Love Sick

Social Work

Eva

Two Weeks Later

I grumbled as I adjusted my blue blazer, praying that it's intense color would throw our social worker for a loop, rubbing my now visible bump that was protruding from my body.

"Ma!" Lucia cried, toddling in, Chris' hand wrapped around her chubby one, making me momentarily forget about the stress that would probably send me into early labor in the next four months.

"Hello my Luci-Lou!" I cried, bending over to scoop her into my arms, peppering her chubby cheek with kisses, making a giggle bubble out of her tiny body. "Ready to go to the office for your appointment?" I asked with a smile, looking over at my calm husband who reached over to kiss my head, reaching over to cup my bump.

"It'll be okay." He reminded, ushering all of us out of the master suite while Lucia stared intensely at my necklace, babbling to herself while I quickly fixed her unruly curls.

"Don't worry, this could just be a follow up meeting." Chris assured once we were all strapped in the car, driving down the raining highway towards the building where we were initially given our daughter.

"I know, but you know I worry." I sighed, leaning my head back onto the head rest, closing my eyes to try and relax as he continued the quiet drive.

"Ma! Balloon!" Lucia cried, interrupting my short bit of relaxation, making me chuckle and turn in order to reach over and shake her stuffed balloon with a smiley face on it. "Pretty!" I cried, tickling her chunky thigh that was sticking out of her sun dress, her foot dressed in bright yellow rain boots.

I felt the car pull to a stop inside of the lot, the rain coming down like a tropical storm, shaking the entire car with the wind. "I'll get the stroller." Chris groaned, but I just shook my head at him and grabbed the umbrella, kicking the door open to push the lever so the shade would expel, but the gaping hole on the top made me groan and toss it into the backseat.

"Hang on." My husband smiled, removing his jacket to use it as a makeshift umbrella, rushing around to my side. His sandy hair was now sopping wet, and his toothy grin sent me back to the times that we would meet on the north shore of the beach, his hair salty from the sea.

"Oh, is my badass wife now afraid of some rain?" He winked, making me challenge him with a grin before scooting out of the front seat with some help, rushing around to grab our baby who thought that the blowing, sideways rain was hilarious.

"Okay slow down, I'm gonna slip!" He cried, following me with his jacket to cover us from the storm, my shoes sliding on the linoleum once we reached the washed out lighting of the interior.

Our laughter fell silent as the receptionist glared in our direction, making us hush and take a seat in the waiting room where old, dirty toys sat idle for the children who would come into this facility.

"Doctors DeLeo and Zambrano." She called, making me exhale shortly and clutch our preoccupied daughter in my lap closer. Chris reached over and kissed my temple, helping me to my feet to meet the nervous social worker who gave us a stressed nod before leading us into the office where a young girl sat quietly against the wall, her legs crossed tightly beneath the chair. Her dark, curly hair was tied underneath the nape of her neck, contrasting with her olive skin tone, emphasizing the thin nature of her body, her skin simply coating her bones, as if crying out for nourishment.

"Please take a seat." The round, ginger lady said with a smile, both of us swallowing as she got situated on her side of the desk, the teenage girl remaining silent behind us.