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

an intense man,” she muttered inadvertently

man,” the doctor defended him.

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

his help. More so to her who he knew was not someone

always told her so.

one love you. You must think

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

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

Timothy, although there was

piercing, curious look, blue eyes, and a slightly broad nose. His chin had a little stripe down the middle, the kind that is striking to female eyes, but at that moment, to

throat, “is the father involved

understand what the point is.”

and its development; I should know everything about

record because I’m not coming back,” she told him in confusion. “Just 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

me, to be honest. To me, you’re just finishing the first trimester

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

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

and wombs,” she said.

he corrected her, smiling.

“I’m sorry.”

with you,” the doctor said smiling and shaking his head back and forth slowly as he wrote in

their right mind seeing the two of them, would think that someone like her would be with such a

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

in. Opening her eyes wide and accentuating each word. “Timothy and

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

The father? Any

played with her thoughts and now she couldn’t get something out of her

That was how long it had been since he

She liked the Italian!

about the father,” she said feeling slightly embarrassed.

I should know about? Do

“Aside from my bipolar...”

looked at her without laughing and began to write.

begged him, laughing. “It’s

“I see.”

“I talk a lot when I’m nervous. Well normally I talk a

mom. It’s normal to be nervous. You’re going to do

she

to ask to someone

Twenty-two is not being young. Five hundred years ago women got pregnant

got pregnant immediately to consummate their marriage

up with the intention of leaving. “I’m not giving up my son,

called out to her looking worriedly

really sick of people thinking I’m going to ruin my life and future by having

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

so I’m not going to give it up. I

get you weighed

the office with the little white

soon as he saw her leave.

Thanks for all this Timothy, you don’t have

he told her as he shoved