Somehow, Mercedes had managed to grow even more over the last three weeks. Helen couldn't believe how much her belly had grown now that she was thirty-three weeks along. As if it wasn't enough that Mercedes had to make her look like she was carrying twins and that she hadn't been able to see her feet in a while, according to Dr. Meggyesfalvi during the last ultrasound appointment, the baby was in the 90th percentile for size. Helen couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and apprehension when she heard the news. She marveled at the thought of nurturing such a strong and healthy baby, yet she couldn't help but worry about the challenges that would come with delivering a larger-than-average newborn; and while she was already dealing with a high-risk pregnancy, no less. Despite her concerns, however, she was determined to stay positive and focus on getting ready to meet her little girl. After all, as the saying went, "If there's a will, there's a way."
Bitsy had been just as shocked when Dr. Meggyesfalvi had informed her and Helen of this development. She already knew by now that their daughter was big, but she had no idea that she was this big. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain and discomfort that Mercedes must have been putting Helen through right now. Even so, she knew that Helen was going to need her more than ever as they drew closer to welcoming their daughter into the world.
In the meantime, they'd already managed to finish up repurposing Bitsy's childhood room into a nursery for Mercedes. In addition, Shampagne was being trained to co-exist with a new baby in the suite, and things had slowly been changing to make room for the upcoming arrival. Helen couldn't believe just how much they had managed to get done over a few weeks, but she knew it was all going to be worth it for the little one currently laying rounds against her organs. She could already see Mercedes roaming through the penthouse with her limitless energy and causing chaos all around her.
Today was Friday, October 21st, the day Helen had to go in for yet another appointment. She could hardly contain her excitement at the thought of seeing Mercedes yet again. Before she even knew it, Mercedes would be out here, plopped into a chaotic world filled with interesting and unique people. The waiting room buzzed softly with the hum of quiet conversations and the rustle of magazines being flipped. Helen sat in one of the upholstered wooden chairs, her hands cradling and rubbing her swollen belly while faint pop music played overhead. Bitsy sat in the chair beside her, bored but also somewhat nervous about what this week's appointment would entail.
"My God, you're big," Bitsy told Helen.
"Uh, thanks... I guess," Helen replied uncertainly. "I just hope everything's okay. I'm not sure how much bigger I can get. I'm actually scared to find out."
"Surely, it won't be by much, right?"
"Well, we'll see. I get the feeling that she'll be as ambitious as you are."
Bitsy gave with a smug smirk. "Damn right she will."
Helen leaned back against her chair, desperate to relieve the aching pain in her back. Thankfully, there were only a few more weeks left before this would all be over, but they felt like they were a lifetime away. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to imagine what her daughter would look like and whether she'd take more after her or Bitsy. So far, it seemed like Mercedes might be a perfect mix of the two women, but it was too soon to tell for sure. She supposed she'd have to wait and see what Mercedes actually looked like once she was born, but even then, it wouldn't be clear whose genes would win out more. Eventually, Helen heard her name being called by the nurse, and it was enough to jolt her back to reality. It was finally time for her check-up.
Once they'd made their way inside the doctor's office, Helen proceeded to sit on the examination table and wait for Dr. Meggyesfalvi to arrive. While waiting, she and Bitsy proceeded to strike up a conversation with each other.
"What do you think the doctor will find this time?" Bitsy asked.
"Nothing concerning, I hope," Helen replied. "As if this pregnancy hasn't been hard enough already, the last thing either of us needs to think about is whether or not she can survive this."
"Well, we've made it this far, haven't we? What could possibly go wrong?"
"A lot of things, actually, but I'd rather not think about that right now. Let's try to focus on something else. Maybe... whose hair color we think she might get."
"Oh, please, we both know she's going to have auburn hair like every other Brandenham throughout history."
Helen raised an eyebrow at this. "You sure about that? I was thinking she might have black hair like me."
"Let's not rule out the auburn hair, Helen. You'd be surprised how strong Brandenham genes can be sometimes."
"Oh, they can be strong, alright." Helen ran a hand over her belly. "Strong enough to keep me up at night, make me use the bathroom every five minutes, make me crave lavender cake and Turkish delight, and-"
Before Helen could go on a rant about how much being pregnant could suck, Dr. Meggyesfalvi finally walked in, a warm smile etched onto her face.
"Oh, hello, Miss Squillace," Dr. Meggyesfalvi greeted. "How are you feeling today?"
"Like an inside-out punching bag," Helen replied wryly. "In other words, sore."
Dr. Meggyesfalvi chuckled. "Sounds to me like Mercedes is as active and healthy as ever."
"You have no idea."
"Okay, let's not waste any more time. Ready to see your little one again?"
Helen quickly nodded. "Yes."
Dr. Meggyesfalvi nodded back. "Alright, lay back on the table, and we'll see how she's doing."
Helen did so, her belly now on full display. Beside her, Bitsy held her hand, simultaneously nervous and eager to see how little Mercedes was holding up. Dr. Meggyesfalvi squirted some cold gel onto Helen's belly, prompting a shiver from her. She'd gotten used to a lot of things during these appointments, but that was not one of them. Dr. Meggyesfalvi then started moving the wand over her patient's skin. Silence filled the room as Helen and Bitsy waited for her to reveal the latest image of the baby. Then, right there on the screen, Helen saw Mercedes again, and she squeezed Bitsy's hand. As their baby's heartbeat filled the room, strong and rhythmic as ever, Helen felt a surge of love that was so profound that it almost brought her to tears.
