathered the tests, stuffing them into a paper bag and hiding it away. After washing her hands, she decided to head to her doctor’s appointment early. Shay couldn’t wait any longer. She needed to know for sure if she was pregnant.

Her mind was a whirlwind of scenarios and even with the four positive pregnancy tests, she needed an ultrasound to truly convince herself.

As she reached the front of her building, her Uber arrived. Climbing into the car, Shay sat quietly, fiddling with her fingers.

Nervous.

She watched the buildings and the endless stream of cars that filled the city pass by. Her mind was racing, comparing her current life to the possibility of becoming a mother. She thought about Ethan, wondering how he would react.

If he would be accepting.

“Thank you,” Shay said as she stepped out of the car.

She looked up at the large sign of the OBGYN clinic, swallowing hard before her gaze drifted to the left. Next to the clinic was a baby store. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Shaking her head, she let her feet carry her into the clinic.

The smell of disinfectant hit her immediately. Glancing left and right, she saw a few women sitting in the waiting room, waiting for their turn.

“Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Burke,” Shay told the nurse.

The nurse smiled. “Name please?”

“Shay Haze,” Shay said, hoping that no one would recognize her. Even though it was a doctor’s office and everything was private, she was still nervous.

“Have a seat. You’re early for your appointment, but we will call you once we’re ready,” the nurse informed her.

Shay nodded, murmuring a quick thank you before taking a seat.

Looking around, she saw that the other women were engrossed in their own activities. Some were reading magazines, others were scrolling on their phones. Shay tapped her foot nervously, keeping her head down, hoping to go unnoticed.

^THIRTY MINUTES LATER^

“Shay,” the nurse called.

Shay stood up immediately, following the nurse without looking back. She had been sitting in the same spot for the past thirty minutes, thinking about the life growing inside her and worrying about Ethan’s reaction.

“How are you today?” Dr. Burke asked as she took a seat, the door closing behind her.

“Actually, I scheduled this appointment two weeks ago to discuss contraceptives. But I’ve missed my period and I’ve taken four pregnancy tests, all positive,” Shay blurted out. She was nervous and she needed to know if she was really pregnant.

“Okay, let’s take this one step at a time,” Dr. Burke said calmly.

Shay nodded, paying close attention to the doctor’s instructions.

“How about we do an ultrasound and see if we can find a heartbeat?”

“Okay,” she agreed, and just then the nurse entered the room.

The nurse helped her onto the bed, where the ultrasound machine was.

Shay lay on the bed as the nurse dimmed the lights. Dr. Burke approached her, donning gloves and turning on the machine.

“Lift up your shirt,” Dr. Burke instructed.

Shay nodded, doing as she was told.

“This is going to be a little cold,” he warned before applying the gel-like substance to her belly.

Shay winced slightly, her eyes fixed on the screen, waiting for the image to appear.

As the plastic probe pressed against her belly, Shay took a deep breath. Her eyes darted between the screen and the doctor. His expression was unreadable, as was the nurse’s.

“Is everything okay?” Shay asked nervously.

“Congratulations, Ms. Haze, you’re pregnant,” he said with a smile, his eyes still on the screen.

“I have to ask, do twins run in your family?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m a twin, I have twin older brothers and my father is a twin,” she explained, her heart pounding.

Dr. Burke nodded slowly, pointing at the screen, at two round shapes.

“Do you see these two sacs right here?” Dr. Burke asked.

“Yes,” she answered nervously.

“Congratulations, Ms. Haze, you’re expecting twins,” he announced, and Shay felt her eyes widen in shock.

She knew there was a possibility, given that twins were common in her family, but she hadn’t really considered it. She was nervous, unsure how she would manage twins on her own, and uncertain if Ethan even wanted to raise kids with her.

They hadn’t really discussed their future with kids, only mentioned it in passing. She was anxious about telling him, worried about what it might do to their relationship.

Dr. Burke gave her some prenatal supplements and told her she was seven weeks pregnant. She even got to hear the twins’ heartbeats, and from the moment she heard those heartbeats, Shay fell in love.

After the appointment, Shay went next door to the baby store, her supplements in a brown paper bag. The store was quiet, which she was grateful for. Keeping her head down, Shay browsed through the baby clothes, feeling the soft cotton material between her fingers.

Shay’s gaze was drawn to a particular outfit. Her heart gave a little flutter and a smile spread across her face as she ran her fingers over the soft fabric.

~Daddy’s fave~

~Mommy’s fave~

Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized how she would break the news to Ethan.

***

Shay found herself lost in memories of her first pregnancy. After washing her hands, she picked up the sealed sample cup and made her way back to the doctor’s office.

Upon entering the room, she saw baby Nate engaged in play with the nurse. Handing the sample cup to Dr. Lim, Shay couldn’t help but smile.

The doctor placed the cup on the edge of the table.

“Natey,” Shay cooed, cradling the calm baby in her arms.

She settled into a chair, bouncing baby Nate on her knee while Dr. Lim and the nurse conducted the pregnancy test. Shay sat in silence, her attention focused on baby Nate. It was only four months ago that she had given birth to him. The idea of being pregnant while breastfeeding seemed impossible. She had heard so many myths, it was hard to discern fact from fiction.

“Shay.” The doctor’s voice broke her train of thought.

“Mmm,” she hummed, her attention still on baby Nate.

“You appear to be pregnant,” the doctor announced.

Shay’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to face the doctor.

“This test may not be completely accurate, so I’ve scheduled an appointment for you with your OBGYN. You can confirm the results there,” Dr. Lim explained in a soothing tone.

Shay only half-listened to Dr. Lim’s words. Her mind was already racing with the prospect of a new baby. Despite the challenges of raising three kids, she was excited at the thought of another one on the way.

She confirmed her appointment with the OBGYN, opting for the earliest slot. She needed to know if she was truly pregnant or if it was a false positive.

After baby Nate’s appointment, Shay headed home. She was trying to figure out how to break the news to Adam. She wasn’t sure how he would react.

He loved kids, but having them so close together would be a challenge.

Upon reaching home, she found the twins had already returned from school. They had been dropped off by a friend. Normally, Shay would pick them up, but today she couldn’t.

Seeing Adam’s car in the driveway, she smiled. She was eager to share the news with him.

“Let’s go tell your dad,” Shay said, carefully lifting Nate from his car seat.

Holding baby Nate against her waist, she locked the car and headed toward the house. She was grateful for their nanny. She couldn’t imagine managing three boys on her own.

Adam was a great help, but he was at the office six days a week. When he wasn’t at work, he was busy with meetings to expand the store. It felt like a never-ending cycle.

As she stepped through the door, the twins rushed to greet her. She laughed at their enthusiasm, bending down to kiss their foreheads before they scampered back into the house.

Handing baby Nate to Josephine, the nanny, Shay spotted Adam in the living room, phone in hand. He was home earlier than usual, a fact she didn’t question. She always appreciated his early arrivals.

It meant more time together and a brief respite from the kids.

“Adam, can I see you outside for a while?” Shay asked.

He looked up at her and nodded, following her out the front door. As the twins continued to play, Shay needed a moment alone with her husband. She had to tell him before her OBGYN appointment.

“Hey hon, how were the doctors?” Adam asked as he closed the door.

“Nate is doing well, but the doctor thinks I might be pregnant. I’ve been feeling a bit off and they tested a urine sample. It came back positive, so I have a follow-up appointment with the OBGYN tomorrow to confirm,” Shay blurted out.