Tribulations of Honesty – Part 15

It's all right to make mistakes; you're only human
Inside everybody's hiding something

'Slide', Dido

Sitting in the doctor's office a few weeks later Lexie was very happy that Archie was by her side. Even though she'd already had one baby, the nervous anticipation of regular doctor's visits hadn't seemed to die down much. She was now seven months along and definitely showing. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt Archie squeeze her hand as Doctor Goddard walked in.

The doctor took in the couple and smiled reassuringly,

" Hello Lexie, How are you feeling?"

" Fine thanks" Lexie answered

" There's no need to be worried" Dr. Goddard reassured, " This visit is just going to be like any other visit, you've still got a few weeks to go yet."

Lexie smiled, " Yeah that's what they kept telling me about Melanie."

Archie laughed a nervous laugh as he remembered his daughter's dramatic and rather unexpected birth.

Dr. Goddard smiled as well, " Well this little one seems right on track so far. You shouldn't have any worries."

She glanced at her files and then back at the expectant parents, " Are you sure you don't want to know the sex?"

Lexie looked at Archie and then back to the doctor, " No. We're going to let this one be a surprise. We'll be happy either way anyway."

" Okay not a problem. Now I'll just have to take your blood pressure."

Lexie was slightly amazed that it turned out to be normal after all the stress that she and Archie had put on each other recently.

The next part was checking her weight. Lexie wasn't worried about this nearly as much; she could feel that she had definitely gained enough weight, as she could barely see her feet over her stomach.

" 30 pounds" Dr. Goddard announced happily, " Perfect weight range for this far along. Well done Lex."

" I don't think I had that much to do with it." Lexie laughed

" Owning your own restaurant and keeping that nutrition healthy and balanced has definitely had something to do with it, you should both be proud."

Archie smiled, glad that he had been able to do something right.

" Uterine size" the doctor announced, Lexie cringed

" Don't give me that look, it will be fine."

Lexie nodded, but still held her breath until Dr. Goddard announced that the fundal height was 28, which was just fine for seven months."

" Do we want to hear your baby's heart?" The doctor asked with a smile

Archie and Lexie nodded, this was one bit that they both liked.

The tinny beats that echoed through the stethoscope where music to the nervous parents ears

" Is the heart rate normal?" Archie asked

" 140." Dr. Goddard responded, " Perfect."

Lexie beamed. She couldn't wait to see the ultrasound.

" Almost done. Now Lexie tell me how you've been feeling and what's been going on."

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? Milton Berle

Climbing back into the car after the doctor's visit Lexie felt a lot of her stress and anxiety drifting away. She had felt guilty when they had arrived there this morning because lately everything had been about her and Arch and their relationship, she almost had the feeling that in the process her children were being neglected.

However that was going to change. When they got home she immediately rang up Melanie's best friend's mother- Sue and asked if her daughter Kira would like to come to the park with Mel after school. Sue agreed easily, and Lexie felt much better that she could take the weight off someone else for an afternoon after all the times Sue had looked after Mel lately.

She and Archie had worked the morning to have the entire afternoon off, so grabbing a picnic rug and packing up some food and games they piled them into the car and set off for the school.

Lexie smiled as she saw Mel run out of the school building, her pigtails bobbing in the wind as she ran towards the car holding Kira's hand.

" Mummy! Daddy! Kira and I both got a gold star today in class!" Mel exclaimed with enthusiasm.

" That's great!" Archie and Lexie echoed in unison

Now it was Mel and Kira's turn to beam.

" Guess what else?" Lexie smiled

" What?" Both girls remarked

" I've spoken to Kira's mummy and she said that Kira can come with us now to have a picnic down in the park!"

" Yayyy" The girls screamed, throwing off their bags as Archie opened the boot and watched them land haphazardly on top of everything else, before letting the girls climb into their seats and buckling them up tight.

Ooh you're the best friend that I ever hadI've been with you such a long timeYou're my sunshine and I want you to knowThat my feelings are trueI really love youOh you're my best friend

- 'You're My Best friend', Queen

It didn't take long to get to the park, and it took even less time for the girls to be out of the car and running around on the moist green grass. They seemed to have a huge amount of energy that had been stocked up in the last few minutes of waiting to go home, which now came shot out of them like rocket fuel.

Archie and Lexie smiled as they unpacked the blanket and food and laid them under the tree nearest to where Mel and Kira were running around.

As the girls saw the food and drink being laid out they stopped running and collapsed on the blanket

" I'm starving!" Mel exclaimed

" Me too!" Kira echoed

" Well dig in, there's plenty of food" Archie announced

The food was finished off in five minutes flat, and both adults and children lay scattered on the blanket groaning about how much they had eaten.

The children were up and going again quicker then the parents, and were soon playing with the badminton set that Lexie had packed in the back of the car. Still it wasn't long before it was Archie and Kira vs. Lexie and Mel in a game.

Lexie couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun with her daughter and her husband.

It was only when the sun started going down and the cold started to set in that they decided they had better be going home.

After piling everything back in the car and dropping Kira off home, (only to grab more stuff and pile her back in the car so she could stay the night as well) Lexie and Archie finally traipsed through their own front door and collapsed on the lounge as the girls ran up to Mel's room.

Lexie glanced up at her husband next to her and smiled

" Everything's going to be okay, isn't it?"

" Yes" Archie promised, " Everything is going to be fine."

Lay your head down,

On my shoulder,

Close your eyes and fall asleep.

Hold me tighter,

Kiss me deeper,

Love me always, like I love you.

'Party', Jye Mitchell