Chapter 6 – RPOV
Ever since we found out about Savannah's pregnancy life has been hectic. We've been shoving folic acid and various other vitamins and minerals down her throat to ensure the baby is healthy. Emmett, after the initial shock has fully taken to becoming a grandfather and has proudly announced it to everyone he sees. Sadly, there have been some disapproving words and tut-tutting directed at us but we've been through it before. It hurt us that time, but it's not going to hurt our baby daughter or grandchild. My mother would turn in her grave to hear of this scandal, and I feel kind of pleased that Karlie has got pregnant. My mother (were she not dead already) would have died from the embarrassment.
The last few days I've been going through my wardrobe of maternity wear, to see if there's anything Karlie would even begin to consider wearing. We've found a couple of items, but I think that we will have to hit the shops at a later date.
Bella has been acting even more strangely the last week: ignoring me point blank and only speaking to Savannah in short clipped tones. I hate to think she's jealous of her, but trust me she won't when the swelling and bloating occurs and she's waddling around like a fat duck, moaning every step of the way. At least that's what I did when carrying her, and when it was twins: let's just say I was a nightmare!
I have to find out what's wrong with her, but I daren't say anything in case she lashes out at me the way Savannah did when she first came here. That near broke my heart having one child do that, but having another do the same would shatter it into a million pieces. I hate seeing any of the children upset and were it Karlie or Jess or Alice I would address them straight off. The fact that I'm not her biological mother makes me wary of what she'll do. With the others they're going to respond in a way they can handle: Savannah is me, Alice is her father and JJ responds like my mother, all of which I can handle. I love Bella not being anyone I know personally, as it adds to the thrill, but at moments like this I wish I was able to predict how she would react.
"Karlie honey, we have a Doctor's appointment booked at two so don't forget," I said through the door into my daughter's pitch black room despite the fact it was 11 o'clock in the morning.
"Mama," she groaned, "Whose coming?"
"Well darling, I'll go and Bella if you want. Your father is going to look after the twins," I replied.
"Yes, Bella is coming whether she wants to or not," she said stubbornly and I knew that Bella was coming.
No-one dared arguing with Karlie now she was pregnant. The hormones were causing her to snap at the slightest thing, so to argue was a route not worth taking. In fact sometimes, everyone just ignored her for fear of saying the wrong thing. But, then we'd get into trouble for not talking to her. It was a lose-lose situation.
I closed the door and turned to go down the stairs when Bella walked past.
"Morning sweetheart," I smiled.
She glared at me then carried on walking. I had had enough of this behaviour.
"Stop right there Isabella," I said firmly.
"What?" she demanded turning around to face me, hand on her hip.
"I will have none of that attitude thank-you very much," I told her and waited.
"Sorry: what oh lovely Rosalie," she replied sarcastically.
"Better, but I won't have it. Come with me now and we're going to have a little chat."
She followed me through to her bedroom where she promptly flopped down on the bed and looked at me impatiently. I sat down slowly next to her and put my hand on her leg. She jerked it away from me and sighed, checking the clock on her wall to see the time.
"Okay, you talk and I'll listen," I said to her; figuring it might be the best way to go about it.
"What's there to say?" she asked.
"Well, why are you acting like you are? What's happened between you and Savannah? Why do you hate me? What have I done?" I said, feeling my eyes well up with tears.
"I, I can't tell you because you'd hate me," she whispered looking ashamed.
"What, more than you already hate us?" I asked her.
"I'm sorry, I just can't tell you and I hate doing this but some things are better left unsaid," she admitted.
"I can tell I'll get nothing more out of you, so when you're ready you can tell me. Oh and you're coming to the Doctors with us. Lady Savannah's orders," I told her and stood up to leave.
"Wait," she said and paused to take a deep breath, "I do love you all, it's just at the moment I'm confused and don't know who to trust."
"If you're about to say you're pregnant then I'm having both you girls kept in the basement for the rest of eternity," I warned.
"Don't worry: I'm not," she said smiling.
"That's a relief."
We'd just eaten lunch, which Karlie promptly brought back up and then found something else to eat and were preparing to go to the Doctor's when Alice approached me crying.
"Alice bubba, what's wrong?" I asked scooping her bird like body into my arms.
"I don't want Karlie to go to the Doctors. Or you, ever," she sobbed.
"Baby don't worry we'll be ok," I promised.
When the twins were little Alice, being the youngest was quite little and her heart wasn't working as it should. She was perfect now, but for the first three years of her life we practically lived at the hospital where she'd had so many tests and operations done on her. It had invoked a fear of Doctors and whenever any of us had to go she would get hysterical in case they hurt us.
"Just come back safe please," she begged.
"I swear we will come back in one piece, hopefully with some pictures of your little nephew or niece and when I get back, you can help me and Savannah choose the yellow for the baby's room," I said to her as the other two came down the stairs.
