True North
By Jaclyn Parker
"Fate is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity."
-Publilius Syrus
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Getting the kids out of the way was surprisingly easy as Molly just suggested that she and Carly spend some quality time together while Abigail and Brayden took them to the local mall and a movie. Having met Brayden the other day at lunch, the kids all liked him and of course, they already adored Abby.
Parker hadn't been too thrilled when, upon meeting Abby's handsome boyfriend with the honey colored eyes, Mattie had been rendered speechless for a few minutes. But Parker had adjusted quickly to the funny and outspoken young man, especially when they learned that Brayden competed in local surf competitions and was actually very good.
Promising to meet them back up for an early dinner, they all parted ways with promises to keep in touch by cell phone throughout the day.
Sooner than Carly would have liked, she and Molly were cruising down a coastal highway in Molly's BMW convertible. The cool air was incredibly refreshing and Carly was surprised to find that, forty minutes later, Molly was gently shaking Carly awake.
"Come on, Cuz. We're here." Molly said and Carly made a half hearted attempt to tame her curls before sighing and twisting them up into a clip. Molly reached into the backseat and pulled out the bribe she had used to help sway this appointment; a box of Sprinkles cupcakes.
Entering a white cozy looking building, Carly followed Molly down a short hallway to an office door. Entering, Carly caught a glimpse of a picture with the name Dr. Nancy Myers underneath of it, causing her mind to start turning. Molly stepped away to talk to the receptionist and Carly tilted her head when she wandered back over.
"Um, Moll, why does this doctor look so familiar?" Carly asked and Molly steered her immediately to a nearby set of comfortable looking chairs.
"Yeah, Nancy's been on the news a couple times. You might know her as the doctor that Brad and Angelina wanted to fly over to France to deliver the twins but wasn't available." Molly said, casually. "Oooh look, the new Style magazine!"
Carly just stared at Molly with her mouth dropped open until Molly glanced up at her.
"Relax, Cuz. She's really nice doctor. She just happens to be a really nice doctor with really famous clientele." Molly said shrugging.
"Wow, this local radio host job of yours must be better than I thought." Carly said, shaking her head lightly.
"Eh, we just went HD about 6 months ago and since then it's been pretty cool. We get about half a million listeners a day, give or take." Molly said and shrugged again at Carly's look of disbelief.
The nurse calling Carly's name brought her out of it and she went to retrieve the medical history paperwork to fill out. She was just finishing her insurance information when someone blocked her light.
"Carly Tenney?"
Carly looked up and frowned, seeing a thin attractive African American woman standing to her left.
"Wow, it is you! I can't believe this." She exclaimed and Carly exchanged a slight panicked look with Molly. She racked her brain, desperately trying to figure out if this was someone from back in Oakdale. She was young, barely out of her twenties if Carly had to guess, with an air of big city life around her and Carly knew that she wasn't from back home.
"I'm sorry…" Carly started to say, but the woman waved her off, sitting down in the empty chair on the other side of her.
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just…I can't believe my luck." The woman held out her hand. "My name is Monique Jadwin. I saw the incredible collection you created for BRO designs in Las Vegas a few years ago."
"Oh. Oh wow." Carly said, shaking her hand and giving her a bewildered smile. "I can't believe anyone even remembers."
"Are you kidding? The people I worked for were desperate to try and get you away from BRO but…I don't know. You just kind of disappeared." Monique laughed softly, but her look was obviously curious.
"Yeah, um, I had some personal things come up." Carly said and shrugged, not wanting to go into the tailspin that her life had taken not long after that, especially with a stranger.
"I completely understand." She said and then smiled. "I was actually so inspired by your work that I started to design a little myself."
"Oh? Uh, thank you. I don't know what to say." Carly said, a blush staining her cheeks. "How'd that turn out for you?"
Monique laughed and handed her a business card. "Pretty well, I'd say. My bosses liked them so much they gave me my own line."
Carly read the card and then did a double take. "MoJo Designs? You're that Monique Jadwin? Your stuff is everywhere. It's beautiful work!"
"Thank you." Monique laughed again and this time it was her turn to blush. "That's a huge compliment coming from you."
"I mean it." Carly said and smiled.
"Are you living here in L.A. now?" Monique asked and Carly shook her head.
"No, I'm just visiting for a few days." Carly said, her brain already trying to come up with an explanation as to why she was visiting the ob-gyn even though, technically, it wasn't anyone's business.
But Monique just smiled back and then shifted, biting her lower lip.
"Look, I have to admit that I feel that this is fate in a way." The young woman said and Carly frowned at her words.
"I don't understand."
"Well, my designs are mostly for adult women, fun business wear for 'young souls' as my mom used to say." Monique said, giving a chuckle that held that tell tale hint of recent loss. Clearing her face, Monique looked to Carly and her extremely dark eyes twinkled in the fluorescent lights of the doctor's office. "My parent company has been asking me to try to design a fall collection geared more towards kids and actual young adults. You know, pre-teen to maybe just out of college?"
