Charlie

Chapter Twenty-Five: Summer courses were a b*tch

My summer courses started and I had the mindset that I was going to finish these courses still being on the Dean's list. I had to take this very seriously. I knew that Charlie was home during these sessions. I felt really bad that I had to concentrate on school and not my newly engaged fiancé. We both knew that that was my main goal. Once I was done with school I was all his.

Charlie and I choose a date: May 21st, 2022. We wanted to make sure that I was way beyond the point of graduation. He didn't want me to be overly stressed. We chose the date because we never did anything special for Charlie and his birthdate is in May. I chose this date because I wanted it to be close to Charlies birthday seeing as he proposed to me close to my birthdate.

The next three months were the craziest and most stressful of my whole college career. I miraculously finished all of my courses while still being on the Dean's list. I was still waiting to see if I was going to be accepted as an honor student when I graduated. I submitted all of my final courses thesis and projects as well as the applications. I was really wishing that after all my hard work I would be honored with my degree and have magna cum laude honors. Brown University doesn't have a GPA system; however, they do have their own internal system that calculates it.

I can't believe that I just finished three semesters of college in the last six months. I had an appointment with Mrs. Thatcher. She was impressed with how well and how fast I've completed my college degree plan. Was I a bad ass or what? She was impressed that in two years I was done with my plan. She asked me if I was going to continue on with my Master's Degree. She suggested that I try at least my first semester as a Graduate student because I wouldn't be able to walk the stage until May. She said that Brown University only holds commencement ceremonies every Memorial Day Weekend. I told her I didn't know because I wanted to spend time with my new fiancé. "Oh Ms. Lewis, pardon my intrusion but was it to the young man that came with you?"

"It's ok Ms. Thatcher, but yes to Charlie" I flashed her my diamond ring. "I guess he wore me down. In reality, it was a plan hatched out by our parents." "Well congratulations Ms. Lewis, Ms. Lewis, I have received confirmation that you will be listed as an honor graduate. You will be given the distinction of Magna Cum Laude. I covered my mouth to try and hide my scream. All my hard work has paid off. I was so excited I started to cry, tears of joy. "Closer to graduation we will give you the list of all the regalia sashes or stoles and the list of Academic Cords you may purchase. The majority of them can be purchased through our bookstore. Again, congratulations Ms. Lewis."

I rushed home and I had to tell Charlie the great news. "Baby!!" "Yes, my love" "Guess what!?, I was given the news just now that I was going to be awarded as Magna cum laude honors graduate!" "Oh, my god, baby girl that is the greatest!" Charlie picked me up and swung me around. He put me down and placed his forehead against mine. "My love I knew you could do it, and I am so proud of you, I love you." "I love you too baby, thank you for not giving up on me these past six months." "Charlie, what are you wearing?" He was wearing jeans and just an apron." "What? I was cleaning the kitchen." "Oh, baby you look so sexy with an apron on." "I see you only think I'm sexy when I'm cleaning?" "No, my love you look sexy all the time."

I only had a week off from school since I just finished the seventh semester of college. I have only one semester left in my college career. When I'm done with school we are going to concentrate on planning our wedding. I will miss living in Rhode Island but I can't wait to get back home. That is another thing we have to start looking for a house back home. These next three months I hope they go by fast.

The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had a hangover. My head felt like it was spinning and my stomach was going to throw up. I got up and sat on the edge of our bed trying to feel better. "Oh, no I think I'm going to puke." I ran to the bathroom and I threw up everything I ate yesterday. Charlie got up and moved my hair back from the toilet and started to run my back. I was dry heaving into the toilet bowl. "Baby are you ok? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" I looked up from the toilet bowl and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "No baby I just think I have a stomach bug." Charlie went to the kitchen to bring me a glass of water.

Charlie wanted to go back home for the week, but I wanted to stay home at least for today because I felt really sick. I don't know If it was something I ate or what. I stayed in bed all day and tried to shake off the ugly feeling I had growing inside my chest. Charlie cleaned up my mess in the bathroom and made me soup. He came and checked up on me every couple of hours. I told him that I had a weird feeling in my chest and couldn't shake it.

"Baby girl I'm taking you to the hospital." "Ok, my love I don't feel good." We got to the hospital and they ran a bunch of tests to see what was ailing me. After several test and IV's were placed in me. I got the news back. "Ms. Lewis, we found out why you're not feeling good?" the doctor looked at me and looked at Charlie as he was going to tell me. "It's ok Doctor he's my fiancé'" "Well Ms. Lewis, good news you're pregnant." "All that you're feeling is your body getting ready to prepare itself for your pregnancy." "your body will start feeling different and you may feel sicker." "If you start getting a fever or if you have any kind of abdominal pains and bleeding you need to come back to the hospital immediately."

My eyes wanted to pop out of my skull. We have been wanting to get pregnant for so long that we didn't even think that it would happen soon after all of our bad luck. Even Charlie was in shock. When he realized what the doctor just said he got up and placed his arm around my back and hugged me. He placed his hand on my stomach and kissed me softly. "Baby girl you are having our child" I kissed him back and started to cry. "Baby girl what is wrong?" "I'm just so happy, we've been wanting this for so long that I'm so shocked."

Charlie got up and went to ask the doctor how far along I was and what would be the next step. "Mr.?" "Oh, Charlie Abernathy" "Mr. Abernathy, Ms. Lewis will be released once all of her fluids have been run through her IV she will be ready for release." "She needs a lot of rest, and you will need to step up an appointment with a gynecologist." "They can tell you how far along she is with a better detail of a conception window and a due date." "Ok thank you, doctor, you've made me happiest man alive." "No, sir this was all you, I hope." Charlie laughed, "Yes sir it was all me."