“Done?” My nose scrunched. “I can’t...I don’t have enough money. I’m not sure I have enough for the appointment and test.”
“Maddie, stop worrying. The Lord has blessed Pastor Roberto and I. Please let me share.”
“Why can’t we wait? If we find out I’m pregnant, I’ll need things for my baby. I don’t need new clothes, makeup, or my hair done.”
Kristine’s smile faded as she made her way toward one of the downtown exits. “I understand. It’s that I don’t have children and I guess I wanted...you know, for you to be all done up to tell Patrick the news.”
Her disappointment was palpable. Leaning back against the seat I thought about all she’d done and what she’d offered.
Was it fair for me to reject her offer if it made her happy?
What would it be like to have new clothes?
I’d never before worn makeup. I remembered watching my mother apply mascara and lipstick. I’d always thought that one day I would be like her. She had dark hair, green eyes, and the brightest smile. I turned to Kristine. She was too young to be my mother, but I looked up to her, as I would my own mother. “Okay.”
“Okay?” she asked.
“If you think it’s a good idea. I feel funny being spoiled. I mean, the money could go to the mission.”
“Oh, Maddie,” Kristine said, “thank you for letting me do this. And we’ll get lunch too.”
I fed off of her excitement, allowing the possibility of an unplanned adventure to tingle through me. Shopping at the Magnificent Mile, being pampered at a cosmetic counter and a hair salon were unimaginable to me. I tugged my lip in anticipation. And then I thought of Patrick. I turned to Kristine, “Thank you for this. Patrick will never believe all I have to tell him tonight.”
“We can park in a garage downtown and walk. Are you all right with that?” she asked.
“I haven’t been downtown in a long time.”
After the van was parked and we were on the sidewalk with the sun streaming down, Kristine looped her arm through mine. “Come on, Maddie, let’s have a fun afternoon. I say we start with clothes, then makeup, and hair just before a late lunch. How does that sound?”
My eyes opened wide. “Crazy,” I said with a giggle. “It sounds crazy.”
By two o’clock, we were sitting in a restaurant within one of the big stores. For once, I didn’t feel completely out of place among normal people. I was wearing a dress that made me look older than I was. It was white with long sleeves and a neckline that went lower than I’d ever worn. When Kristine brought it to the dressing room, I couldn’t stop my complaints about how impractical a dress was for me. I mean, when would I wear it again?
However, after I tried it on, Kristine said it looked too good not to buy. The shoes she picked out were heeled. She said I needed the entire outfit and even bought silky pantyhose and new underwear—panties and a bra.
I couldn’t describe the feeling of wearing all the new clothes, all the way down.
The woman at the salon was very nice. She and Kristine decided to have my long hair trimmed and highlights added. After it was washed and dried, the lady curled it, the long tresses hanging in waves. At the department store, the woman at the makeup counter spent nearly twenty minutes talking about my skin tone, cheekbones, and eyes. I’d never thought about any of it before. By the time she showed me the mirror, I hardly recognized myself.
“What will Patrick think?” was my response.
“He’ll think he’s a lucky guy,” Kristine responded.
Now eating lunch, I sipped water and ate the most delicious cheeseburger I’d ever had in my memory. It wasn’t only a burger. The French fries were giant, not like McDonald’s, but thick and long. “Kristine, thank you,” I said as I finished the burger.
“Oh, Maddie, I’m so happy you let me do this. You’re absolutely beautiful.”
I looked down at the dress. “I hope Patrick thinks so.”
“Of course he will. What do you think?”
My cheeks warmed as my smile bloomed. “I feel like this isn’t me.”
“It is you. You’re a beautiful girl with so much potential. I’m sure they’ll agree.”
“Who?” I asked.
She looked down at her wristwatch. “Well, it’s about time to go to your appointment.”
I let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what I want to learn.”
Did I want to be carrying a baby?
“Well, no matter what you learn, you can’t do it here.”
I took a deep breath. “How long will it take us to get to the appointment?”
“Not long. The building is just a few blocks away.”
“Really? Downtown?”
Kristine laid cash on the table to pay for our lunch before looking up at me. “Yes, wait until you see the office. It’s beautiful with a view of the park.”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
After a short walk and an elevator ride, we were standing in an office waiting room with only four chairs. The sign outside the door simply read Miller Inc. “You’re sure this is a doctor’s office?” I asked.
Kristine went to the small window and spoke to the receptionist. When she came back she had paperwork for me to complete. “They just want you to answer a few questions.”
“Do I need to tell them all of this stuff?” I asked, reading through the form. “I don’t really know my family history or Patrick’s.”
“Just answer for yourself. It might be better to not put Patrick’s name on there, since you don’t know for sure.”
“I know he’s the father,” I said.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s not what I mean. I meant that you don’t know his family history.”
I looked at the form. “Should I use my maiden name?”
“They will want to see your ID.”
We’d not made it to the license branch to get new IDs after our wedding. Mine still read Madeline Tate.
“Okay, I’ll just fill this out about me and what I know.”
Kristine smiled.
“Miss Tate,” a lady called not long after I’d turned in the clipboard and pen along with my identification.
“That’s me.”
The older woman smiled at me and Kristine. “I’m Wendy. Do you mind if your sister joins you?”
Sister?
Oh, she meant Kristine.
“She isn’t—”
“I’d love to since they only allow family,” Kristine interrupted with a grin.
“Yeah, she can come.”
Wendy looked me up and down in my new clothes. “You sure are pretty.”
Though it made me a bit uneasy, I thanked her.
After confirming information such as my last period and sexual history, Wendy showed me to a bathroom and asked me to urinate in a cup. After that, I joined her and Kristine in a small examination room.
The sight of the table and stirrups made my skin cool as a clammy perspiration came to the surface. “Um, I’ve never...”
“It’s not that bad, Maddie,” Kristine said. “I’ll stand up by your shoulder and even hold your hand. Wendy just needs to confirm that you’re pregnant.”