March 7th, 2005
Week 16
Okay, so Ray wasn't much of a shopper. He wasn't one to go and buy frilly and fluffy things. But today he had to urge to go to the little baby shop downtown to pick up a few things. He wanted to surprise Abby. As he walked into the shop, he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb. Here he was dressed in leather and carrying his guitar inside a shop that was pink and girly. He could feel the eyes that were on him. He was going to be a father. He had the right to go buy something for his child. A woman dressed like a million bucks walked up to him.
"May I help you with anything?" She
asked. Ray looked at her name tag and smiled.
"Well, Tanya,
I'm just looking. I don't know what I want to buy right now."
he said.
"Well, Sir, Our items are pretty pricey." Tanya told him with a smug smile. "There is a Target about four blocks away from here." Ray narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"Did I step into Pretty Woman?" Ray smiled glancing at the items, "no I want to find something here I think." Tanya looked him over once again.
"What is your price range?" She asked him.
"Fifty would be nice." Ray said.
"Fifty…." Tanya looked around the shop, "I might have a brush or something like that."
"Look, Lady, my girlfriend is going to have a baby soon and I just want to find a cute little gift to give her." Ray said, "If you would leave me alone I could find something."
"Well." Tanya stuck her nose up in the air and walked away. Ray hated people like that. Yeah, he probably had troubles paying his bills every once and awhile, but soon all his loans would be paid off and he would be rocking and docing with the best of them.
Ray continued to walk around the store. He could feel everyone's eyes burning into him, waiting to catch him stealing. He was in control of his life now and would never steal anything. He reached down and picked up a chenille teddy bear. It was so soft and so expensive. He looked at the saleswoman and she was chuckling with her partner. He picked the teddy bear up knowing it'd be covered with vomit this time next year. He didn't care.
"here you go." Ray put it on the counter. He grabbed a comb and brush set from the counter. "This too."
"Very well." Tanya muttered as she rang up his order. "It'll be sixty-six even." Ray took in a deep breath. He was so glad last nights gig paid him in full and he hadn't had a chance to go to the bank.
"Here you go." He said. Tanya took the money. He hated people like this and wanted to show people like this off. Ray took the bag with anger and walked out of the shop.
Abby lay on the couch putting her hand on her stomach. Her bump was getting bigger by each fleeting moment. She liked it. She looked up when she saw Ray walk in.
"I'm so glad I don't have work today." Abby winked.
"It wasn't that bad." Ray said sitting on the couch, "I got a present for you. Well, for the baby via you." Abby chuckled as she took the bag from him.
"Well, we thank you." Abby said. She could get used to this. It was nice finally getting spoiled. Ray rubbed her stomach as she opened the gift. "Oh how cute!"
"I saw it and I had to get it." Ray said.
"They're expensive." Abby looked at Ray. He shrugged his shoulders.
"The sales person was a bitch and didn't think I could afford it." He said. Abby chuckled shaking her head.
"Well,. Technically we cant." She said putting the bear down, "Thank you though."
"No problem." Ray kissed her cheek. He felt it was a man's duty to take care of his child and to give it whatever he needed. Ray didn't care how much things cost. Maybe that would be his downfall in the long run.
March 21st 2005
Week 18
Abby took in a deep breath as Ray drove towards the hospital. She tapped her fingers nervously on the window. Ray looked at her and chuckled.
"Calm down. This is a good day." He said.
"I know. I'm just thinking and it's stressing me." Abby said.
"What about you thinking about?" Ray asked her. Abby paused and then looked at him.
"We need a bigger place to raise this baby." She said, "Neither of the apartments are good to raise a baby in." Ray nodded.
"I know." He said, "I've been looking for something in our price range. I promise I'll get a place before the baby gets here." Abby sighed deeply.
"I wish we weren't swallowed by student loans." She said.
"Soon, we won't be." Ray told her.
"I wish I wasn't swallowed in Credit card debt." Abby said.
"You're taking care of that. You're doing well." Ray said pulling into a parking space, "Soon you'll have that taken care of as well."
"You're too optimistic today." Abby muttered.
"One of us has to be." Ray chuckled, "Ready?"
"I suppose." Abby got out of the car.
"If it's a girl, Pricilla is a good
name." Ray said leading her into the front entrance of the
hospital.
"So is Kicking Ray's ass." Abby said. Ray laughed
as they got into the elevator. He put his hand on her stomach. This
was awesome. As soon as the doors opened up onto the fifth floor,
Abby felt anxiety over take her. She sat down in a chair as Ray told
the nurse that they were here. What did Abby want? A boy or a girl?
Secretly, she was hoping for a girl, but she knew Ray wanted a boy.
"Ray and Abby, you can come in here." Janet stood in the doorway with a large smile upon her face.
"Hi Doc." Ray said. Abby nodded to her.
"I just love when our doctors are here." Janet said closing the door behind her. "how are you feeling, Abby?" She groaned slightly getting up onto the table.
"Emotional." Abby said as Janet began to take her blood pressure. "I can remember when I worked up here how emotional the woman got with the sobbing and screaming and I just didn't understand it."
"And now you do." Janet chuckled, "it's very different on the other end isn't it?"
"Extremely." Abby sighed looking at Ray. He gave her hand a little squeeze.
"So, you'd like to find the sex out today?" Janet asked.
"We'd love to." Ray said, "If the baby is being good."
"It's not kicking my b ladder right now so maybe." Abby said. Janet chuckled as she put her gloves on.
"Okay, just lay back and We'll check on the baby." She said. Abby's heart began to beat even faster. This was exciting and terrifying. She jumped slightly as Janet squirted gel onto her belly, "Sorry."
"It's okay." Abby smiled looking at Ray. He was staring at the screen as Janet began the ultrasound.
"There's it's heart beat." Ray grinned broadly. Abby looked at the screen. Wow, she thought. She stared at her child on the screen.
"That's our baby…." She whispered.
"A very healthy baby too." Janet said, "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Please…." Abby looked at the screen. She didn't see what she wanted to see. Her lip began to tremble.
"You're having a boy." Janet grinned.
"YES!" Ray rose his hands above his head and glanced at Abby. "Abby?"
"I'm happy. I really am." She wiped her cheeks. He sighed deeply.
"You wanted a girl didn't you?" Ray asked her. She just nodded. "This baby is healthy."
"We don't know that." Abby looked at Janet, "What are the chances he'll be bipolar? My mother and brother are." Janet sighed as she began to clean Abby off.
"The chances are heightened since his grandmother and uncle have it, but you don't so that could work in his favour."
"It doesn't run in my family either." Ray said.
"But he's a boy." Abby said sitting up.
"Bipolar isn't a sexist disease, Abby. Both sexes are equally prone." Janet said.
"I could be a carrier." Abby told her.
"Yes you could be, but you could also not be." Janet said, "There's no lab tests to determine Bipolar." It was just then when Ray realized why Abby was upset. It was because Her mother who passed the disease onto her son, not to her daughter. Abby wanted a girl because she thought maybe she could skirt the disease.
"Abby, let's not focus on the what if's." Ray said kissing her forehead. "He may become bipolar later in life. He may become president later in life. He may have his tonsils taken out in life. He may just be normal. We wont know for awhile if he does and frankly, I don't want to just sit by and watch what may or may not come. We're having a son. A gorgeous son who I hope has your eyes." Abby sniffled and began to smirk.
"I hope he has your smile." She said. Janet smiled at the couple.
"Now the two of you have to decide on a name." Janet said. The both looked at each other. Now that would be a feat unto itself because Abby was sure both of them had their own taste in names.
