2
Alex sat naked on their bed, her towel laying across her legs, still holding the pregnancy test in her hand. Piper grabbed her phone and took a picture of it before looking up a due date calculator. She peed on two other tests throughout the day, not being able to recreate the feeling she had the first time she saw the line, even if these lines were darker. She made them an appointment to confirm results even though the nurse on the phone reassured her the home tests were reliable. She had blood drawn, was given a prescription for prenatal vitamins and vitamin b6 if she needed it for nausea. Another appointment was made for a few weeks for a sonogram, full labs and other consultations.
The next 3 weeks were amusing. Alex researched everything about morning sickness cursing under her breath how misleading it was when Piper mostly got nauseous at night. She'd left her laying on their couch with some saltines and ginger ale while she went into China town looking for fresh ginger to make her famous tea. She'd read online that it was safe and was determined to get Piper feeling better. She held the pink grocery bag of ginger, along with an assortment of bland foods, while she waited in line at the pharmacy for Pipers vitamin b6 prescription to be
filled. She came home and went straight to the couch and knelt down beside Piper, stroked her head and unloaded the groceries on the table.
"Oh my God Alex what is all of this?" She pulled a folded paper from her back pocket that she'd printed out of suggestions to alleviate morning sickness and read each bullet. "Babe, it's not even that bad. It's just at night, and I really don't mind it." Alex looked at her like she was insane and walked into the kitchen to start making her tea. She returned a few minutes later and brought the mug down to Piper with both hands as Piper sat up.
She opened the bottle of vitamin b6 and handed one over to her. "It says you can take it twice a day, I hope it helps."
Piper placed a hand on Alex's forehead and then dragged it down over her mouth, squeezed it, and whispered "thank you."
Alex sat on the couch next to her and laid back, relaxing for the first time that day. She started to nod off, and Piper stood up and pushed her back down gently so that she was lying on the couch, she made sure her neck was supported on the arm.
"Where're you going?" she asked raspily.
"I have to pee for the seventeenth time today, I'll be right back." She returned shortly, and sat between Alex's legs, her back facing Alex's front and lied down flat, her head resting onto her wife's ribs. She brought Alex's arms around her and laid her hands down flat over her lower abdomen. Alex sleepily started tracing her fingers over her skin, Piper smirked and drifted off.
They waited anxiously in the waiting room, "Piper?" the medical assistant called out and they both stood up and walked forward. "We just ask that you wait out here for a few minutes, and then we'll call you in," the receptionist stated to Alex.
Alex narrowed her eyebrows, but swallowed hard. Piper raised her eyebrows also a bit confused, but told her she'd be right back. She watched as Piper followed the assistant toward the back of the office. She ground her teeth and sat back down in the waiting room. Her phone buzzed five minutes later in the pocket of her navy blue blazer. She pulled it out,
Piper: Come to the back, I'm in room five.
Alex stood up, walked past the receptionist glaring at her while she opened the door and followed the hall with alternating doors to each side until she got to room 5. She knocked on the door and walked in. Piper was sitting in a chair, still fully dressed with another woman clacking on the computer. The woman stood up and extended her hand to Alex, "Hi, I'm Karen, one of the midwives, it's nice to meet you."
"Alex," she shook the woman's hand and sat down next to Piper.
"Sorry about keeping you out there, there are some questions that we want to ask privately to ensure we have accurate histories, but Piper insisted that you already know everything and that you were here."
She started with an overview of care. "So we get to know you pretty well throughout this experience, once monthly for the first seven months, then once every two weeks, and then for your final month every week." Alex's eyes widened at the thought of how many appointments they had coming up and all the days she'd need to take off from work.
"I have most of your history here from your preconception counseling visit, but just let me confirm that nothing has changed, alright?"
