At night, he goes to the gym and has been coming home around six just as I'm cooking dinner. Again, a nice kiss on the cheek, great dinner conversation, he does the dishes, tidies up the kitchen for me because he insists the rule is she who cooks does not clean up-great rule, by the way-then we've either watched television, checked emails on opposite couches, or else he's kissed me goodnight and gone to bed.
This morning, after he leaves for the day, I find an envelope and a sunflower laid out on my made bed -he made my freaking bed for me. I don't know whether to be grateful or horrified. Inside the envelope is a note.
My beautiful Kate,
I would love to take you out for a date tonight.
Now that we've had the fun, casual, playful date, I think you deserve to be wined and dined.
There may even be a little dancing ;)
A sunflower symbolizes adoration.The color also matches the sexy dress you wore for our first date.
Be ready to be wooed.
7 p.m.
ZANDER
There is no preparation required; I'm already well on my way to being wooed.
I walk into the ob/gyn office and see Mac and Daniel sitting in the waiting room. I can tell Mac is nervous because she's fidgeting with her purse and tapping her foot on the floor.
“Hey, you guys excited?”
“Definitely, but this one,” Daniel says, grabbing Mac's hand and pulling it onto his lap, “is nervous as all hell. Says she has a bad feeling.”
“I do! I had a dream last night that there was a demon spawn in my stomach, and it was trying to climb its way out of my who-see-what's-it,” she says, talking really fast.
I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing because, believe it or not, Mac is actually serious. “Hon, you do not have a demon spawn inside you, and you do know that the baby has to come out your who-see-what's-it anyway, right?”
“Can't I just get a sunroof? You know, put me to sleep, cut me open and I wake up a mom with a baby?”
“Gorgeous, we talked about this, and the OB talked to you about the risks.”
“I know. I'm just imagining easier ways to meet the super heroine-“
“Hero. Superhero. We're having a boy, I just know it,” Daniel butts in, wrapping his arm around Mac's shoulders and pulling her into his side. She relaxes into him and rests her head on his shoulder.
“I don't care what we're having, as long as it's healthy. And isn't a demon spawn,” she adds.
“Makenna Lewis,” the nurse calls out, and we all stand.
“This is going to be so cool! I get to see my god child before I meet him,” I say excitedly before Mac gives me a dirty look. “Or super heroine. Whatever!”
We're all ushered through a short corridor and into the ultrasound room. There are a couple of chairs on one side of the bed and the ultrasound equipment and screen on the other.
“Would you like to put a gown on Makenna, or are you happy just to lift up your shirt?” the nurse asks.
“I'll just lift up my shirt, but thank you.”
“You're welcome. Just pop up on the bed when you are ready, and the technician will be right in to start.”
“Awesome,” Mac replies, rubbing her belly and kissing Daniel softly on the lips before he grabs her hand and helps her up onto the examination table.
“I love you, gorgeous,” he murmurs before kissing her forehead and sitting down beside her as she reaches down and takes his hand.
I hold a sigh back as I watch them. Will Zander and I get to that stage? Does he even want it to get to that stage? I decided this morning that we will just take it one date at a time. I'm going to go with the flow. If something happens, it happens. The expectation my mother has put on me to find a nice man to look after me and give me the perfect 2.5 children and picket fence life is just that, her expectation. Not mine. Zander has made me realize that sometimes what you want, and what you need, can be different.
The door handle rattles and the ultrasound technician walks in, introduces himself, then shakes Daniel's hand and sits down on a rollaway stool next to Mac. “Okay, so we're doing the twenty week ultrasound, is that right?”
“Yes, but I'm a bit late for it,” Mac replies, her voice shaky.
Daniel gives her hand a squeeze, and she visibly relaxes.
“That's okay. Let's get started then. Before we do, did you want to know the baby's sex?” the technician asks.
“Yes,” we all say at the same time, launching both Mac and I into a giggling fit.
“Fuck, here we go,” Daniel mutters under his breath as we struggle to stop.
“I just need you to lift your top to just under your bra, then move your waistband down to the bottom of your stomach,” he explains as Mac follows, still sniggering. “And I'm just going to apply some of this gel so that the wand can show us what we want to see. So looking at your notes, you're twenty-two weeks today, is that right?”
“Yes,” Mac answers dutifully.
“Okay. So we should be able to see everything we need to see then. Are you measuring big for your date?”
“A little bit, yes, but the doctor said it's within the normal range.”
“Great, just wanted to check.”
The technician moves the wand over Mac's stomach and all four heads in the room are suddenly riveted on the screen in front of us. I let out a little squeal when the baby's head comes into view.
“Well, there it is. Let me just turn the volume up so that we can hear the baby's heartbeat.” With a turn of a knob, the sound of a very fast heartbeat fills the room.
I see Mac's head turn to Superman, her eyes glistening with tears. “No demon spawn,” she whispers as he grins at her.
“I love you,” he whispers back.
“What's that other heartbeat?” I ask, leaning forward to have a closer look at the screen.
“That'll just be mine, hon,” Mac replies.
“Ah…” The technician pauses to look at Mac's notes again.
“What? What's wrong?” Mac asks, her voice sounding tight.
“Is this your first ultrasound?”
“Yes. We've just been having monthly OB check-ups,” Mac replies, looking confused. “But they've been very regular, and I've felt the baby moving constantly. Please tell me my baby's okay?”
“It's okay. Everything is fine. I just need to get the doctor in here for a minute. I'm sorry, it'll just take a second.”
“Wait, is there something wrong?” Daniel's face is full of concern as he grips Mac's hand tighter, moving in closer to her.
“No, no. Nothing's wrong. I just need the doctor to double check something.”