Three pregnant woman sat a crossed from Lauren, Speed, and Margaret at Miami General Hospital's OB/GYN Department. The mother on the far right had two kids with her, who were between the ages of four and eight; the mother in the middle looked like she was ready to pop any minute; the mother on the far left had her husband with her, and Lauren sensed this would be their first child. They looked excited and nervous. Seeing this suddenly made her feel even more nervous than she already was. Lauren reached for Speed's hand and squeezed it. Speed squeezed her hand in return reassuring her everything would be okay.
"Ugh, we shouldn't even be here… at all. I hate this place," Lauren said crossing her legs. Neither Margaret nor Speed said anything.
Speed leaned forward and looked at Margaret and said, "So Maggie… you don't have anything to say. I'm shocked."
Margaret seemed to snap out of a dream. "Did you know that first born is usually the most difficult births?"
"Gee Maggie, that helps me calm down real well. That makes me feel so much better," Lauren said making a face.
"Sorry! Well are you two parents-to-be going to find out the sex?"
"I don't know," Lauren started to feel queasy, "but what I do know is that I'm going to puke." Lauren leaped off her chair, and ran into the waiting room bathroom. Not only was the morning sickness getting to her, but the realization that everything in her life was about to change drastically.
Margaret's hand flew up to her mouth, as she began to chew on her nails. She looked over at Speed. "Are you scared?"
"Scared is an understatement. I'm terrified as hell."
The three pregnant women looked over at them and stared.
"Can I tell you something?" Margaret looked at the women who stared at them, she thought about telling him the truth.
"This should be interesting," he said with a little laugh.
Margaret continued to stare at the older women. She looked at Speed and saw that he was just a scared boy, not someone that should be going through this yet. Margaret was so scared for her sister, Speed, and her niece or nephew. Right then she knew she had to keep her feelings a secret, for him and for Lauren. "You're going to make a great dad."
Speed sat back in the chair and looked at Margaret quizzically. "Is that really what you wanted to say, because we've know each other for almost four years. You've never just said 'can I tell you something,' without… a deeper meaning, I guess." Margaret looked at him like a little child in trouble. She just nodded and looked back at the other women in the room, and hoped her sister would come back soon. "Well whatever it is, I'm sure Lauren would like to know what's going on in that mind of yours too."
The bathroom and back room door opened at the same time. "Lauren," Jessica said as she looked out into the waiting room. "I'm all ready for you now, honey." Lauren nodded. Speed stood up, placed a hand on Lauren's back, and followed Jessica into the back. Margaret stayed behind until she was called back.
While searching the waiting room for a magazine to read the three women continued to look in Margaret's direction. They didn't look happy. "What? Why are you looking at us? Do I have something on me or what," Margaret said slightly annoyed.
"How old are those two?" the middle woman asked.
"Um… that's none of your business lady."
"They're in high school," said the first lady with the two kids.
Margaret rolled her eyes at the two women. She was waiting for the third one to speak, but she just smiled. Margaret found that comforting; she smiled back.
The door to the entrance of the waiting room opened. Margaret figured it was just another woman coming in for some kind of check-up, but when she sat down next to her she looked up and noticed it wasn't just another woman, it was Jillian.
Jessica escorted the two nervous parents-to-be into an exam room. She told Speed he could sit on the stool and Lauren on the exam chair. "How are you guys? How's your father?" Jessica asked taking a seat on her stool.
"Um, I'm okay I guess. I haven't spoken to him since last night, but Maggie said he went back to work and was doing a double," Lauren said softly.
Jessica looked up from what she was doing. She looked a little shocked. "What? Your dad hasn't worked a double voluntarily since..." she paused and looked back at her tools, "your mom passed."
Lauren nodded. "Yeah well I guess... I guess it's my fault then-"
Speed cut her off. "Babe, stop it. It's not your fault. He just needs some time."
"It's not your fault. Don't ever think it is. You're father has a weird way of dealing with things." Lauren nodded again and asked if Jessica could just get the exam over with. "Just lay back and relax. Take a few deep breaths." Lauren looked at Speed. He smiled and grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
Once the internal exam was finished Jessica threw away her latex gloves, and pushed the tools she had used aside. "I'm going to lift up your gown so I can feel your stomach, okay?" Lauren nodded.
"So can you really tell if someone is pregnant just by feeling their stomach?" Speed asked intrigued.
"Not completely, Tim," she said pulling down Lauren's gown. "I'll be right back. Hang tight. We're almost finished."
A nurse came in after, Jessica left to take a blood sample.
Lauren and Speed were alone for the first time since they arrived at the doctor's office. Lauren sat quietly fiddling with her thumbs. Speed knew she was thinking about something. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked her.
She sat up and cupped the left side of his face. "I'm thinking about a whole lot of things… like how our lives are going to change; how our dreams of going to college are going to be put on hold; whether or not my dad and Christi are going to ever talk to me again; what your parents are going to say, and how everyone at school is going to react to this." She pointed to her soon to be growing stomach.
"Listen, Lauren, don't worry about my parents, okay. Don't worry about the people at school. I've never known you to be that kind of person, and your father and sister will come around. I think your dad is just scared, because of everything that happened with your mom He lost the love of his life. He doesn't want to lose you to the same thing. Just give it time. As for college, it's not like high school. Maybe some time off will be good. You and I can figure out what we really want, that way when we are ready we won't waste any time." He kissed her on the lips. "And we're surrounded by great family and friends, who will help with this baby. If we need to wait a year or two… so be it." By now Lauren had tears running down her face. Speed always knew how to make her feel better, it didn't matter what the situation was.
The door to their room opened. Margaret and Jillian walked in followed by Jessica and an ultrasound tech. "Hey guys," Jillian said with a smile. Margaret stayed silent. Jessica helped the ultrasound tech set up the machine.
"Jill, what are you doing here?" Lauren asked surprised. She thought Jillian had to work.
"Hey now… I wouldn't miss this for the world. You're my best friends for crying out loud. You would be here if the roles were reversed and you know it, mama." Lauren giggled. Jillian smiled back.
"Tim, can you move around to the other side? We need that space," Jessica said.
"Yeah sure." Speed sidestepped his way around the exam chair, but stopped when he noticed Margaret sitting in a chair off to the side. Yesterday she had been almost excited, but today she looked scared.
"All right Lauren, are you ready to see your baby?" Jessica asked with a smile. Lauren nodded. Speed grabbed a hold of Lauren's hand as Jessica lifted up her hospital gown. "The gel is going to feel a little cold at first." The ultrasound tech squeezed some clear gel onto her stomach. As soon as the cold gel hit her body she sucked in her stomach. What happened next was unlike anything any of them had ever experienced.
Speed looked down at Lauren then back at his child. An overwhelming sense of love over came him, and he knew right then and there that he wanted to marry her. He kissed her and whispered, 'I love you,' in her ear.