Crossroads

Ch. 39: In Sight and On My Mind

"Thank you for coming with me today, baby." India held onto my hand as she laid on the hospital bed waiting for her doctor to come in. She was six months pregnant and we were at her obstetrician's office to find out the gender of the baby. She wanted to wait but Maria encouraged her to come find out because she wanted to know how to decorate one of the six bedrooms in our house as the nursery.

I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand and scooted forward on the stool I was sitting on so that I could be closer to her. "Of course I would want to be here, India. You don't have to keep thanking me for being present. I got you, okay?"

She flashed me a tight-lipped smile and nodded. "I know. But I'm still grateful because I know you have places to be."

"You're my priority. Everything else has to be put on hold when it comes to my future wife." I leaned forward so that my face was close to hers and pecked her heart-shaped lips.

She placed her other hand that I wasn't holding on my cheek and caressed my face. My heart fluttered as her big eyes beamed at me. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mrs. Simmons." I chuckled.

"I'm serious, Daniel." She choked up and it was then that I noticed her eyes full of water.

"I am too. What's the matter?"

"I'm just happy." She sobbed and lifted her hand to wipe at her eyes.

"You're crying because you're happy?" I frowned. A part of me knew her hormones had her in the state she was in but India was always an emotional person so I knew that her tears were warranted by her real feelings.

"Yeah. I'm happy you're here with me. I don't know what I would do without you right now. I don't want you to leave me again."

I wanted to laugh at her dramatics but I knew it would only make her upset. "Hey, hey, stop. I'm not going anywhere." I stood and bent over and cupped her chubby face in my hands.

"I'm scared." She whispered. I then realized what she meant by me leaving her. She meant she didn't want me to leave this world. That was why she never wanted me to leave the house. She never knew if it would be her last time seeing me.

"Stop thinking like that." I wiped away a tear as quick as it fell. "I'm good. You just worry about yourself and the health of this baby. That's all I care about." I placed a hand on her protruding stomach and kissed her cheek. "Okay? Stop stressing." She nodded.

"Aww, there goes my favorite young couple." Dr. Cota said as she knocked on the open door before stepping in.

"Hi, Dr. Cota." India and I said in unison.

"How's it going guys? Excited to find out the gender today?" Dr. Cota asked as she tucked some strands of her blonde hair behind her ears.

"No, my mom's forcing me." India said and I chuckled.

Dr. Cota gave me a questionable look and laughed.

"Her mom wants to decorate gender appropriately." I told her.

She smiled and nodded before taking a look at her chart. "So mom, have you been taking those prenatal vitamins I recommended?"

"They're nasty but yes. I have." India nodded.

The doctor looked at me as if asking if she was telling the truth. The last time we were here we found out India wasn't taking her pills for her glucose level because she thought they were too big and she didn't say anything until the visit. "She's been taking them. I make sure." I reassured her.

"Okay, good. Let's begin then, shall we?" She pulled a pair of blue latex gloves from her white coat and snapped them on.

I sat back down and reached my hand out for India to hold. She liked holding my hand for comfort and I loved that I could give her that sense of security. Her warm slender fingers wrapped themselves in my hand and I smiled slightly to myself.