Page 65 of Fighting For Light
“Now you won’t ever have to again.”
Tears well in my eyes, and I blink them away, annoyed that I cry at everything. “Thank you,” I rasp. He chuckles and shakes his head. I know I don’t have to thank him, but I can’t help myself. I love him too much not to tell him how much his actions and his words mean to me.
***
We finally make it to Louisiana, and I have to admit it feels good to be back in this truck and RV. It feels like home. We’ve been married for less than forty-eight hours, and I’ve loved every second of it. Kai gets the RV set up and balanced, and I change out of my traveling clothes, putting on a dress since they are easier for appointments.
“Ready?” Kai asks, stepping through the door. He looks me up and down and spins his baseball hat around so the bill is at the back of his head.
“Yeah,” I sigh. I’m a little nervous to go because this is the first time I’ll have him with me. It’s all getting more and more real.
“You look good, baby,” he says, and I brush my hands down the loose-fitted dress. It’s nothing special; an A-line dress with a square neck and thick straps. It’s loose and flowy, hitting mid-calf. I threw on gold layering necklaces and sandals to go with it.
“Thank you,” I mutter and peck him on the mouth, then glance at the messy bun on the top of my head. “We need to go since they will probably have paperwork for me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says as we leave, and he locks the door behind him.
As expected, I had a ton of paperwork to fill out. I will for a while since we keep moving. I’ll have to keep finding a new doctor at least until the season is over, which won’t be for another solid four months, but at least we have breaks in between.
I stare at the line that says to list the couple and write Kai’s name and mine, but it’s the first time I’ve written Cordelia Coldwell on anything other than our marriage certificate.
“You’ve been staring at that form for a while. Need help?” Kai asks.
I bump him with my shoulder and shake my head, turning the papers into the front desk. Twenty minutes later, a nurse calls for us, and Kai hesitates, not sure if he should follow me. I grab his hand and tug him behind me.
“Sorry, I don’t know how this stuff works,” he mutters.
“You will after today. Good thing you’ve already seen it all,” I say and step into the room the nurse led us to.
“Your nurse will be with you shortly. Your gown is on the table if you want change into it now.”
“Okay, thank you.”
She nods and closes the door behind her.
“What does that mean?” Kai asks.
I grab the hem of my dress and start to pull it over my head. “It means that I get to have fingers and instruments shoved up my vagina in order to check on the baby. Then I get to lie here practically naked and wait for them to put ice-cold gel on my belly to see the baby.”
“This is complicated,” he says.
I chuckle and look for a way to get on the table because there is, of course, no stool. “Kai, can you,” I say, gesturing to the table. He grabs my hips and swiftly lifts me onto the table. “Thank you.” He scrunches his eyebrows, and I grab the scratchy paper gown.
He rubs it between his fingers, frowning. “Is this how all of these appointments will be?”
I pull the paper around my back, and the front hangs open. “Honestly, I don’t know. But this was how the last one was, so I can only assume. I’ll ask your mom,” I mutter, trying to makemyself comfortable. Kai walks around the room, looking at the diagrams of a woman carrying a baby and all the organs around the child. There’s information about what happens when you go into labor, and his skin color has turned a few shades lighter.
“Alrighty, you two. How are we today?” the doctor asks as she closes the door behind her. Kai looks at her wide-eyed, then looks at me. “First time?” she asks.
I nod, putting my hand on my stomach. “It’s our first,” I say and look at Kai. He shakes himself out of the fear of what’s going to happen in about four to five months and comes to stand by my side.
She nods and looks at her file. “Looks like you’re into the second trimester?” I nod. “Okay, but why am I just now seeing you?”
Embarrassment floods my body, and I don’t know why since I have nothing to be embarrassed about. “Oh, we move around a lot. He’s an athlete, so where he goes, I go.”
She looks between us. “And are you okay with that?” she asks.
I flick a look at Kai and he’s frowning at her. I reach for his hand, linking my fingers in his, and lift my chin, looking her in the eye. “Yes, I am. I was told it’s perfectly fine for the baby.”
