Page 101 of Only for Tonight
“You and me both,” she snaps. “I think it’s time we do something about it, don’t you?”
“The cutoff is forty-two weeks,” she informs her and I swear I think Ariella’s head looks like it’s going to explode.
“Did you try all the things we talked about in your last appointment?”
“We did,” she confirms. “Spicy food, long walks. We had lots of sex.”
“We aren’t doing that again.” I hold up my hand and the doctor laughs while Ariella just glares.
“Baby, I love having sex with you but you don’t like it right now, so we aren’t doing that.”
“Wow, you aren’t even trying to help.” She glares. “You put it in there. It’s time for you to help take it out and you won’t even do your part in that.”
“Okay, why don’t we check and see if maybe we do a membrane sweep,” the doctor suggests, and I hold up my hand.
“Is that safe?” I ask, not sure I like the sound of those words.
“It’s totally safe, but it’s a bit uncomfortable for Ariella,” she starts to say.
“Like having a turkey living inside me isn’t?” She reaches for my hand so she can lie back on the table. “Do whatever you need to do down there.” She puts her feet into the stirrups.
“It’s just loosening up the amniotic sac,” she explains, putting on a glove and then grabbing a white sheet to cover Ariella’s bottom half.
“Ouch!” Ariella yelps, her face grimacing with pain.
“We’re done,” the doctor states, wheeling away and taking off her gloves.
“So now what happens?” I help Ariella sit up.
“Most women begin labor within forty-eight hours after the membrane sweep. But if that doesn’t work, I’ll have Gladys call you in four days. We’ll give you a date and we’ll have to induce.” She smiles at us before she leaves. “It’s almost over, Ariella.”
“Yeah, you said that last week,” Ariella mumbles. The doctor laughs silently as she leaves and we walk out of the office. “Do you want to say goodbye to your girlfriend?” Ariella side-eyes me as I grab her hand and bring it to my lips.
We get into the SUV and start to make our way home when the phone rings and it’s her mother. “Hey, Mom,” she says, putting the phone on speaker. “You’re on speakerphone, I’m with Jaxon.”
“You’re on speakerphone also. Manning and Evelyn just got here,” she shares. “We’re just going to go for lunch and thought you might want to join us.” The four of them have been in town for the last three weeks on baby watch, none of them wanting to miss anything.
“Well, since I’m not having a baby anytime soon,” she pouts, “we might as well eat. Whatever we eat though, it has to be spicy. The spicier the better.” I don’t remind her that she ate half a bottle of Tums yesterday because the spice gave her heartburn, which was, again, my fault.
“Okay, come over to our house. We are having everything catered,” she says and I make my way toward Zoey’s husband’s old beach house, where they are staying. My parents are staying at Nico’s place, right down the street from them.
We pull into the driveway and I look over at her. “How you feeling?”
“Like an elephant,” she grumbles and I get out and look at her. “You know they are pregnant for twenty-two months. This is what it feels like.” She opens her door and we make our way to the door that is immediately pulled open by Ralph, who smiles at her.
“How’s my girl doing?” He opens his arms for her. Candace comes toward the door, followed by my mother and my father behind her. I share a look with my father, who just nods.
“Miserable,” she moans out. “We just left the doctor and nothing.” He lets her go. “And Jaxon doesn’t want to do the one thing that will help.” She looks at me. “He won’t have sex with me.”
“Well, this is a conversation I never thought I would be having with the four of you in my life.” I look up to the ceiling. “It’s not that I don’t want to. She doesn’t enjoy it.”
“Like that matters all of a sudden,” she retorts and I close my eyes, not sure I can face them.
“It can be uncomfortable at this stage.” My mother tries to cover for me and I put my hands over my eyes.
“Can we talk about anything—anything—else but sex?” I look at all of them and they look like they are either going to throw up thinking about their children having sex or laugh hysterically.
“Come in, come in,” Candace urges now. “We set the table.”