Carly nodded, still not understanding where this was going.
"Well, it's been quite some time and I've got nothing, despite becoming a mom myself about six months ago." Monique gestured to the other side of the room where Molly and Carly noticed a handsome black man holding a ridiculously adorable baby boy on his lap. He waved, then made the baby wave and all three women couldn't help but smile and wave back.
"I know there was rumor that BRO was going to start a younger line and that you were going to be the main designer but…" Monique trailed off and Carly nodded subtly, both acknowledging that they had already gone over what had happened back then. "Well, I was wondering if you would be interested in possibly taking on being the head designer for this project. Under your own label, of course. I don't think you need to prove yourself to me."
"I…I don't know what to say." Carly said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"It's cool. Take all the time you need…well not all the time." Monique joked and Carly smiled. As a fellow designer Carly knew that collections usually came out the season ahead so Monique would need production started on this line no later than early to mid spring so it could premier in the summer.
"Carly Tenney?" Another nurse was the one who called Carly's name now and she looked up in surprise. She had almost forgotten where she was.
"You have my personal card. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns." Monique stood along with Molly and Carly. "I think the world has missed out by not being able to have your designs, Ms. Tenney. Maybe it's time to let them see what I saw in Las Vegas."
Carly couldn't help the smile that spread across her face and she impulsively reached out to hug the woman. "Thank you."
After Molly also said goodbye and shook Monique's hand, the two cousins followed the nurse back into a very plush exam room. There was a waterfall sculpture making up a far wall causing the relaxing sound of flowing water to fill the room. There was a thick couch and chair to wait on and the exam table was more like an elevated twin bed, complete with cotton sheets. It looked like someone's house rather than an exam room at a gynecologist's office.
"Could this day get any more surreal?" Carly asked as she looked at Molly in astonishment.
"Yes." Molly said quietly, handing Carly an individually wrapped terry cloth hospital gown with a pretty floral print.
And then suddenly everything that had happened in the waiting room vanished from Carly's mind and she was shaking like a leaf.
"Molly…" Carly said and Molly just shushed her, shooing her to go behind the beautiful Japanese dressing screen in one corner.
"Don't worry, Cuz. I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be fine."
Within the next few minutes, the very friendly nurse came back in to take a blood sample and had Carly give a typical urine test. Carly had just resettled herself onto the exam table and was struggling to calm her nerves when the door opened and the doctor walked in.
Dr. Nancy Myers wasn't what Hollywood would call beautiful but there was a presence about her that made one relax almost immediately. She had sparkling hazel eyes and auburn hair that was starting to be streaked with grey along with a figure that showed she had given birth and was proud of it. The doctor placed her medical chart down on the nearby counter and turned a bright smile their way.
"Molly, you better have brought them!" Nancy said in a mock challenging voice even as she enthusiastically hugged her friend.
"Hey, I know where my loyalties lie." Molly laughed, returning her hug and motioning to the box on the couch.
"Fabulous!" Nancy said, her eyes twinkling and she licked her lips. "I might even invite you two to join me in one after this exam is over. Maybe."
With that Nancy turned to Carly and held out her hand. "You must be Molly's cousin, Carly."
"Yes, thank you so much for fitting me in." Carly said reaching out to shake her hand, liking the fact that this new snap close hospital gown didn't gap open, allowing her to keep her dignity for at least a few more moments.
"No problem. I just happened to have a cancellation and Molly had good timing." Nancy said and then smiled. "What can I do for you?"
"Well…I…" Carly frowned and then took a deep breath. "I think I'm pregnant."
"Have you taken a home test?" Nancy asked, as she went to wash her hands.
"No, I wanted a more definitive answer." Carly said and Nancy nodded as she grabbed a towel to dry and then using a step-open hamper she threw it in to be laundered.
"Okay, any previous pregnancies?"
"Yes, two out of my three children are biological." Carly said and Nancy gave her a raised eyebrow as she took in Carly's lithe body.
"It's just not fair sometimes." She said, winking to let Carly know she was joking and causing Carly let out a small laugh.
"Trust me, it's not as easy as it looks. My kids keep me extremely active."
"Any problems with those pregnancies?" Nancy smiled and putting on a pair of rubber gloves she sat at on a movable stool the end of the table. She knew she could look at Carly's filled out medical history but she liked to get the information directly from her patients. A lot of times, there were things that women just didn't like to write down on a piece of paper.
"Well I had pre-eclampsia both times, but it was only diagnosed the second time around with my daughter." Carly said, thinking back.
The doctor didn't pause in her movements as she extracted the tools she would need from the warming tray, but as she bent her head her hair hid a frown. Two former cases of pre-eclampsia along with Carly's age did not bode well if this pregnancy was confirmed.
