“Are you comfortable?” she asked with a smile.
“Yeah. It seems as though lately laying on my back is the only way I can be comfortable.”
“Just wait.” She let out a laugh and placed her hand on my arm. “I’ll go let Dr. Lewis know you’re ready.”
A few moments later, Dr. Lewis walked into the room.
“Hi, Jenna. How have you been feeling?”
“Hi, Dr. Lewis. I’m feeling pretty good.”
“Excellent. No issues?”
“Nope. Not that I can think of.”
“Then let’s get started. Are you ready to see your baby?”
“I’m very ready.” I grinned.
“If I can get a clear view, do you want to know the sex of the baby?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
She squirted some gel over my belly and began moving the transducer around. As I intently stared at the monitor, tears sprung to my eyes as I saw my baby. I couldn’t believe that tiny human was growing inside me, and a part of me wished Lucas was here to see it.
“Congratulations Jenna. It’s a girl.” Dr. Lewis smiled as she glanced over at me.
“Oh my gosh, a little girl.” I grinned as the tears fell from my eyes.
“She looks perfect, and she’s growing on schedule. I’ll print out some pictures for you to take home.”
As I walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but stare at the pictures of my baby. Her facial features and her little body were perfectly clear. I could already tell she had Lucas’s nose and my lips.
I’d done a lot of thinking the past week, and I decided to take a trip back home for the weekend to try and make amends with my parents. I wasn’t sure how they were going to feel about the baby, but I would soon find out. My visit would go one of two ways: delightful or disastrous.
Lucas
I’d rented a lake house about an hour outside of Portland, Maine, from a nice older couple. It was beautiful, peaceful and exactly what I needed. The view of the lake was relaxing and visible from all sides of the house. I’d spent the last week doing absolutely nothing, and I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt for it. I’d done some fishing, canoeing, and I hiked the trails near the house. But most importantly, I’d done a lot of thinking. Thinking about my father, my life, Jenna, and the baby. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I’d lived my entire life trying to get my father’s approval. To make him see he’d made the right decision in keeping me, and that I was worthy. I was a thirty-year-old man still seeking the same approval and worth from him, and the cycle needed to stop. I had one more week at the lake house, and I was going to use it to my full advantage before I had to get back to the reality of life. A life I wasn’t so sure of anymore.
One Week Later
Jenna
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my naked, expanding body. Now, it was more than obvious I was pregnant. It amazed me how fast the baby grew in the past two weeks. I had four months left to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to go once the baby was born. I still hadn’t heard a word from Lucas, and I didn’t know when he was coming back. My visit with my parents went a little better than I expected. It was neither delightful nor disastrous. It was just fine, but it would take a lot of time if we were ever going to have a normal family relationship.
I was sitting at my desk working on an important project when I heard a light knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said as I stared at my computer.
“Hello, Jenna.”
Looking towards the door, I saw Lucas standing there.
“Hey. You’re back.”
“I am.” He stepped inside and closed the door. Damn, did he look sexy.
Getting up from my desk, he noticed my belly and a look of shock splayed across his face.
“Wow. You really got bigger over the past couple of weeks.”
“Yeah. It’s real now.” I grinned as I placed my hand on my belly. “How was your trip?”
“It was good, and very relaxing. I’m hoping you’ll have dinner with me tonight. We need to talk.”
“Sure. How about you come over, and I’ll cook. That way we’ll have more privacy,” I said.
“You don’t have to cook. I can bring something over. Is there anything you have a taste for?”
I stood there and thought about it for a moment.
“Mediterranean sounds good.”
“Sounds good to me too.” A light smile crossed his lips. “I’ll stop at the place on the corner from our building, and I’ll be over around seven. I have a lot of work to catch up on. Just text me what you want.”
“I will.”
He opened the door and stopped when I called his name.
“Lucas?”
“Yeah?” He looked at me.
“It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.” He gave me a wink as he walked out of my office.
He seemed different. Calmer and relaxed. The pressures of life didn’t show in his face like they had. I pulled up the online menu to the Mediterranean place and everything sounded so good. I finally narrowed it down and sent Lucas a text message with my order.
“Really? Are you going to eat all that?”
“Yes. Have you forgotten I’m eating for two?”
“Point taken.”
Chapter 22
Lucas
After I left the office, I stopped and picked up the food and went up to the penthouse to change before heading down to Jenna’s. The moment I knocked on the door and she opened it, she grabbed the bag of food from me.
“It’s about time. I’m starving!”
I let out a chuckle as I stepped inside and shut the door.
“Can you do me a favor and take the food out of the bag? I have to pee,” she asked.
“Sure.”
“If you want scotch, the bottle is in the corner by the sink.”
I grabbed the containers of food from the bag and when I went to pull out a couple plates from the cabinet, I noticed a picture hanging on the refrigerator. I took it off and held it in my hand as I stared at it.
“Did you—” She stopped when she saw the picture in my hand. “I was going to ask if you wanted to see it.”
“When did you have this done?”
“A week after you left. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah. It is.” I placed the picture back on the refrigerator.
“The doctor said she looks perfect and she’s growing right on schedule.”
“She?” I looked at her.
“Yeah. It’s a girl.”
“Wow.” I turned and took the plates to the table. “A girl.”
“Can I pour you that scotch?” she asked.
“Please do and make it a double.”
She set the glass of scotch down in front of me and took her seat.
“The reason I suggested dinner tonight was because I had a lot of time to think while I was away.”
“Okay,” she said. “But first tell me where you went.” A smile crossed her lips.
“I rented a private lake house about an hour from Portland, Maine. It was beautiful and incredibly peaceful.”