Waiting For You

Chapter 13: Back to School

Chapter 13: Back to School

Amelia

I'm glad I have the start of school next Monday to keep me busy.

It's the first weekend of September, which means I could probably take a pregnancy test right about now and find out whether or not the transfer was successful. I'm so torn as to whether or not I want to do it. I've spent whole minutes staring at the unopened pregnancy tests in the bathroom, going back and forth over the two options. Our appointment with Dr. Cho is on Tuesday and a part of me wants to wait until then to find out.

I'm just so afraid it won't be good news. I haven't really been feeling any different. I'm not sick. I'm not feeling bloated. My appetite is the same. I'm a little bit tired, but no more than usual considering I'm planning a wedding and starting work again in two days.

The one good thing is that I haven't gotten my period yet.

"I also need about two dozen notebooks," I say, glancing down at my list as we walk around Walmart on Saturday afternoon. Sam is pushing the cart around and I'm lagging a little behind, going over everything I still need to get and pausing now and then to inspect the shelves. The good thing about teaching high school kids is that they're usually responsible for their own things. I have some elementary school teacher friends that spend way more money than me this time of year.

"Notebooks, over there I think, probably," Sam suggests.

He's right. We find them exactly where he thought they'd be.

"Next on my list: ice cream. I'm hungry," I grin.

All of the cash registers are open and the lines are so long, you'd think it was the middle of December or something. We have to wait a little while, which gives me plenty of time to decide that I also want a chocolate bar.

So I grab two from the display next to me and add them to the cart.

Sam just grins at me like he knows something I don't.

"What?" I laugh, touching my face instinctively.

"We just ate lunch a couple hours ago," he says.

"So?" I ask, but I'm beginning to catch on to what he's alluding to. "I just like ice cream and chocolate. It doesn't mean anything. Besides, I'm supposed to be appalled by all foods right now, aren't I?" I add quickly.

But it's too little too late. My hopes are now up.

Am I having cravings?

The nearest Dairy Queen isn't too far away, but in middle-of-the-afternoon traffic on a sunny Saturday it seems a little further than usual. We find a parking spot and head inside. Fortunately the line is short and we get our ice creams fairly quickly.

"Do you wanna sit down or go and walk around?" Sam asks me.

"Sit," I answer.

There are a few empty seats. We pick the one a little further away from the door, passing two women in a booth on our way over. They look familiar, but it takes me a few moments before I realize where I've met them before. It's Vivian and her partner Tara. We met at the fertility clinic in June.

"Hi! It's Lia, right?" Vivian says, looking up as we approach and immediately recognizing me.

"Yes, hi, how have you been?" I ask, and then turn to a very pregnant Tara. She's had two and a half months to grow a very cute baby bump that's impossible to miss now, even when she's sitting down.