The Donor

Chapter 27

Camila’s POV

It’s always interesting to look around at a crowded room and just take note of the people in it. From just looking at someone’s face, potentially you could identify their age, ethnicity, socioeconomic background if you’re really analytical, but more than likely, their emotion.

Everyone’s face at the doctor’s waiting room reads a different emotion. Some nervous. Others excited. Couples hopelessly smiling at each other, others completely ignoring one another. Everyone here knew, or thought, they were expecting a baby and I could tell who was happy and who wasn’t. I wonder what emotion my face reads.

Probably sadness, seeing that I’m here alone. Dinah didn’t want to come with me; telling me that somebody had to look after our daughters but I knew it was because she’s still disappointed. Still disappointed that I haven’t told Lauren, that I’ve kept such a big secret from her for almost three weeks. It took me just hours of knowing before I could tell Dinah. Then one week of knowing before I told Abbey. Three weeks after taking a test and finding out I’m pregnant with my second child, my best friend and my ex knows, but my girlfriend and the woman I love the most still doesn’t.

She said she didn’t want anything to change between us. I thought I was going to tell Lauren, that same night I let it slip to Abbey. But I couldn’t. Not after she said she doesn’t want anything to change between us. That would have settled it for me. Postpone telling her for as long as possible until I’ve made my decision about the pregnancy, but I couldn’t. She loves me. Lauren loves me.

Of course I wanted to find out the pregnancy was a certainty before telling my girlfriend. I couldn’t reveal something as big as that only to find out the four tests I had taken were wrong. But that’s unlikely. Four tests? Four positive tests. I’m undoubtedly pregnant but I still need that clarification, or that reality-check.

I guess if someone were to be looking at me, analysing my emotion like I analyse theirs, they would see nerves. But they would see that I’m okay. Every pregnancy would always be nerve-wracking and so despite it being the second time I have gone through this process of meeting with my obstetrician, of course I would be nervous. For the baby’s health, for Lauren, for my body’s reaction to pregnancy again, for Emelia. Alone in the doctor’s office and that’s everything I could think about. 

“Miss Cabello?” I switch my gaze from an obviously-nervous young woman sitting next to her enthusiastic boyfriend and toward a still-familiar face. Her warming smile appears next to one of the large doors and I return a similar happiness before standing up and walking with the obstetrician. I wonder if Lauren will share a similar enthusiasm to the young man outside. “It’s lovely to see you again. How is everything?” Dr Matthews starts.

“Really good, thank you. What about you? It’s been almost five years since we’ve last seen each other.”

“I’m still in a profession that I love so I can’t complain,” she answers with a small laugh – she had always loved this job. “So, let’s get to it. This is your second pregnancy, 5 years on from your last. Is there anything you already feel is different from your last?”

“No morning sickness this time, thankfully. But I’m moody all the time and I’m a lot more sensitive, like all over, compared to my first pregnancy. I’m also still having my period, so I was hoping you could find out about that and tell me there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Still having a period throughout pregnancy is rare but not impossible. It might not last for long either, maybe the first couple of months until it sorts itself out. Why don’t you lay on here and we’ll find out for you,” Dr Matthews instructs, gesturing toward the exam table.