Chapter 13

The whole appointment I kept thinking of Calvin and Jenelle. This whole situation seemed so messed up. I wasn’t to blame, was I? I had no idea he wasn’t single. I tried to distract myself and began to look around the room. Dr. Julia’s office was decorated quite nicely, but it also felt a little empty. White walls, chic bookshelves with thick books I assumed he had to read for his studies, some medical pictures on the wall, a single flower pot with a purple orchid planted in it. He went for a very minimalist office.

I let out a groan without thinking twice when I thought of Jenelle and Calvin again. I just couldn’t stop thinking of it, and the loud groan got the doctor to stare at me.

“Miss Marino, might I add that stress isn’t good for the baby?” He looked over at me with his brow arched.

“Right, sorry. I just got lost in my thoughts,” I said nervously.

“Whatever those thoughts were, replace them with some calming thoughts.” He spoke so calmly and had the smoothest voice, but even that wasn’t enough to calm me down right now.

“Of course, doc,” I agreed. “When should I be back?” I asked, knowing there would be many appointments to follow, even after the birth.

“Ten weeks and we’ll do some early bloodwork.” He began to write in his notebook. “Make sure to schedule it with the front desk, so we don’t miss it,” Dr. Julia added. “Everything else seems pretty good for now.” He closed his notebook and looked over at me.

“I may go?” I asked. I was eager to leave but at the same time nervous to exit these walls.

“Yes, Ms. Marino. Make sure to schedule your next appointment, okay,” he reminded me again.

“I shall, doc,” I picked up my bag and walked over to the door.

“One more thing, actually,” he said, which made me turn around to him.

“Yes?” I raised a brow at him.

“Is there a father in the picture? Or someone who could accompany you to these appointments?” Dr. Julia then asked, which made me feel a bit uneasy due to the answer I had to give.

“Uh, the father is not in the picture,” I answered. “No one else is allowed to accompany me, right?”

“Oh, not at all. Anyone you feel comfortable with is allowed to accompany you. There’s just a max amount,” he was quick to say which made me nod.

“Oh, then, that’s great. I suppose my friends or parents may accompany me from time to time.” I just had to hope they were willing to go. I’d hate to be all alone for sure.

“Understood. You may go now.” He dismissed me again.

“Thank you. Have a good day,” I muttered.

I kept thinking of how I could avoid Jenelle. I just had a feeling she was next, and I didn’t want to come across Calvin. I thought quickly and opened the door. I decided to rush to the toilet. I could go out the back, and all my problems would be solved; however I had to book my next appointment, and that is better to do in person. I didn’t want to call to do it. I waited for a solid five minutes in the toilet and kept scrolling through my feed endlessly. When I felt like enough time had passed, I peeked through the bathroom door. I didn’t see Jenelle or Calvin anywhere, so I went out to the front desk and began to book my appointment.

I went into the car and saw my parents were calling me.

“Hey, Mom, Dad,” I answered the phone and rested it on my thighs.

“Hello, how did the appointment go?” my dad asked. I was pretty sure that with this pregnancy, they’d be calling all the time to check up.

“Everything’s fine. At ten weeks, I’ll have bloodwork done,” I replied, looking at the office’s door.

“That’s great,” my mother said cheerfully.

“So, your mother and I were thinking of coming over there,” my father blurted out.

“Now?”

“Well, this week, yeah. We wouldn’t stay long this time, but five days sure would be something,” he explained. I could tell just how excited they were, but I was afraid whether I’d have time for them or not.

“I mean, I am free from school right now, but I still work,” I reminded them.

“That’s fine. As long as we get to see you just a little,” my mother said sweetly.

“Yes, of course. I’d love to see you guys,” I admitted truthfully.

“Great, also, your uncle reached out to us,” my father then said. I was assuming they were talking about Uncle Archie.

“Oh, uh, what for?” I asked, a little nervous. It was his company where I applied for an apprenticeship.

“Just info,” my dad replied in a teasing manner, knowing I’d want to hear more than just that. “He mentioned you applied at his company for an apprenticeship?” my mother asked.

“I did, yeah. I figured I would try everywhere,” I replied. Deep down, I chose my uncle’s place. He was one of the few people in my family to support me with my choice in changing my career.

“Well, he just had a few questions about you,” my dad added.

“Please tell me you answered them to my liking,” I said. If Uncle Archie didn’t like the answers, he might not want me at his company!

“We answered with the truth, which makes you seem like a good worker,” my mother answered, truthfully, which made me smile.

“Phew,” I sighed, relieved, and pulled the seatbelt over my body.

“You didn’t hear it from us, but you are accepted!” my dad squealed.

“Really?” I asked, surprised. My mouth hung open for a few moments.

“Yes!” my mother confirmed.

“Oh my god!” That was all I could say right now. I was just happy to be accepted! I wasn’t even sure if he’d want me there. He did promise to accept me into his company if my school reputation was good; however, that was before the falling out. I figured he wouldn’t do it anymore.

“Listen, we’re so proud of you, but we have to go now. We have a meeting in five minutes,” my mother said. I could hear the rustling of paper in the background.

“Oh, okay. Talk to you soon.”

“Stay safe sweetie,” my father replied.

“I will,” I hummed, then ended the call.

I drove myself home and went to prepare my food to take to work with me, but to my surprise, Madison packed me my lunch. I only had to take my drink. I texted her a quick thank you then left the house. I preferred to walk to the daycare for now, mainly because it wasn’t that far, and it was a good way of exercising. I didn’t know how far into the pregnancy I’d be able to do this, so I was enjoying this for now.

When I got to the daycare, I greeted everyone, and of course, my buddy Matthew ran up to me and gave me a very special greeting. He drew me a picture! It wasn’t the prettiest, but if it were abstract, it would be perfect. I did appreciate him thinking of me, though, and I made sure he knew how much I loved the drawing.

Around 3 PM, Calvin walked in with little Jay and helped him get settled in. I kept stealing glances at him, and every time I looked at him, he’d look back at me.

“Can we talk?” Calvin walked up to me to ask and pointed out to the corner of the room where it was less hectic.

“Uh, sure, yeah,” I mumbled and put down the pencils on the table and followed him to the corner. My heart began to beat faster than usual, and I could feel my hands getting sweaty. What did he want to talk about? Has he figured out I was at the clinic with him today?

“I just had to talk to you about James,” he said, which made me nod. So it wasn’t what I thought it would be about.

“James? Oh, Jay?”

“Yes, his full name is James,” He mentioned. “He prefers you over the other teachers, so I thought I should let you know he has a severe nut allergy,” Calvin informed me. I couldn’t help but notice his gorgeous eyes and just how much taller he was. Wow.

“Oh, okay, noted. Did you state that in the application?” I asked.

“Yes, we stated that, but we’d still want to be safe and let you know. He carries his EpiPen too. It’s in his bag,” Calvin added, his eyes wandering around.

“Good, I’ll let the others know too,” I assured him.