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.”

man in question looked at them both and after a long moment without saying anything, mumbled something in Italian

an intense man,” she muttered

a good man,” the doctor defended

overwhelming her ideas, but he was certainly a good man. To be willing to pay for a medical consultation and stay to make

her his help. More so to

told

you. You must think

will, even if I say anything, because they will know I don’t mean it in a

or the same willingness to put up with slights from the people we love,” her mother had once

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

blue eyes, and a slightly broad nose. His chin had a little stripe down the middle, the kind that is

throat, “is the father involved with the

understand what

on the baby and its development; I should know everything about him.”

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

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

it a little spasm,” it pissed her

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

wombs,” she said.

corrected

“I’m sorry.”

see why Timothy is with you,” the doctor said smiling and shaking his head back and forth slowly as he

seeing the two of them, would think that

none of my business. Let’s

her eyes wide and accentuating each word. “Timothy and I

she felt almost stupid, for the doctor was looking at her with his curious eyes,

The father? Any

played with her thoughts and

hours! no more. That was how long it had been

She liked the Italian!

know anything about the father,”

have any illnesses I should know about?

“Aside from my bipolar...”

at her without laughing and began to write.

don’t write that,” she begged him,

“I see.”

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

worry. It’s normal. You’re a new mom. It’s normal to be nervous.

she exclaimed

someone

Twenty-two is not being young. Five hundred years

by agreement between families at thirteen and got pregnant immediately to consummate their marriage

and books. Of history I don’t know,” she got up with the intention of leaving. “I’m not giving up my son, I’m not giving him away, I’m having him and

Troy called out to her looking worriedly

to ruin my life and future by

You’re strong and independent if you’re going to do it alone. You’ve already got an admirer,” he gestured for

not going to give it up. I won’t give

“Now let’s get you weighed and

left the office with the little white paper prescription signed and stamped by Dr.

questioned Timothy as soon as he saw

Thanks for all this Timothy, you don’t have to stay. You’ve lost

meeting,” he told her as he shoved his hands in his pockets.