She went through her history, allergies, medications, past medical problems, surgeries, family history, social history, then her gynecological and obstetric history. Alex nodded along, she did know her whole history, she was pretty healthy, just an allergy to penicillin, she remembered having to find Piper antibiotics for an infection over a decade ago while they traveled and Piper told her she would break out into a rash with hives if she had penicillin.
The midwife asked about early pregnancy symptoms, reassured her that they were all normal signs.
"The nausea is definitely better when I take the vitamin b6 and drink ginger tea," she stated. Alex chimed in, "I read online the tea was okay for her, that's true isn't it?"
The midwife smiled and nodded. "Yes definitely, and I can print out a list of other methods to relieve any continued nausea. I'm glad you're reading but don't go crazy with the internet alright? There's a lot of incorrect information out there. If you have questions keep a list and we can go over things at your appointments, if there is something more urgent, here is our hotline number, you can call it 24/7 and someone is always there to answer anything no matter how big or small."
Alex went to receive the card, when Piper blocked her hand and took the card. "I'll take this. She's literally already bought out the whole grocery store with tasteless foods so that I don't promote the nausea." The midwife sucked in her lips and tried not to laugh.
Karen handed her a gown and asked her to undress and she stepped out. Piper changed out of her clothes and put on the gown. She climbed onto the table and let her legs dangle off the side,
"Crap, I meant to ask her if we would have a sonogram today. I need to get some sort of book to keep track of my questions."
A knock and Karen returned wheeling in a portable sonogram machine. She plugged it in and washed her hands.
"So I'm going to do your exam and then I'll call one of our doctors to do a sonogram. Based on your last period, you should be about seven weeks or so, so a vaginal sonogram would be more accurate. It's not an official sonogram but I'll send you for one of those as well, do you want to have tests done to check for any abnormalities?"
Piper bit her lip and instinctually brought her hand to her lower abdomen. Alex noticing the worry on her face, stood up by her side and squeezed her hand.
"What kinds of tests are they? What do you think we should do?"Alex asked for the both of them.
"Well you're a healthy female, but because you're over 35 you're considered to have an increased risk of fetal abnormalities but between the sonogram and some blood work that we can do in a few weeks that is enough to make a good estimate for you personally. It's a screening test though. If you want a definitive answer, we can perform an amniocentesis but there is a small risk of a miscarriage with that test as it's a bit more invasive."
Piper shook her head immediately, "No, can we just do the screening test and if it comes back that I'm high risk make a decision later?"
"Yes absolutely."
Piper looked over at Alex, "is that alright with you?" Alex felt overwhelmed with the amount of information and had difficulty digesting all of it. They said they'd wait to tell their friends and family about their baby when they knew it was healthy but she never stopped to think about what they would do it if it wasn't.
"I know it's morbid to think about, but these are tests that you should do only if you want this information, it's not for everyone. Some people want to know the results because they don't feel like they would be able to parent a child who had special needs. Others want the information so that they can mentally prepare and educate themselves on the specific conditions so that they are ready. Others just simply cannot endure a full pregnancy not knowing either way so they accept the test and decide what they'll do later. You both don't need to decide what to do today. When you come back in a month, you'll be far enough along to do the tests and we can revisit this alright?"
Piper nodded quietly, more nervous than when she first walked into this room, Alex shook her head rapidly from side to side trying to shake any thoughts of any possibility that anything could ever go wrong.
Piper lay back on the table for her exam, while Alex stood behind her head. The midwife told her that her uterus felt about the size of a small grapefruit, and Alex practically crossed her eyes. She stepped out again and returned with a doctor who performed her sonogram. He pointed out to the flicker on the screen,
"and that there is the heart beating." He pressed some buttons on the machine and turned up a knob creating a static like sound, and he moved the mouse over the flickering image when a quick thumping filled the room.
Piper sharply inhaled and squeezed Alex's hand. "Is that not the most perfect sound you've ever heard?"
Silence. "Alex?"
She tilted her head back and Alex laughed through her tears, "I'm such a freaking cliché," she looked over at Karen, "does this ever get old? People falling apart in front of you every day?"
