My Life Without You

Prologue

March 2, 2015

I know one things for sure, I only missed one—and two, I'd kill myself...
—-Val

 After waiting fifteen minutes in the exam room, there was a light tap at the door.

"Come in, Valerie said softly." She close her diary and places it beside her. 

"Hello, Ms. Augustine. How are you today?" Dr. Elliot is tall and slender. His silver hair is trimmed low. 

While shaking his hand, Valerie replies, "I'm pretty good Doctor Elliot, thanks for asking."

"So, what brings you in today, Ms. Augustine?"

She tosses her braids over her shoulder. "Well, for one, I keep having sharp cramping feelings in my stomach. I'm not on my cycle, but cramping is the only way that I can describe the pain that I feel sometimes."

"Where is the pain located?"

Placing her hand on her stomach— "Right here on my lower right side."

"When was your last menses?" Dr. Elliot questions, his pen moving as he writes her responses down.

"It was about a month ago. I don't remember the exact date cause I forgot to put it in my
calendar." Val stares blankly towards the sky, then shrugs her shoulders.

Dr. Elliot takes some notes in his chart. "And is there anything else?"

"Yeah, I've been feeling nauseous, but I think it's the iron pills you put me on. And I don't wanna keep taking 'em cause they make me sick to my stomach."

Dr. Elliot takes no time completing a physical on Valerie and then leaves the room. 

After ten minutes, Dr. Elliot is back in with Valerie's test results. "Well, I don't think it's the iron pills that's making you sick. And I don't think it's a wise choice for you to stop taking them either."

Her eyebrows arched. Valerie feels her palms begin to sweat as her body grew warmer with anxiety. 

"Why not?" she finally replies.

"To answer your question frankly, Ms. Augustine your blood is already too low, and you're going to need higher levels of iron, especially right now. 

Valerie's face is flushed pink, as she stares at the doctor waiting for him to finish.

"Your pregnant Ms. Augustine," the doctor said calmly. "About six weeks along, and you're going to need to keep taking the pills to supply healthy amounts of iron to you and your baby."

Immediately, Valerie's world seems to come to a screeching halt. Shocked, Valerie drops her head down to look at her stomach. She touches her belly lightly—her mind racing with unnerving thoughts of being a mother. How could I be so absent-minded? I'm such an idiot. Tears begin to fall down her cheeks slowly. Valerie is overwhelmed with emotions, and she knows she has to tell Romelle and soon. Somehow, she will have to break the news tonight. 

"When your ready Ms. Augustine, you can put your clothes back on. I want to schedule you for some more tests," the doctor said cautiously. "I want to make sure that you don't have any complications concerning the pregnancy since you mentioned the pain that you were having."