While You Were Away

I scratched Chester’s head as he kept running around the apartment. I heard my phone start to go off so I pulled myself from the couch grumbling. I picked up my phone not bothering to look at the I.D.

“Hello?”

“Hey babe,” I smiled when I heard Jack’s voice. They were playing their last road game in Nashville tonight so that meant tomorrow. “So your appointment is this morning right?”

“Yeah in about an hour and a half,” I told him quietly still sad he wasn’t able to make this appointment.

“Are you going to find out the sex today?” Jack asked.

“I can but I want you to be here,”

“So do I . . . how about you ask Amy to come with you? Do you think she’d be excited to be the first, even before me, to know the sex?” Jack suggested to me.

“Uh . . . okay um I’ll give her a call. Are you sure you don’t want to wait till the next appointment?”

“Call her, I have to go okay? Love you,”

“Love you too,” After we hung up I found Amy’s number, it was a good thing mom had given it to me.

-

Amy and I sat in the doctor’s office watching some very pregnant women try to handle their toddlers. We both shook our heads when one of the kids screamed.

“If your kid is like that . . .” Amy muttered.

“Trust me if my kid was ever like that,” I gave her a look knowing she knew what I was thinking.

“Emily Payne?” We both stood and followed the nurse. I went through the usual routine with a roll of my eyes while Amy just chuckled. I sat on the bed waiting for the doctor to come in.

“So are you going to find the sex out?” Amy asked.

“Jack said I should even though I want him here when I do find out,” She gave me a smile and a small nod.

“Hello Emily, so it says here you’re seventeen and a half weeks?” I just nodded knowing my regular doctor faxed over my papers. “Okay then let’s do a scan and see how your baby is doing.” I laid back on the bed rolling my shirt up just so it rest under my chest. The doctor dimmed the lights so we could see the screen better.

“I still can’t believe you’re already showing,” Amy chuckled as she got a good look at the bump.

“Every woman shows at different times. Especially if they have smaller frames like you girls do.” The doctor told us as she put the wand onto my stomach.

“Or if they’re carrying a future NHL player,” Amy whispered to me making me muffle a laugh.

“Well your baby is actually a little bigger weight wise then a seventeen and half week,”

“So are you saying I’m further along?” I asked confused.

“I don’t think so, if you are it’d only be by a week or two. It just seems like a big baby.” I nodded and glanced over at Amy to see her mouth ‘Hockey player’. “Now do you want to know the sex?”

“If we can then yes, I’m sure Jack’s just anxious to tell the team.” We watched the screen as the doctor moved the wand around trying to get a right angle.

“Oh my God,” Amy and I chorused. “It’s a boy,”

“Yes it defiantly is,” She printed out a few pictures for us and wiped my stomach. “I will fax the updates to your doctor back in Los Angeles.”

“Okay, thank you.” We said our goodbyes and left to the parking lot. “So um, dads in Detroit today.” I told Amy.

“Is he?”

“Yeah I was going to meet up for lunch with him.” She just nodded. “Do—Do you want to join us? I know he’d be happy to see you.”

“Uh . . .” Amy bit her lip then let out a sigh. “I’m not doing anything so I guess—I guess I can.”