Page 55 of Certified Pressure 3
When I pulled up to her aunt and uncle’s place, I parked in the driveway and grabbed the bag of food from the passenger seat. I walked up and knocked on the door. It only took a few seconds before the door opened. Pluto stepped out, and damn… she looked good.
She had on a light blue dress that hugged her just right, her hair was bone straight with a part down the middle and her skin was glowin’ like she just finished soakin’ in the sun. I could tell she added a lil’ touch of makeup too. She would never admit the shit but I knew she got cute ‘cause she knew I was pullin’ up.
“Here,” I said, handin’ her the breakfast. “This for you and Zurie.”
She smiled, soft and polite. “Thank you,” she said, then turned around and disappeared back inside for a minute. When she came back out, she had her purse slung over her shoulder. I opened the car door for her, watchin’ her move like she ain’t even know how fine she was.
Once we got in, I pulled up the GPS for the clinic and started drivin’. She was quiet, and just starin’ out the window, and for a while I let her have that silence. Even without words I could feel somethin’ between us that neither one of us was ready to speak on.
Finally, I looked over at her and said, “I ain’t gon’ keep flyin’ out here for no clinic, Pluto. I want you in Trill-Land where I can make sure you straight. You and my baby both. My mama wanna see you too.”
She didn’t say nothin’ at first, but kept watchin’ the streets roll by. When we pulled up to a red light, I glanced over again. It was like time slowed down right here in the car. Her lips parted just a lil’, and I swear I could feel her heartbeat syncin’ with mine even though neither of us said another word. She finally looked away, turnin’ her attention back out the window.
I sighed and reached over, lettin’ my hand rest gently on her stomach. Her hand didn’t move mine away, and that alone said more than words could. I rubbed my thumb in slow circles. That was my child growin’ in there.
We rode the rest of the way like that. When we finally made it to the clinic, I parked, got out, and walked around to open her door. She slid out gracefully, clutchin’ her purse, and I followed her inside.
The waitin’ area smelled like disinfectant and baby powder. Pluto went up to the front desk and signed her name on the clipboard. The nurse behind the counter handed her a plasticcup and told her to go to the restroom for a urine sample. Pluto nodded, takin’ the cup before disappearin’ down the hall.
When Pluto came back, she handed the cup to the nurse, then they told her to step on the scale. She kicked her shoes off and climbed on, lettin’ the nurse write her weight down before they took her blood pressure and asked the usual questions about how she been feelin’.
They led us through a long hallway lined with baby pictures and quotes about motherhood, then brought us into one of the exam rooms. Pluto went behind a curtain to change into a thin gown while I sat in the chair beside the exam table, scrollin’ through my phone but still peekin’ up every few seconds. When she came out, she sat down on the table with her hands in her lap, lookin’ calm but nervous too.
After a few minutes, the door opened and a petite Asian woman walked in with a calm smile, and introduced herself.
“Good morning, Ms. Monroe,” she said, her voice warm but professional. “And you must be the father?”
I nodded once. “Yeah, that’s me.”
She smiled again and started askin’ Pluto questions about her mornin’ sickness, sleep, and appetite. After writin’ some notes, she wheeled over a small ultrasound machine and turned the screen so we could both see. “Alright,” she said softly. “This is your second appointment, right?”
Pluto nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Then we should be able to get a clearer view today.”
Pluto nodded, nerves written all over her face even though she tried to play it cool. The doctor dimmed the lights a little and squirted some gel on Pluto’s stomach before pressin’ the ultrasound wand against her skin. The screen lit up with shades of black and gray, and then, right there, I saw somethin’ move.
“There we go,” the doctor said, smilin’ at the monitor. “Looks like you’re about eleven weeks and four days along. Everything’s measuring perfectly.”
Pluto nodded softly, her hand restin’ at her sides. Then that beautiful sound came through the machine.
“That’s your baby,” the doctor said with another smile. “Nice, strong heartbeat too.”
The sound filled the room, soft and fast like a drum. For a second, everything around me faded out. It was just that heartbeat echoing in my ears. This shit was real now. I leaned forward, starin’ at that tiny flicker on the screen.
Pluto was lookin’ at the screen too, her lips curvin’ into a faint smile. She looked peaceful, and really happy about becoming a mother. I could tell how much she already loved the life growin’ inside her. And even though I ain’t say nothin’, my soul was heavy in a good way. It was pride mixed with relief, and mixed with a fear I ain’t even know how to name.
When the doctor was done, she wiped Pluto’s stomach clean, handed her a tissue, and told her she could get dressed. “Make sure to schedule your next appointment before you leave,” she said before walkin’ out.
Pluto slid off the table and went to grab her stuff. I was still lookin’ at the ultrasound photo she handed me. It was tiny, barely a shape, but it was mine.
“You might as well not even grab that next appointment,” I said.
She looked over her shoulder at me. “What you mean?”
I held her gaze. “‘Cause you ain’t gon’ make it to it.”
She frowned. “Pressure, I still need to keep up with my appointments.”