She nodded and kissed my cheek before running up the stairs looking for her twin.
"What was that about?" Savannah asked as we climbed in the car.
"Oh, your baby sister has an irrational fear of Doctors and she didn't want us to die," I told her.
"Oh, ok."
"Mum, can you turn the music down, it's hurting my baby's ears," she moaned five minutes later.
I hated to break it to her that her baby probably wouldn't have ears, or if it did they wouldn't work to well, so I didn't. Instead I turned the near silent music down even more and continued to drive.
We pulled up in the car park and went into the hospital, searching for the correct ward. By the time we found it Savannah needed the loo so Bella accompanied her whilst I told the receptionist we were here.
"Hello, we have an appointment booked for Savannah Karlie McCarty at two," I told her.
"Are you her mother?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Well Dr Hall will be with you in a minute, if you just take a seat over there and fill in this form," she said handing me a clipboard.
Name, age, address, health, and various other questions were listed. I started to answer them to save time when my daughters returned.
"What's that?" Savannah asked me.
"Just forms for you," I replied.
"So why are you filling them in? They're for me not you."
"I'm sorry, I just thought that maybe I could go ahead and get started to save time; but here they are if you want them."
"No, you're filling them in so you can finish them," she said.
I sighed and continued to do this, hoping that her mood would get better when we knew how the baby was. She was nervous: anyone could tell, so she was taking it out on the people she loved most as she knew they would forgive her.
"A, uh, Miss McCarty," a young Doctor announced.
"That's us," I responded and we followed him down the corridor.
"So I take it this is your first appointment," he asked, reading off the notes in front of him.
"Yes."
"So, Miss McCarty do you know how far along you are?"
"No."
"Have you been taken vitamins and minerals daily?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to see your child?"
"Fine."
"Savannah, could you at least try to be polite," I told her sternly and she nodded.
"Sorry, I'm just nervous."
"Its fine, I'm used to it: lots of mums are nervous when it's their first, and even when it's their sixth," Dr Hall laughed.
"People go through this six times?" she asked in disbelief.
"Believe it or not, some women find it therapeutic and enjoy the delight of giving birth."
"We're not mentioning giving birth until at least month 6," she said firmly.
"Well, if you just lie on this chair and lift your top up then I will put some gel on, but be careful: it's cold," he instructed.
She squealed as he put the special gel on and got the probe, before nodding her approval. He put the sensor against her slightly bloated stomach and moving it around. On the screen appeared a small curled up shape and I remembered seeing her on a screen like this, and the shock when there appeared two with the twins.
"Well, you can see the head here and to be honest it looks perfectly normal," Dr Hall said.
"That's definitely Daddy's huge head. But can you tell its gender yet?" Savannah asked, her eyes growing as misty as mine.
"No, not yet as you're only six weeks along, but when you come back at 20 weeks we can try and tell you then," he said.
"Can you tell me anything?" she asked.
"Well, I can give you a rough estimation of the due date."
"Please do," she begged.
"Judging by the size and development I would say we're looking at about late summer," he said.
"A summer baby: my own little piece of sunshine," she gasped before turning to me, "Mama, it'll be perfect!"
"It certainly will angel, and I'm excited already," I told her, my heart swelling with pride.
"Would you like me to print you off some pictures to take home?" Dr Hall asked.
"Yes please. I want one for Mum and Dad, one for me, one for the twins, one for Nanny and Grandpa, one for Auntie Jane and Uncle Marcus, one for Uncle Felix, one for Uncle Jasper and Auntie Maria, one for Uncle Edward and Auntie Tanya and, Bells do you want one?" she said, listing our whole family.
"I'd love one," she replied smiling at her best friend.
"Good, because you were having one anyway as you're to be the Godmother," she smiled back before stopping.
"Anymore?" he said to her.
"Yes, actually, could I have one for Harry please?"
"Is he the baby's father?" Dr Hall questioned pressing the print button.
"Yes, in most respects except for the biological ones," she said sadly.
We said thank-you to the Doctor and left with an envelope full of pictures.
"Am I having a granddaughter or grandson?" Emmett asked as soon as we returned.
"We don't know yet," Savannah told him laughing as he hugged her tightly, "But if you let go I have a picture for you."
"Let me see!"
She passed him the picture of his unborn grandchild and for probably the fourth or fifth time in his life I saw Emmett's eyes well up with tears.
"My baby. I'm so proud of you and this little one," he told her, hugging her once again.
I put all the pictures into separate envelopes and addressed them separately. I even did one for the twins as I knew how much they loved receiving cards. Bella had taken hers, and there was one left on the table. Harry's. I would leave it there for Karlie to decide what to do tomorrow. The decision wasn't mine, and I would respect that until I died.
Another one done! I may be able to update next weekend, but that's debateable, however, the week after I have a school trip to America so definitely won't be able to then! Thank-you once again, XxX