Turn The Other Way

“So how was your date last night?” Laura asked me the next day. I had just gotten off work and already bombarded with this question! I laughed to myself and plopped my ass down in her kitchen chair, watching her clean the giggling Emma off with a baby wipe.

“We were kicked out of McDonalds,” I said with a shrug, putting it off as nothing. But knowing Laura, it just made her crack up.

“How?”

“We played in the play place, and people started to complain.”

“Nice, Lynn. Real nice.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You are such a kid at heart,” Laura said as she picked up Emma out of her high chair.

“How’s she doing at solid foods?”

“Did you see how much I had to clean off?” she asked me with a laugh.

“Not so great I take it?”

“Well, these things take time.”

“True.” A knock came on the door and I immediately stood up. “I’ll get it.”

“Thanks.”

I walked over to the front door and opened it. Derek smiled at me, holding his finger up to his lips, silently telling me to shut the fuck up or else.

I nodded, a smile of my own on my face as he walked past me.

“Who is it?” Laura called from the kitchen. I stayed back, watching as Derek made his way. “Lynn? Did you – Oh my God! Derek!” Emma squealed with delight at seeing her father and I made my way out, letting the small family have their own little alone time. They haven’t seen each other in weeks, so I thought it’d be a good idea.

I made my way into my apartment and locked the door behind me. I turned on the kitchen light and set my keys down, turning on the light.

This is the first time I’ve noticed how empty this place it. Really, it is. I don’t have much furniture; only that I need. There’s no one running around, laughing at nothing. It’s nothing like Brian’s place. There, people had just shown up and left at random times. It was weird, really. I looked to the clock. The numbers had shown 3:39 in bright red letters. I sighed, blowing a tuft of hair upwards. I walked over to my fan and turned it on. The heat was starting to get to me.

“Fuck,” I mumbled to myself, bending over a bit and grabbed my stomach. Stupid fucking cramps. They get me every time, I swear. I groaned and sat down, waiting for them to subside.

The thought then popped up into my head.

I don’t think this is normal.

I sat in the waiting room of my gynecologist a couple days later, reading a nearby magazine. I had to drive all the way to Columbus for this and I’m not leaving without any answers.

“Lynn Haner?” a nurse called. I put the magazine down and stood up, walking back with her to be weighed.

“How much?” I asked, stepping off the scales.

“One twenty. Looks like you’ve lost some.”

“Oh, stress, you know.”

She smiled. “Yeah. That’ll do it. Third room on the left,” she told me, pointing the correct direction. I smiled back and made my way. Once in there, I put my purse down in the chair and sat on the noisy table thingy.

Soon, my gyno, Dr. Denise Sherry came in and closed the door behind her.

“Hey, Lynn,” she said with a smile.

“Hey.”

“Here for a checkup?”

“Uh, sort of. I’ve been wondering some things. You know how I was diagnosed with that polycystic thing?” She nodded, sitting in her stool. “Well, does it cause really bad, out of the ordinary cramps?”

“Occasionally. Why?”

“Well, I’ve been having them lately but it’s nowhere near time for my cycle. I was wondering if something else could be the case, instead of that.”

“Well, have you had any other symptoms?”

“I get bloated, but I’m sure everyone does.”

“Vaginal bleeding?”

“Sometimes…”

“Okay, what about any pain? Back? Legs?”

“I get it in my back, usually when I’m cramping up really bad.”

“Fatigue?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well just for your sanity how about we take some tests. We can get some blood tests and test for anything and everything we can; we’ll do some ultrasounds of your ovaries and uterus and then some PAP smears. Sound good?”

I sighed. “I guess. Can we do that today?”

“Sure.”

She gave the most uncomfortable test first, and then did the ultra sound.

“Well, with this I don’t see anything abnormal,” Dr. Sherry said.

“What do you think it could be, if it’s nothing?”

“Stress, most likely, but we’ll see with the blood and PAP tests.”

After being cleaned up, I went to the other side of the building for the blood test. They took a couple vials and sent me to the front desk to schedule another appointment in a few weeks.

I then went home, hoping nothing was bad. Hoping that it was just stress.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a familiar car. Eli stepped out, smiling like a crazed man. I haven’t seen him since the date, and I didn’t know if that was good or bad.

“Hey,” I said as I stepped out of the car.

“I saw you weren’t at work today, so I’ve been waiting since noon.” I looked at my watch, seeing it was half past four.

“You are a crazy man,” I told him, locking my car.

“I’ve got to be entertained somehow. Entertain me, monkey!”

I laughed and pushed pass him. “I’ll pass thanks.”

“What, no entertainment?”

“No. No entertainment.”

“Do you want to go with me for a couple drinks tonight?”

“Where at?” I asked him.

“This pub my brother owns.”

“I thought you meant like coffee or something. I haven’t had alcohol since Emma was born.”

“Now’s a good time as any.”

I bit my lip in thought for a moment. At this point in time, I missed my lip ring.

“Sure, some pick me up at eight and we’ll go.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be here at eight.”