By the time she looked up again, Nancy's frown had turned back into a warm smile and she started the exam. Nancy kept Carly relaxed by asking questions about her kids and by also having Molly keep up a running comical commentary. The end result was that the exam was done faster than Carly realized.
"Okay, Carly, you can sit up now." Nancy said, snapping off her rubber gloves and throwing them away. Washing her hands again, she turned to look into Carly's anxious face.
"Congratulation, Carly. You are pregnant." Nancy said, her own face breaking out into a grin.
Even though Carly had already known somewhere inside, to hear the official announcement from a doctor was beyond amazing. Carly turned wide blue eyes to Molly, whose own stunned gaze was looking right back. Both women grinned and Carly turned to look at Nancy again.
"Are you sure?" She asked and Nancy laughed kindly.
"I've been doing this for almost 20 years, dear. Trust me, I'm sure." Nancy said and looked at Carly's paperwork. "And from what you told me, especially with such an exact date of conception, I believe you can expect your new little one sometime around August 23rd."
"A summer baby. Like Sage." Carly said happily looking over at Molly, who continued to grin back.
Nancy was quiet for a moment and then leaned on the counter, folding her arms across her chest.
"Carly, I need you to listen to me for a minute, okay?"
At the tone of the doctor's voice both Carly and Molly's backs stiffened.
"There are some things you need to know." Nancy looked Carly directly in the eyes. "First thing is that this pregnancy is considered high risk. With your age, the interval between this pregnancy and your last one, combined with your past medical history the odds of you developing pre-eclampsia again are significant. The possibility of you going into pre-mature labor is greater and there is more than a substantial risk to your own health."
"Can I do anything to prevent it? I mean, do I have to go on bed rest or something?" Carly asked and Nancy frowned.
"No, there has been no notable link for using bed rest to prevent pre-eclampsia and unfortunately, right now, the only known cure is to actually deliver the child and the placenta." Nancy paused before taking a breath and forging on. "Carly, with that being said are you sure you want to continue this pregnancy? If not, you need to make a decision sooner rather than later."
"What?" Carly exclaimed, looking at Nancy in astonishment. "You can't even be certain that I will get pre-eclampsia again."
"Yes, that's true, but I have to re-iterate that the odds of you proceeding with this pregnancy and not developing it are not in your favor. The risk…" Nancy started to say but Carly cut her off.
"It's not an option." Carly said and when Molly even started forward, Carly turned blazing eyes on her cousin. "It's not an option. Discussion closed."
Nancy nodded, somehow knowing that this would be the reaction she received but she wouldn't have been filling her oath as a doctor if she didn't at least bring it up.
"Okay, well you need schedule your ultrasound in the next couple of weeks. Your doctor at home will be able to tell you a due date more definitely and talk to you about your prenatal care."
Carly nodded at Nancy's words, but most of the joy in Carly's face had disappeared. Her color went pale at the thought of going to her doctor in Oakdale and she closed her eyes in distress. Carly wasn't mentally ready for even Jack to know she was pregnant, let alone the rest of the damn town which is exactly what would happen when she went to Oakdale Memorial. Molly saw this change in her and nodded to Nancy, who took the hint.
"I'm going to go take your PAP smear to be sent out and check on the blood and urine test results. Please feel free to wash up before you get dressed in the bathroom. There are throwaway wash cloths and bars of hypoallergenic soap for you to use." Nancy said and slipped out the door.
Carly did just as Nancy suggested, once again seemingly in a small trance. She finally came back out into the room fully dressed, only to be scrutinized by Molly's concerned look.
"Cuz…" Molly started but Carly just sat down on the sofa, appearing to not even hear her.
"I need time to think. I just…need time to think." Carly said softly. She hadn't realized that she spoke aloud until Molly's voice startled her.
"What do you mean think? You're going to tell Jack, aren't you?" Molly asked and at Carly's silence the brunette's blue eyes grew wide. "Carly, answer me. You're going to tell Jack that you're pregnant, right?"
Carly just shook her head and buried her face in her hands, starting to laugh.
"I don't know. I don't know anything right now except that the one thing I dreamed of for years is coming true and everything is just so messed up."
Laughter dissolved into tears and as Carly's shoulders shook, Molly felt her heart twisting for her cousin. Sitting down on the couch too, she wrapped an arm around her.
Carly resisted for a moment but then she laid her head down on Molly's shoulder and let it go. All the emotion that Carly had kept bottled up for the last few hours just flowed out of her and she vaguely felt Molly stroking her hair and whispering to her.
"It's going to be okay, Carly. Everything is going to be okay." Molly soothed and pressing her cheek to her cousin's blonde hair she closed her eyes,a couple stray tears sliding down her cheeks. Molly wanted to believe her own words more than anything in the world, but there was a feeling in her gut that she couldn't explain.
All Molly knew was that it terrified her beyond anything she had felt in a long time and it made her hold onto Carly just that much tighter.