Girls Like You

Our doctor’s appointment was a week and a half after our family dinner. It was our first one, and after extensive Googling, I discovered that it would also be our most important one. Part of me knew that there was nothing to be nervous about, that it was just the doctor’s and nothing was going to go wrong. The other part of me was convinced that something was bound to get fucked up somehow.

The appointment was on a Saturday morning at 10 AM; why I’d made it at that time was beyond me, especially since I couldn’t have coffee anymore. To make matters worse, Ben showed up at my door with two cups of the stuff, smiling tentatively.

“Hey, I got you some coffee from your favorite place down the street,” he said, offering it to me. I closed my eyes. Kelly, who was standing behind me in her robe, snorted and took the cup from him.

“Jesus, Ben, I can’t drink coffee anymore,” I groaned.

“You can’t? Why?”

“You’re not supposed to have caffeine while you’re pregnant, especially in the first trimester,” Kelly said matter-of-factly. “Studies have shown that it could possibly be related to miscarriages.”

Ben’s eyes widened and he withdrew his hand, shielding his own cup from me like it was going to give me a miscarriage right there. “Oh. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said with a sigh. “It’s the thought that counts. Come on, the bus will be here in a few.”

“Good luck!” Kelly called as we walked down the hallway.

“Your elevator is still out of order?” Ben asked as we started down the stairs.

“Yeah,” I said. “We’ve been trying to get Mr. Beyer to hire someone to fix it, but he never does.”

“Hmm,” Ben said. “Should you be climbing stairs?”

I shrugged. “I think climbing them is okay. It’s falling down them that could be bad.”

“Don’t say that,” Ben groaned. “I don’t want to think about that. Maybe he’ll get the elevator fixed once he finds out you’re pregnant.”

“Who says I’m telling him?” I asked.

“I’m pretty sure when he sees you in a few months he’ll get the idea.”

“What, you mean all fat?”

Ben looked startled. “I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, but you were thinking it.”

“What? I — no! That’s not what I was thinking at all!” Ben got so flustered he nearly tripped and fell down the stairs.

“Yeah, whatever,” I said with a sigh. I didn’t even really mean it; it was just fun to get him riled up. We exited the building and walked a block over to the bus stop. “Hey, Ben?” I asked after a few seconds of silence.

He glanced over at me. His expression was weary, like he was waiting to be led into a trap or something, and it made me smile. “Will you still think I’m cute even when I get all pregnant and fat and cranky?”

Ben’s eyes widened. “Yeah, of course,” he said immediately. “I’ll always think you’re cute. I, uh, think you’re beautiful.” His voice was sincere, and it shouldn’t have surprised me since that was just how he was, but it did.

“Jeez, Ben,” I answered after a second. “Thanks, I guess.”

He nodded and cleared his throat. The bus conveniently pulled up not long after, so we got on the bus and rode to the doctor’s office in silence. When we got there, we waited for a few minutes before being led into one of the rooms.

There was a knock at the door not long after and a tall, blonde woman entered the room. “Hi there. I’m Dr. Givens,” she said with a smile. I liked her instantly. She seemed like she had her shit together at all times, which was more than I could say for me. “You must be . . . Mr. and Mrs. Chambers?” she asked.

I almost burst out laughing, but controlled myself. “Uh, no. We’re not married. I’m Jordan Chambers.”

“I’m Ben Sawyer,” Ben said, offering her his hand like the gentleman he was. “Father of the baby.”

“Impregnator of the mother,” I added, and he shot me a dirty look.

“I see,” Dr. Givens said, and it looked like she was holding back a smile. “My apologies. It’s very nice to meet you both.” She checked the tablet she was holding. “So, Jordan, it looks like you’re pregnant.”

“It seems that way, yes,” I agreed.

She laughed. “Good, so we’re on the same page here. This is your first check-up, so I’m mostly just going to ask you some questions about your medical history, as well as both of your families’ medical histories. Then we can talk about genetic testing, and —”

“Wait,” Ben interrupted, “what’s genetic testing?”

“They’re tests that we do to see if the baby is at risk of having a chromosomal or genetic disorder like Down Syndrome, or is potentially at risk of being born with developmental issues,” Dr. Givens explained.

“Oh.”