"There she is," Dr. Meggyesfalvi said. "It looks like she's doing great. Her heart rate is excellent and everything."
"God, she's moving around so much," Helen murmured. "That's my baby up there."
The screen showed Mercedes flailing her limbs around, almost as if she was aware that all eyes were on her and relishing in being the center of attention.
"That sure is," Dr. Meggyesfalvi replied with a warm smile. "We still need to think about where we'll have to go from here. Given that we're dealing with a double whammy of a 90th percentile baby and an advanced maternal age pregnancy, we may have to consider a Cesarean."
Bitsy's eyes widened and her pupils shrank. "A Cesarean? That sounds so dire."
"Not really," Dr. Meggyesfalvi disagreed. "Basically, what we do is we make an incision in the abdomen and deliver the baby that way."
"I know what a Cesarean is. I meant it sounds so dire that you would even consider that at all."
"Well, it's either that or putting both Helen and Mercedes's lives at risk with a vaginal delivery. I just think a Cesarean would be the safer option, is all."
Bitsy forced herself to calm down. "My God, that's not something I want to think about right now."
"I don't think there's anything to worry about as long as everything goes well. Still, better to be safe than sorry."
At that moment, as if out of the blue, Dr. Meggyesfalvi felt something jab against the transducer in her hand and gasped. She turned her head to see Mercedes just now drawing her leg back.
"Well, I certainly didn't see that coming," Dr. Meggyesfalvi said, caught off-guard but also amused by what had just transpired.
"She must not have liked that we weren't paying attention to her," Helen joked.
Dr. Meggyesfalvi chuckled. "In all my years working as an ultrasound technician, I've never come across a baby more attention-seeking than this one. And you can certainly tell just by looking at her."
Bitsy and Helen both watched as the little one moved in real-time, her tiny features becoming more defined with each scan. While they watched, Dr. Meggyesfalvi pointed out Mercedes's profile, her little nose, and the way she seemed to be sucking her thumb.
Bitsy smirked. "Well, how else is she supposed to entertain herself? There's nothing to really do in there except kick and squirm like there's no tomorrow."
"It looks like she's practicing for when she's actually here," Helen rejoined.
After a few more moments of watching Mercedes's antics on the screen, Dr. Meggyesfalvi wrapped up the ultrasound and started cleaning the gel off of Helen's stomach. "Everything looks perfect. She's growing beautifully."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Helen replied. "I'm so glad to hear that."
"No problem. I expect you back here in two weeks to see when we can proceed with the Cesarean, okay?"
Helen nodded. "Yeah, I gotcha."
"Okay, good."
Later that day, Bitsy and Helen tried to nap together. As difficult as it was trying to get some rest, Helen cherished that time all the same since it meant she could spend it dreaming about the future she and Mercedes would have together. Much as she loved Bitsy, though, she wasn't sure that a relationship would work out between them. There was still the issue of Bitsy being her superior and still more than capable of lording her power over her if she so wanted. Besides, she really wanted that inheritance. Her romantic feelings for her wouldn't change that end goal, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise. That was something to worry about for another time, though. Now was the time to cuddle.
As such, Helen was lying on her back on top of a pillow nest, her prominent belly facing upwards like a mound in case Bitsy wanted to reach over and touch it. Bitsy herself had her head resting on Helen's shoulder. The thin gray sweater Helen had picked out for the appointment only barely fit over her tummy, leaving a bit of skin exposed. That didn't matter right now. All that mattered was this moment. This was a moment that would live on in their minds for years to come.
However, it was soon short-lived as Helen began to feel an insistent nudge from within, followed by a series of tiny but powerful kicks. She shifted slightly in an attempt to find a more comfortable position, but the movement persisted.
It was enough to wake Bitsy up. "Mmm... is Mercedes bothering you?"
Helen sighed. "I think she's decided she's in the mood to play right now."
Bitsy smirked and sat up, her hand gently resting on Helen's belly. "She must still be excited from the appointment we had today. I can't necessarily blame her. It must've given her quite the ego boost."
"That's nice and all, but can she try to be a little less excited right now? I really need to nap right now."
"Hmm, let me see what I can do." Bitsy pulled Helen's sweater all the way up so that her belly was fully exposed. She began to softly stroke it in slow, circular motions, her fingers tracing gentle patterns across the skin. "Hey there, sweetie. Let's try to calm down a bit, okay? It's nap time for everyone, including you. You need to save that kind of energy for when you're actually out here with us." She then traced her fingers over the stretch marks that had slowly been forming all over Helen's bump. "Oh, Mercedes, if only you could see what you've been putting your mother through... I mean you're leaving your mark on her in more ways than one. I don't think she can even remember the last time she's seen her feet because of you." She then caressed her thumb over Helen's navel. "I know it's a bit cramped in there, but just hang tight. We can't wait to meet you."
As if responding to Bitsy's touch, Mercedes seemed to settle down, her movements easing into a gentle rhythm though not before giving one last strong kick as if in protest.
"Yeah, yeah, you can't wait either," Bitsy said. "Well, lucky for you, it probably won't be much longer."
"Thank you," Helen whispered, exhaustion finally catching up to her now that the baby seemed to be settling down.
"Of course." Bitsy kissed Helen's belly before lying back down, her head resting again on Helen's shoulder. "You said yourself we're in this together."
"Mm-hmm."
With that, Helen let peace wash over her as her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep, finally getting to nap like she wanted.