Gia and I stared at the screen.
“I’ll give you a quick tour of the baby’s anatomy so that you can enjoy it while I take measurements and the pictures I need.” The technician pointed to what looked like a string of pearls. “This is your baby’s spine.” She tilted the wand a little to the left with one hand and pointed to the screen with the other. The image was grainy and black and white, but I could make out what she showed next before she even said it. “Head.” She outlined what was clearly a skull, then traced down the baby’s profile. “Nose. Lips.” Holy crap. I could actually see an outline of a baby’s face. Although it looked more like an alien swimming than a baby from where I stood. But there it was, a person—
inside of Gia—one with its own heartbeat and profile already. The technician smiled and moved the wand around a lot while looking at the screen. “You have an active one. It’s turning around a lot.”
Just as she said that, something very clear came into view.
“Is that a hand?” Gia said.
“Sure is.”
“Wow.”
“If you opt to have a 3D sonogram later in your pregnancy, the pictures are really clear. But you’re actually getting a pretty nice show today considering you’re only fourteen weeks.”
Mesmerized by the screen, I’d completely forgotten about Gia’s stomach, and it hit me that I was actually excited about the pregnancy for the first time. I couldn’t wait to meet the little guy.
Okay, so maybe I did think he was a boy.
I continued to stare in awe. I saw fingers move, toes, lips, a long neck and was that…
My excitement must’ve gotten the best of me. I pointed to what I thought was a penis. “Is that his…”
The technician laughed. “No. That’s actually a whole foot.”
Gia had turned her head and was watching me instead of the screen. Her face glowed and she looked so beautiful. Without giving it any thought, I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Okay. So maybe I do sort of think it’s a boy.”
The technician finished scanning Gia’s belly and then printed off a few pictures. “First refrigerator pictures, Mom,” she said handing them to Gia. “I’m not supposed to give any results or anything, but everything looks great. Why don’t you get dressed, and I’ll have the group PA pop in to answer any questions you might have today since you’re not due to see the doctor at this visit.” She handed a bunch of paper towels to Gia. “To clean up the gel.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
The technician left us alone in the room, and Gia wiped a few tears, then began to wipe off her belly. I took the paper towels from her hand and cleaned up the mess. It had seemed perfectly natural to do, but after I’d done it, I noticed Gia was looking at me funny. “I could’ve done that.”
I tossed the paper towels in the garbage, and when I turned back around, Gia sat up on the exam table.
Her gown that had been untied and pushed up, fell open. She had on a black lacy bra, and her tits were practically spilling out of the cups. Gia traced what my eyes were glued to and looked down.
“I’ve gained six pounds so far, and it all seems to have went to my boobs.”
I swallowed. “Pregnancy definitely agrees with you.”
She put her hand on her belly. “I’m not looking forward to getting fat.”
Apparently her swollen breasts made me delirious. Because the thought of a curvy Gia with a big, round, full belly and a little sag to her perky tits actually had me getting hard in the doctor’s office.
“You’re going to be fucking sexy pregnant.”
She thought I was trying to make her feel better. Standing from the exam table, she pointed to the chair behind me. “You’ll have to keep lying to me as I start to waddle. Can you hand me my shirt?”
Even though her gown had just been wide open, Gia turned her back to me to change into her shirt.
She wasn’t normally modest about her body, so it made me think she really did think she wasn’t attractive pregnant.
A knock at the door came before I could set her straight. The PA entered and extended her hand to both of us. “I’m Jessica Abbot. I’ll be seeing you from time to time over the course of your pregnancy. Usually it’s after a sonogram or calling you with lab results. I just took a quick look at your sonogram and everything is measuring to the due date we originally anticipated. Your baby looks happy and healthy. Are there any questions you have for me today, about the sonogram or otherwise?”
Gia shook her head. “I don’t think so, no.”
“Okay. Well, you can keep up with your regular, non-pregnancy activities. Work, sleep, sex—all as usual.”
Gia glanced at me and then to the PA. “Is it normal for pregnancy to…affect your libido?”
“Yes. Very. Many women experience a decrease in their sex drive during their pregnancy. Often it’s in the first trimester and then it comes back with a vengeance toward the end.”
“Oh.”
I looked over at Gia. Her face was turning pink. She was embarrassed to ask something…maybe because I was standing next to her. I pointed to the door. “Do you want me to give you two a minute to talk?”
Gia shook her head before taking a deep breath, then turned back to the PA and said, “I think I have the opposite problem.”
The PA smiled. “Oh. I’m sorry. I misread what you were asking. Yes, it’s definitely normal to have a heightened sex drive. Every woman’s experience is individual to that particular pregnancy, and some will have an increased sexual appetite that fluctuates, whereas others might have no desire for the entire pregnancy. But you’re young and healthy, so there’s no reason not to enjoy yourself if the urge is stronger than normal.”
Fuck. Gia just told this woman that she was horny. All. The. Time.
“So…any kind of sex is okay then? I won’t hurt the baby?”
What the hell was she getting at?
“As long as you aren’t physically challenging yourself too much, yes. Your partner won’t hurt the baby, if that’s what your fear is.” She glanced at me and then back to Gia. “It’s actually a common concern in couples. So I’m glad you’re asking if it’s been weighing on your mind.”
Gia bit her bottom lip. Her pink face turned bright red now. “What about sex…without a partner?”
She motioned between the two of us. “We’re not… and I wanted to ask my doctor at the last appointment, but he’s a man and he’s older…and I’d like to use a….”
While I was completely lost on what the hell Gia was getting at, apparently the secret code she was speaking made sense to the PA. “Oh. I’m sorry. Yes, absolutely. You can safely use a vibrator or any other toys that you’d regularly use. Not an issue at all.” The woman dug into her pocket and pulled out a business card. “I totally understand why asking that question to Dr. Daniels might’ve been difficult. He’s a wonderful doctor, but I get it. Please…call me any time you want to discuss anything.”
The two of them chatted away for a few more minutes, but I didn’t hear a fucking word of it. My brain was totally stuck on the fact that Gia was horny and about to go to town on herself with her vibrator.
“Is everything okay?” Rush hadn’t said one word since leaving the doctor’s office, and we were halfway to my house.
“Fine.”
“Did it freak you out to go with me? I’m sorry if it was too much to ask.”
“No. I appreciate you asking me.”
Seeing his knuckles turn white from the death grip he had on the steering wheel and listening to his curt responses didn’t make me feel like he appreciated going.
I stared down at the ultrasound pictures and tried to talk myself into believing that I was paranoid and that nothing was wrong. But I felt like I’d made a big mistake relying on Rush. It was a lot to ask of anyone, and I really needed to learn to stand on my own two feet. For the last few weeks, I’d been weighing the pros and cons on Rush’s offer to help me, to stay at his house until after the baby was born. Today made me realize it wasn’t a good idea. He had a big heart, and I believed that his offer was sincere, but it was unfair to burden anyone with my problems. I needed to set him free. As much as the thought gutted me, I knew it was the right thing to do. Like having a covered wound that hurts when you touch it, once I’d decided it was time to rip the Band-Aid off, I thought it best to do it in one quick tear. So when we pulled up to the house, I took a deep breath and turned to face Rush.