"No, these kinds of moments are the highlight of my job."
She thanked the doctor, handed some of the captured images to Piper and told her she could get dressed. She turned to her computer and ordered labs, and some future appointments. Piper continued dressing while she handed Alex a binder full of important numbers, information, warning signs, safe foods and medications that could be taken over the counter.
They walked out of the office feeling elated and but also a little worried. "So, what would we do if something was wrong?"
Alex rubbed the small of her back. "Pipes I never thought about this."
Piper nodded in agreement. "I think for me, it would depend on what the problem is, but I would definitely need to know either way. Being left in the dark would drive me insane."
"Let's not worry about anything until there's something to worry about ok?"
The past four weeks, Piper went to work at PoPi, hoping Polly wouldn't pick up on anything. Working around fragrances all day had made it challenging to hold down her breakfast, her sense of smell had enhanced two fold. It would be easier to tell Polly, and she'd be so excited and supportive but she couldn't shake the feeling of having to retell their world that something was wrong with their baby after making people around her so excited. Polly had commented on how frequently she had used the bathroom and asked her if she was alright. Piper just brushed it off, and said she was trying to drink eight full glasses of water a day to rid her body of toxins and Polly just accepted it as one of the latest things Piper read in a magazine. But today she commented on her attire over the last two weeks.
"Another dress? I'm beginning to feel more drab than I already usually do around you. Should I not wear jeans to work anymore? Is it unfashionable?"
Piper's jeans were just barely too small to fit into and while normally she would just deal with it, she knew Polly would notice they were tighter immediately and start to put things together.
"The weather is nice, I've just been in a flowy mood," she responded nonchalantly, "wanna break for lunch?"
Piper exhaled, while still feeling slightly guilty about lying to Polly. She knew Alex had similar banter going on with Nicky. She whined to Piper that Nicky had given her shit over not coming out, to any of the lounges they frequented, over the last few months. "She thinks I'm avoiding her and calling me old when I suggest something like a movie."
Piper and Polly went to lunch around the corner from their shop and threw around ideas for some new scents and products to add to their line. Piper excused herself to use the bathroom and asked Polly to get her wallet from her purse to pay if the bill came. Polly reached for her best friends purse and felt around for her wallet when she heard a pill bottle rattle. She pulled it out of the purse and read "prenatal vitamins." Polly gasped out loud and tried to hide her
excitement. She called their waiter over and asked if he could bring two glasses of orange juice to their table and paid their bill.
Piper returned from the bathroom and sat down, "did you pay?"
Polly stared at her with her attempt at an aloof smile. The waiter returned with two glasses of orange juice, the check and Polly's credit card. Piper confusedly looked at the juice as if the order wasn't theirs when Polly thanked the waiter and looked back at Piper.
"Why do you look ridiculous? And why would you order juice? I thought we were done."
"It's fresh squeezed, and refreshing and its 90 degrees outside, why? Will it interfere with your water challenge?"
"No, it's fine, thanks... I guess," she looked at her friend suspiciously and sipped her orange juice.
"It's a mimosa," Polly stated as she brought her own glass to her lips and gulped down her juice.
Piper spit hers back into the cup."Polly, what the hell? Why wouldn't you tell me you're giving me a drink in the middle of the work day?"
"Why wouldn't you tell me you're pregnant? You little bitch!"
Piper looked at her in amazement with her jaw lowered, "how do you know?"
"How could you not tell me?! Of course now it's obvious, the constant peeing and the lack of skinny jeans, had me doubting my fashion sense!," she sipped her juice, "I thought I was your best friend?," she questioned looking hurt, "I found your vitamins in your purse."
Piper tilted her head back, not thinking at all about the pills in her purse. She'd gotten used to them being in there for the last few weeks. "You are my best friend. We just didn't want to tell anyone until we knew that everything was ok. I have my next prenatal visit at the end of the week."
