Page 21 of Interference
“You’re welcome. I bought several different kinds that she recommended. I figured over the next couple of weeks we can try them out and see which one you prefer. She did mention that there is one you should drink toward the end of pregnancy that will help you prepare for birth. Something about it helping soften you so you don’t tear?” He makes a face, making me laugh.
“I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out. What else have you learned about pregnancy?” I ask as I bring the thermos up to my mouth.
Brett blows out a breath. “So many things.”
“Like?”
“Well, I stayed up going over all the articles I could about pregnancy in general. I learned that between twenty-four and twenty-eight weeks, you’ll be forced to take a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes.”
“How do they test for that?” I smile, having had no idea they do that.
You’d think being a woman, I would, but my focus has always been on skating. All of this is new to me too.
He winces. “Apparently they make you drink a nasty as fuck sugar drink. No one had anything good to say about any of the flavors that they will offer, just that it’s disgusting and that before you take it, you’ll have to fast. Then if you don’t pass on the first try, you’ll have to do it again but have to fast longer while they wait for the results.”
“That sounds miserable,” I mutter, dread filling me.
I hate soda, so the idea of being forced to drink one that’s sweeter is…
I shiver just thinking about it.
“Then I started watching a video of childbirth. I had to stop, though, because I knew if I didn’t, it would keep me up all night.”
How is this my life?
Brett, the guy who I thought was a playboy turned baby daddy, is buying me tea and researching pregnancy to a degree I never even thought about.
Does this make me a bad parent?
“I never even thought to watch that,” I mutter.
He reaches out and squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to, considering you’ll actually be going through it. The only reason I did is because I want to be as well informed as possible to advocate for you and our baby.”
“Still, I should know before we go in.”
“Okay, then we can watch it together. How does that sound?” he offers.
I shoot him a smile.
“Do you have class here soon?” I ask, changing the subject.
He shakes his head. “No, I actually need to go talk to Coach. I need to tell him about the baby.”
I suck in a breath, caught off guard. “What? Why? No, you don’t have to do that.”
He squeezes my hand again. “But I do. He needs to know so that way when I miss practice, he isn’t surprised.”
“Why would you miss practice?”
“Well, I sure as hell won’t be at practice when you have doctor’s appointments.”
I come to a stop outside of the building my class is in, and tug on his hand until he looks at me. “You don’t have to go to all the appointments. I know how much hockey means to you.”
Brett lets go of my hand and steps forward, cupping my face in his hands.
“I know it’s going to take a while to convince you of this, but I want to. I want to be there for every appointment possible. Ineed to. I don’t want to miss a fucking moment of this,” he says sincerely.
I’ll never admit it out loud, but I melt. I got seriously lucky when it comes to him.
