Run

Part One | 15

Chapter 15

"When I found out M and I were havin' a boy... Man... Words can't describe how I felt. It was... It was somethin' else, let me tell ya... I. haven't thought about that day in years... I miss him. I miss my boy. People... People here say that they get it. They understand because they got kids.  That's bullshit. I was tryna make it for him. I was tryna be a good dad. I wasn't out there snorting' coke or shootin' up heroine. I-... I just wanted to be a good dad. That's all I wanted."

...

Marie and I were ignoring each other up until her doctor's appointment. At her request, I had gotten off work a little early to attend with her. The process into setting up her appointment was something she did entirely by herself which was rather shocking for me. I didn't know how she did it, but she said she found out through the homeless shelter and the lady that she spoke to while we were there. 

I was proud of her in a way. It felt like everything we were doing was my idea or at least I had bene able to make everything happen. I felt like Marie was never really pulling her weight, but then I'd always tell myself that she's pregnant. And I got her that way. So I needed to do everything. 

I rolled my eyes.

"What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at me. 

I shook my head, not realizing I wasn't being discrete about my thoughts. "Nothing."

She didn't press. She never does.

A knock sounded at the door and in a couple seconds, the doctor came in. She was staring at a clipboard before looking at us and offering a small smile.

"Danielle Palmer, is it?" 

Marie nodded uneasily as the doctor extended her hand to her. Marie awkwardly shook it. The doctor turned to me.

"You must be Mr. Palmer?" 

I shook her hand. "Uh, Taylor."

"Nice to meet you," she said.

I nodded, and the doctor asked Marie a series of questions. I listened intently to the information the doctor was giving on Marie's current spot in the pregnancy. She was experiencing a lot of sickness which the doctor said isn't exactly common. That scared me, but the doctor assured that all women and all pregnancies are different, so we didn't need to worry just yet.

"I wish I could see your medical history, but it seems that you don't have a lot of documentation at hand," the doctor frowned as she looked at the computer screen. 

I hoped she wouldn't push it. Marie and I were able to acquire a Medicaid card without giving any of her real information out. Thanks to the woman that Marie had met at the shelter, of course.

When we didn't reply to the doctor, she gave us an awkward look before smiling once again.

"Shall we get started?"

Marie nodded and both she and the doctor prepared for the ultrasound. Marie didn't make a peep as the liquid was spread around her stomach. She had gotten much bigger since the last time we did this. 

"Everything looks pretty good," she said. "Oh!" 

Marie blinked. "What?"

The doctor smiled and moved the monitor toward us. "Would you guys like to know the sex of the baby?"

My stomach fell. The sex? We could know whether our kid would be a boy or a girl?

I looked at Marie who only stared at the screen.