"Piper you're like the healthiest person I know and again, now it all makes sense, you've been on an even healthier streak, even for you. Why would you think something is wrong? Is Alex freaking you out? How many weeks are you?" Her eyes darted to her friend's tummy.
"I'm just nervous because I'm a little older, and no Alex has been amazing. She keeps trying to tell me not to worry, but I can't help it. I'm just a little over eleven weeks."
"I seriously cannot believe you've kept this from me for all of this time. I was nervous too but everything was fine, really just be calm, you're already doing everything you can. How are you feeling overall?"
"Mostly tired, nausea was way worse before, pretty much got it down to a science now. My boobs hurt a little but otherwise I'm pretty good."
Polly wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm kind of in shock, I didn't even know you guys were thinking about trying."
"If I had told you, you would've driven me crazy. It took six months, it was agonizing." "So nobody else knows?"
Piper shook her head, "no one. Please other than Pete, don't tell anyone until I have my visit ok?" She kissed Piper on her cheek and promised.
They returned to work but got absolutely nothing done. Polly was a typical best friend and tried to catch up on all the details that she had been deprived of being a part of. She made Piper pull
the loose fabric of her dress back to show off her belly, even though it had just looked like she'd eaten a big lunch. "You're too much, if I hadn't told you would be able to tell?"
"You didn't tell me, I figured it out thank you very much, and probably not, I'd just attribute it to a few too many beers or something," she laughed sweetly.
"Not going to lie, I miss the occasional beer. I never really paid attention to how much I liked certain things until now, being forced to neglect them."
Piper sent Alex a text message saying she was going shopping with Polly and would probably get dinner out with her, before heading out to some stores. At home, Alex was picking up around the house when the bell from the intercom buzzed. "Who is it?"
"Ay yo, Vause it's me, let me up." Alex buzzed in Nicky ready for the guilt trip from turning her down to go out over the last few weeks; she opened their front door and stood in the doorway.
"I had to come here in person to make sure it was you I was talking to on the phone and that you didn't drop dead on me. College home yet?"
She shook her head. "Sorry Nick, I know, things have been really busy. Piper went to dinner with Polly actually, want to order in or something?," she asked as she continued to pick up and straighten as she walked about with Nicky at her heels.
"No, I want to go out one weekend and let off some steam. Work has been intense for me too, y'know."
She continued shadowing Alex throughout the apartment while Alex grabbed some papers from her backpack, and carried them to their office. She laid the papers out on the desk and sorted through them; she squatted down, her glasses slid down her nose, and pulled out the drawer of the small file cabinet and slipped individual papers into different files.
Nicky eyed their calendar in search of an open weekend, "you're free this weekend, what's with all the dots? Chapman's got you on a color coded system?"
Alex tilted her head back so she could see through her glasses, "she doesn't have me on anything, she's just organized, wanna get away from my calendar?"
"Why are there so many Ob/Gyn... is everything okay?," her tone was briefly serious, "get chlamydia on another dare?" Nicky started to shuffle around as if the floor was hot.
Alex stood up without any concern in her eye, she then lunged forward as if to shove Nicky in the shoulder but the wild haired blonde darted her movement. "Everything is perfectly fine, you're a fucking impossible nag."
Alex hit the light of the office leaving Nicky standing there in the dark and walked toward the kitchen. She opened the fridge and poured a glass of water, "you want anything?"
"What do you have?"
"Water, milk, cranberry juice, ginger ale..."
"Please tell me you have fucking beer?"
"I forgot to get some last time I went, what do you want?"
Nicky threw her arms in the air, "you're fucking useless! Doesn't College usually do the shopping? This is why, you fucked up grocery shopping. How could you forget beer?"
Alex glared at Nicky, 5 seconds from threatening to get a comb through her hair.
Nicky narrowed her eyes back at Alex, ready for battle, when her mouth dropped, "... holy shit, are you guys breeding?