The Italian's proposal

The consultation passed without her noticing.

She had only gone to the first appointment at her parents’ house without them noticing her visit to the doctor.

She had started taking the prenatal pills as she read about the symptoms and stages of pregnancy on the internet.

When she confessed this to Dr. Troy, his eyes widened wildly, and he wanted to jump off the nearest bridge.

“Poor baby!” he exclaimed.

That alone made Melody feel like the vilest of mothers.

“I don’t have health insurance. I didn’t know what else to do,” she defended herself. She felt it was the only thing left for her to do.

Timothy was sitting in a chair next to her. He gave the impression of being uncomfortable, but he hadn’t wanted to leave when she proposed.

“I’ll stay and check in with the doctor,” he had told her.

She trusted the angels that he would not judge her, as the OB/GYN was doing.

“I’m not saying you’re a bad person.”

“You’ve made that quite clear,” she attacked him.

“Not intended Ma’am...Miss,” the man scratched his head and continued, “Melody.”

“No. I’m not married either. Is that bad too? I thought we were in the twenty-first century, where women can be single mothers. How old are you? Thirty? You have an uncanny knack for bringing out my temper.”

“That’s a lot,” she heard Timothy mutter.

She let out a snort and raised her eyes to the ceiling.

“Let’s get on with it,” the doctor said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

She answered every question the doctor asked, about dates of last period and when she had last had sex. This question made her cough and Melody could see Timothy smile.

“What?” she asked him, crossing her arms. “Do you want to be beaten by a pregnant woman?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Timothy defended himself by mimicking her arms-crossed gesture.

“You seem to be amused by when was the last time, I had sex, do you also want to know where I did it and what positions I did it too?”

Melody’s eyes were twinkling and her nose, though small, was flaring with the air coming out. She was angry and it showed right away.

“Let’s focus,” the doctor said interrupting Melody and Timothy’s staring exchange.

“What else do you want to know?” she needed to get that over with to get the hell out of there and avoid further embarrassment, at least for the day.

She had this incredible knack for falling over, dropping things on herself, hot, cold, temperature-wise. She was a real spectacle of a clumsy person.

Since she was a little girl, she had always had clumsy feet and hands. Everything slipped, especially when she was distracted.

“Do you know if the father has any degenerative family diseases or special conditions?”

Melody felt Timothy’s eyes on her again, and she felt judged again.

“Timothy,” she heard the doctor address him for the first time since they greeted each other as they entered the office. “Would you be so kind as to leave us for a moment? I think there are things that it’s better for Melody to feel more relaxed.”

moment without saying anything, mumbled

intense man,” she muttered inadvertently aloud.

the doctor defended

knew that firsthand. Timothy Giannato was a good man. Irritating and flirtatious, bringing out her temper and overwhelming her ideas, but he was certainly a good man. To be willing to pay for a medical consultation and stay to make sure she wasn’t charged, far from

a stranger to him. Timothy had no business giving her his help. More so to her who he knew

always told

love you. You must think

me, they will, even if I say anything, because they will know I don’t mean

up with slights from the people we love,” her mother had once

although there was no other man like him,

slightly broad nose. His chin had a little

his throat, “is the father involved with

understand what the

on the baby and its development;

she told him in confusion. “Just like Timothy told you, I’m just coming in for a quick

to rule out any abnormalities. You look fine to me, to be honest. To me, you’re just finishing the first trimester and that’s

spasm,” it pissed her off that he minimized her pain, as she, and only she knew how

women. I’ve delivered over twenty children in less than three years.

and wombs,” she said.

he corrected

“I’m sorry.”

and shaking his head back and forth slowly as he wrote

mind seeing the two of them, would think that someone like her would be with such a rich and attractive guy,

of my business. Let’s get back to what concerns me.”

in. Opening her eyes wide and accentuating each word. “Timothy and I are not

curious eyes, as if he could

The father? Any illness?”

uncomfortable with the feeling that was beginning to take over her mind and heart. The doctor had played with her thoughts and now she couldn’t get something out of her head: she was starting to like

That was how long it had been since

She liked the Italian!

know anything about the father,” she said feeling slightly

I should know about?

“Aside from my bipolar...”

her without laughing

begged

“I see.”

lot when I’m nervous. Well normally I talk a lot, but

talk more,” the doctor interrupted, smiling. “Don’t worry. It’s normal. You’re a new mom. It’s normal to be nervous. You’re going to do fine.

course!” she

to someone who is as

young. Five hundred years ago women got pregnant at

and got pregnant immediately to consummate their marriage and have an early progeny.”

leaving. “I’m not giving up my son, I’m not giving him away, I’m having him and I’m sick

to her looking worriedly at

I’m going to ruin my

you’re going to do it alone. You’ve already got an admirer,” he gestured for her to sit down

going to give it up. I

he agreed. “Now let’s get you weighed and go

finished her checkup and left the office with the little white paper prescription signed and

soon as he saw

I’m going to get an ultrasound and I’ll be right out. Thanks for all this

a meeting,” he told