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.”

at them both and after a long moment without

she

good man,” the doctor defended

her temper and overwhelming her ideas, but he was certainly a good man. To be willing

help. More so to her who he

told her

must think

I say anything, because they

the same mood or the same willingness to put up

was a vastly different man from Timothy, although there was no other man like him, even if I had him

his head, a piercing, curious look, blue eyes, and a slightly broad nose. His chin had a little stripe down the middle, the

throat, “is the father involved with the pregnancy?”

don’t understand

and its development; I should

like Timothy told you, I’m just coming in for a quick checkup, so you can tell me everything is okay, because I felt a pain a while ago

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

a vagina, so excuse me, but don’t call it a little spasm,” it pissed her off that he minimized her pain, as she, and only she

I also know quite a bit about babies and pregnant women. I’ve delivered over twenty children in less than three years. I have quite a bit

wombs,”

corrected

“I’m sorry.”

said smiling and shaking his head back and forth slowly

come to that conclusion, no one in their right mind seeing the two of them, would think that someone like her would be with such a rich and attractive

It’s none of my business. Let’s get back to what concerns

her eyes wide and accentuating each

looking at her with his curious eyes, as if he could see

father? Any

feeling that was beginning to take over her mind and heart. The doctor had played with her thoughts and

could that be possible? Two hours! no more. That was how long it had been since he had arrived at Doyle’s

She liked the Italian!

know anything about the father,”

illnesses I should know about? Do you suffer from anything? Diabetes?

“Aside from my bipolar...”

at her without laughing and began

don’t write that,” she begged him, laughing.

“I see.”

I’m a little nervous,” she excused herself. “I talk a lot when

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. Do you plan to keep

course!” she exclaimed in

question I have to ask to someone

being young. Five hundred years ago women

families at thirteen and got pregnant immediately to consummate

“I’m not giving up my son, I’m not giving him away, I’m having him and I’m sick of people constantly

her looking

I’m going to ruin my life and future by having

You’ve already got an admirer,” he gestured for her to sit down

to give it up. I won’t give my baby

let’s get you weighed and go

with the little

questioned Timothy as soon as

all this Timothy, you don’t have

because I missed a meeting,” he told her as he shoved