dreaming again.
“Not until after the seventh month,” Harriett said firmly. “You have to be realistic, too. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But it helps not to get too involved too soon.”
“Spoilsport!” Dani burst out, half-irritated.
“The doctor will tell you the same thing,” Harriett said. “Dani, I bought baby furniture when I was a month along. I miscarried at four months, and had all those bright new things to dispose of. Don’t do it.”
Dani immediately felt repentant. She hugged Harriett warmly. “Thank you for being my friend. For caring about me.”
“Someone has to.” She glowered up at Dani. “Are you going to tell him?”
“How?” Dani asked. “I don’t even know his address.”
“My God, she’s married to a man and she doesn’t know where he lives.”
Dani laughed at the expression on Harriett’s face. “Well, we didn’t spend much time talking.”
Harriett started at the young woman’s belly. “So I noticed.”
“Stop that!” Dani sighed wearily. “Besides, he said he never wanted children. He’d go right through the roof if he knew. It’s just as well that the divorce go through without his finding out.”
“How can you divorce a man you can’t find?” Harriett asked reasonably.
“He’s getting the divorce, not me. He has my address.”
“Lovely. Shall we sell some books? Call the doctor first,” Harriett said, and went back to her pricing.
Dani was healthy, and after her family doctor put her on prenatal vitamins, she began to bloom. Dr. Henry Carter laughed delightedly every visit she made to his office for checkups, pleased with her progress as well as her attitude toward being pregnant.
“You really love being pregnant, don’t you?” he asked when she was having her third checkup, at a little over four and a half months.
“Every second!” She touched the swell of her abdomen. “I think he moved this morning,” she added excitedly. “Little flutters, like a bird trying to get free.”
“Yes,” he said with a warm smile. “That’s what it feels like, I’m told. The first sign of a healthy baby. The tests we ran assured us of that.”
She’d liked the test—it was done with ultrasound, and they’d given her a Polaroid picture of the baby’s head, just visible in the X-ray-type sound scan.
“Has there been any word from your husband?” he added quietly.
Dani felt herself go cold. “No.” She started down at her hands. “He might…never come back.”
“I’m sorry. The reason I asked is because I’d like you to sign up for natural childbirth classes. Even if you don’t want to have a natural delivery, they’ll help you cope with labor,” he explained. “They involve exercises that prepare you for childbirth. And, sadly, they require a partner.”
“Can—can Harriett do it?” she asked.
He knew Harriett, and he grinned. “Best person I know for a coach. All she really has to do is stand beside you and tell you when to breathe.”
“She already does that very well,” she said dryly.
“Okay. Next month I’ll sign you up. You’re doing fine. Get out of here. And don’t exert yourself too much. The heat’s terrible this summer.”
“Tell me about it,” she murmured, sweating even in her loose sleeveless tent blouse and elastic-fronted skirt. “See you next time.”
She made another appointment and dawdled on her way back to work. It was a lovely summer day, the kind that lures dreamers to quiet ponds and butterfly-laden meadows full of flowers. She sang a little as she walked along, feeling the tiny flutters in her stomach and laughing as she went. What a beautiful world. How wonderful to be pregnant and healthy.
Finally, she gave in and went back to the bookstore, because she knew Harriett would worry if she was gone too long. She strolled lazily along the small shopping center in the heart of Greenville, oblivious to shoppers and the sounds of children playing on the sidewalk.
With a
“Not until after the seventh month,” Harriett said firmly. “You have to be realistic, too. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But it helps not to get too involved too soon.”
“Spoilsport!” Dani burst out, half-irritated.
“The doctor will tell you the same thing,” Harriett said. “Dani, I bought baby furniture when I was a month along. I miscarried at four months, and had all those bright new things to dispose of. Don’t do it.”
Dani immediately felt repentant. She hugged Harriett warmly. “Thank you for being my friend. For caring about me.”
“Someone has to.” She glowered up at Dani. “Are you going to tell him?”
“How?” Dani asked. “I don’t even know his address.”
“My God, she’s married to a man and she doesn’t know where he lives.”
Dani laughed at the expression on Harriett’s face. “Well, we didn’t spend much time talking.”
Harriett started at the young woman’s belly. “So I noticed.”
“Stop that!” Dani sighed wearily. “Besides, he said he never wanted children. He’d go right through the roof if he knew. It’s just as well that the divorce go through without his finding out.”
“How can you divorce a man you can’t find?” Harriett asked reasonably.
“He’s getting the divorce, not me. He has my address.”
“Lovely. Shall we sell some books? Call the doctor first,” Harriett said, and went back to her pricing.
Dani was healthy, and after her family doctor put her on prenatal vitamins, she began to bloom. Dr. Henry Carter laughed delightedly every visit she made to his office for checkups, pleased with her progress as well as her attitude toward being pregnant.
“You really love being pregnant, don’t you?” he asked when she was having her third checkup, at a little over four and a half months.
“Every second!” She touched the swell of her abdomen. “I think he moved this morning,” she added excitedly. “Little flutters, like a bird trying to get free.”
“Yes,” he said with a warm smile. “That’s what it feels like, I’m told. The first sign of a healthy baby. The tests we ran assured us of that.”
She’d liked the test—it was done with ultrasound, and they’d given her a Polaroid picture of the baby’s head, just visible in the X-ray-type sound scan.
“Has there been any word from your husband?” he added quietly.
Dani felt herself go cold. “No.” She started down at her hands. “He might…never come back.”
“I’m sorry. The reason I asked is because I’d like you to sign up for natural childbirth classes. Even if you don’t want to have a natural delivery, they’ll help you cope with labor,” he explained. “They involve exercises that prepare you for childbirth. And, sadly, they require a partner.”
“Can—can Harriett do it?” she asked.
He knew Harriett, and he grinned. “Best person I know for a coach. All she really has to do is stand beside you and tell you when to breathe.”
“She already does that very well,” she said dryly.
“Okay. Next month I’ll sign you up. You’re doing fine. Get out of here. And don’t exert yourself too much. The heat’s terrible this summer.”
“Tell me about it,” she murmured, sweating even in her loose sleeveless tent blouse and elastic-fronted skirt. “See you next time.”
She made another appointment and dawdled on her way back to work. It was a lovely summer day, the kind that lures dreamers to quiet ponds and butterfly-laden meadows full of flowers. She sang a little as she walked along, feeling the tiny flutters in her stomach and laughing as she went. What a beautiful world. How wonderful to be pregnant and healthy.
Finally, she gave in and went back to the bookstore, because she knew Harriett would worry if she was gone too long. She strolled lazily along the small shopping center in the heart of Greenville, oblivious to shoppers and the sounds of children playing on the sidewalk.
With a
Similar Books