“We don’t usually do them until you’re 15-20 weeks along, when the baby’s a little bigger,” Dr. Givens said. “Today, we’ll just do a physical examination, a pelvic exam, and some blood work.”

“Great,” I said sarcastically. “Let’s do this.”

The first part of the examination wasn’t bad. Ben and I did our best to remember our families’ medical histories as well as recount our own. She gave me the talk about not smoking, drinking, or using drugs for the entire pregnancy, a speech similar to one Kelly had given me not long ago.

Once it was time to do the physical examinations, I made Ben leave the room. “I’ve seen you naked,” he pointed out. “It’s why we’re here in the first place.”

“I don’t care. I’m pregnant, you have to listen to me.” He rolled his eyes but obeyed, leaving me alone with Dr. Givens.

“So, you’re 22?” she asked, referring to when I’d told her my birthday.

“Yeah. Ben is 23. We’re youngins, aren’t we?” I tried to joke.

She smiled. “I suppose so. I’ve seen younger, though. Your age doesn’t always necessarily determine how good of a parent you’ll be.”

“I think I’ll be a good mom,” I said slowly. “I hope.”

“It feels so far away, doesn’t it?” she asked. I nodded. “It’ll start to hit you in a few months, don’t worry.”

“Ben’s gonna be a great dad,” I said decisively. “I already know that. He’s one of the best people I know.”

“How long have you two been together?” Dr. Givens inquired.

“Oh —” I said quickly, “we’re not — we’re not, like, together or anything. Ben and I are just friends. This whole thing occurred on New Year’s Eve after a few drinks too many.”

“I see,” she said. “So, you’re planning on co-parenting?”

“Yeah, something like that,” I said, pretending like Ben and I knew exactly what we were doing with this baby. Fortunately, Dr. Givens merely nodded and went back to examining me.

Ben came back in once we were finished. “I’d like you both here for this last part,” Dr. Givens said. “It’s important for both parents to know about the physical and emotional health of the mother. Your diet, for example. You don’t need to be consuming a lot of extra calories until your second trimester, but make sure you’re eating a lot of protein in particular. Don’t eat seafood or any unpasteurized milk products; they can have bacteria in them that will hurt the baby. And of course, stay away from drugs and alcohol.”

I nodded, and she continued, “You’re also going to want to take some prenatal vitamins. We’ll recommend you a good over-the-counter brand.”

“Why does she need to take them?” Ben asked.

“It’ll give her extra nutrients to help the baby,” she explained.

“Oh.”

“And lastly, your emotional health is just as important. You hear a lot about postpartum depression, but it’s also common to have symptoms during your pregnancy, such as anxiety or loss of interest in your daily activities. If you notice this, you should call us right away and we’ll find a solution. Any questions?”

“That’s a lot to remember,” I said quietly, feeling a knot in my stomach.

“Don’t worry,” Ben said, holding up his phone. “I wrote it all down.”

“I know it’s overwhelming,” Dr. Givens said sympathetically. “But don’t worry. We’re here to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

We scheduled our next appointment four weeks from the current date before thanking Dr. Givens and leaving.

“Did you really write all that stuff down?” I asked as we waited for the bus.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, because I knew you wouldn’t.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but closed it when I realized he was right. “Yeah, whatever,” I said. “So what’d you think of Dr. Givens?”

He shrugged. “She seemed nice. Definitely knows what she’s doing.”

“Definitely,” I agreed. “I like the part where she thought we were married and you took my last name.”

Ben scowled. “She didn’t know it was your last name, stupid.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I sang. “You’d take my name if we got married and you know it.”

“What, Jordan Sawyer doesn’t sound good to you?” Ben teased as the bus pulled up.

“Jordan Sawyer,” I said aloud, following him onto the bus. I paused for a second, because I had to admit, it didn’t sound that bad. Realizing that I was blocking the aisle, I quickly sat down next to Ben. “I guess it has a nice ring to it,” I said, trying to save face.

Thankfully, he didn’t notice. “I guess we could always hyphenate our last names,” he mused. “Chambers-Sawyer.”

“Should we do that with the baby?” I asked.

“Kind of a mouthful, don’t you think?”

“Chambers-Sawyer,” I repeated. “Yeah, you’re right. Poor kid.”

“Good thing we’re not getting married,” Ben said lightly.

“Yeah,” I said absently. “Good thing.” But I thought about it the entire ride home.