“That’ll work.” Shadow approves, stepping to the side.
“Fine,” I snap, pushing Saint out of my way, I head back to my room angry Saint is being an asshole this morning. Why would he even suggest that?
In the room, Delilah is asleep on my side of the bed, I look through the dresser finding a pair of men’s shorts. Shoving them on, Saint enters the room.
“Why are you acting like an asshole?” I snap.
“I’m just trying to protect you,” he informs.
“And the best you could come up with is, I’m dumb?” I tilt my head to the side and purse my lips.
“You’re a first-time mother, you live in a place that is hot. I don’t know, tell them you were worried about getting fat, you like soda and not water. Anything but the truth, Piper, we left several dead bodies behind, do you want me to go to prison?” his voice rises. He makes me angry, but he’s right too.
“Trying to sleep!” Delilah yells, punching the pillow under her head. Looking to her, I bite my bottom lip, hating how bad my hormones are making me feel crazy.
“We should go,” I mutter.
“Yeah, I agree. We’re riding with your mom.” This is the first of me hearing this.
“You’re riding with us?” I ask with doubt. Saint always rides his bike.
“I don’t want you on the bike in your condition, babe.”
“My condition?”
“Yeah, being pregnant and all. It’s too risky for you to ride.”
I love riding, so that depresses me even if he is right. I don’t argue with him though because I know I’m being difficult. I can’t help it, I just want to be a normal pregnant woman. To go to the mall and look at overpriced baby clothes, talk about the size of the baby to anyone who is willing to hear me, and post on social media all my crazy symptoms and baby bump picture. Not come up with a cover-up as to why I have bruises around my ankle and wrist, and why I haven’t seen a doctor my whole pregnancy.
“Living the life of an outlaw is harder than anyone knows.” I let out a long breath, as if my hardships are of any relevance to breaking the law.
“Freedom comes at a cost, I’m afraid,” Delilah murmurs, half asleep on the bed.
Yeah, but at what point has an outlaw paid their dues, when is it enough?
Riding in the car with my mom and Saint, the Devil’s Dust ride on both sides of, behind us, and lead the way. I feel like the President of the United States. A hand grasps mine as I look out the window and I look down at my hand. It’s my mom’s. Glancing up to her, she gives me a small smile. I squeeze her hand and look back to the roaring motorcycles beside us. They’re so sleek and full of hard metal, the men on them strong and fearless. I want to look like that, to be strong and scared of nothing.
Pulling into the hospital, some of the guys have already parked their bikes, Lip being one of them. He wheels a wheelchair toward the car before opening my door. I look at him as if he’s being ridiculous.
“I’m not sitting in that. I’m fine,” I reject.
“Just in case,” Lip suggests, nodding his head for me to sit. Turning, I sit in the chair to make him happy. I don’t need it though, I really am fine.
Going into the hospital, all of the Devils follow behind us, including Shadow. Patients gasp and kids stare. It’s a big scene.
My mom talks to the receptionist, who stares at me. Hopefully my mom came up with something different than my daughter is dumb and didn’t take care of herself.
My mom turns to me. “They’re taking you to the maternity floor for observation.”
I smile, happy to hear I don’t have to go to the emergency room or anything. I’ll have a comfortable room and not any roommates.
Within seconds, I have nurses ushering me into an elevator. We go up a few floors before following a tall blonde nurse with a clipboard into a room. The windows are large and let in a lot of lights, the bed has white crisp sheets, and there’s a TV opposite the bed.
Saint takes my hand, helping me out of the chair and I sit on the bed.
“Okay honey, put this gown on.” She hands me a blue gown with little flowers on it. “I’ll be back in with an ultrasound,” she informs me.
“Okay, thank you.” I smile politely at her.
“Lip and I will stand outside until you’re ready,” Mom tells me. I nod silently and start to undress.
Saint sits in a chair next to the bed, the room quiet.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
“Um, I’m nervous,” he replies softly.
Looking over my shoulder at him, I can’t help but smile.
“Of what?”
Leaning forward, he rests his hands on his elbows.
“All of it. Is the baby healthy, being a dad,” he counts off.
“What if there’re twins in there,” I chuckle.
“Not funny!” but he laughs when saying it.
Shoving my arms through the sleeves, the back is left open. Saint starts tying them without me even having to ask, and I remember he’s had a pregnant girlfriend before. He’s probably seen these gowns before, heard a baby’s heartbeat. This is all new to me.
The nurse walks in wheeling a machine, she hums while lifting the screen.
“Okay hun, why don’t you just lay back,” she instructs. I do as she says and pull the blankets up to my waist. The nurse takes over from there, tugging up the gown, and squirting goo on my little bump.
“You doing okay, Momma?” she asks, sensing my nervousness.
“Yeah, just anxious,” I respond. Months have gone by and I have wondered so many things about what’s growing inside of me.
“Oh, I’m sure everything is going to be okay. At least you’re feeling better,” she says while clicking on the machine.
“Feeling better?” I look to Saint confused what she means.
“Um…”
“Your mom said you’ve been down with flu-like symptoms so long you didn’t even know you were pregnant?” She looks to me to confirm what my mother said was true.
“Oh yeah… I…” I stammer, not sure what to say or make her believe us.
She presses a wand looking thing onto my tummy, swooshing sounds on the monitor catching mine and Saint’s attention.
The nurse clicks and clacks, moving the wand all around my stomach.
“This is the head.” The image turns, just as she points it out and I’m not sure what I’m looking at. “Oh, it’s looking at us. There’re the eyes, the nose, and mouth,” she informs us with such excitement, I can’t help but smile, and I mean really smile.
There’s my baby. Thank God there’s only one.
“The heartbeat is strong,” she says with approval, hitting buttons on the machine. Suddenly the sound of a fast heartbeat sounds through the speakers. It takes my breath away, my mouth parting. That’s the heartbeat. Inside of me.
“Whew,” Saint sighs.
“I might be able to tell the sex, would you like me to look?” She looks to us and my mouth drops.
“I, uh… yeah. I wanna know.” I glance to Saint, who is already nodding he wants to know. I laugh, and then the nurse chuckles along at his eagerness. The wand slides down low, and I feel the need to pee.