Sarah sat on the couch while her son frantically skipped through his voice messages. “Ahh, it’s got to be in here!” he mumbled tapping the next button again. Then he finally heard what he was waiting for. He grabbed up the paper he had handy and listened for the address he was told to go to. Quickly he wrote it down and shoved the paper in his pocket. Sarah couldn’t hide the confused expression on her face when he turned and looked at her.

“Um, ok, what was that all about?” she asked. He bit his lip and stared at the floor. “Mikey…what is going on?” She walked over and took his hand, and noticed he was shaking. “Tell me son! You are starting to worry me!” She squeezed his hand a little and he finally looked up at her. She saw that tears were beginning to fall down his cheeks, and her heart sank. “Mom, will you come with me? To this lady’s house…If this is what I am thinking….I…I can’t go alone. Please..?” He looked back down feeling awkward about crying, but it worked. “Oh Mikey!” she said as she pulled her son to her, “Of course I’ll go with you!” 

It was beginning to rain outside.  Mike looked at the sky through the windshield and laughed, thinking that the weather matched his emotions perfectly at the moment. Sarah looked over at her son and tried to imagine what all this was about. She looked back out the window and continued to look for the road. She tapped his shoulder when she saw the street sign. 

Mike began to feel nauseous again when he pulled up to the building. A sign beside the road said Shelby Hines MD. “A doctor’s office?” Sarah asked with a puzzled look, but he avoided her eyes and just looked for a parking spot. He parked and unbuckled his seat belt, then looked over at his mother. “Want me to come in?” Sarah asked him. “Please, mom.” He answered giving her a helpless look. She nodded unbuckling her seat belt as well. They got out and walked up to the sliding glass doors. 

As they entered the building Mike began to tremble again. “Mikey?” Sarah put her arm around her son. She felt a protectiveness come over her she had never felt for Mike before. He looked around unsure of what to do. A young woman who had noticed them walk in approached them. “Can I help you?” she asked politely. Mike swallowed and answered “Uh, I’m not sure, I was told to come here. That the lady here could….help me.” He looked away from her and to the floor. She gave him a confused look, then her eyes widened. “Oh yeah! I remember now. Dr. Hines told me some time ago to be looking for a Mr.…um what is your name?” He kept looking down and took a deep breath, “Micheal Nolan…” 

“That’s it!” she laughed, “Wait here, I’ll go get the Dr.” Mike turned to his mother who looked beyond confused at this point. He just gave her a shrug and turned back to the door the girl went through that now another woman was coming out of. The young nurse followed quickly behind her. “This is her Mr. Nolan!” she said walking up to them. “It…it’s Mike…” he stated shuttering at the memories his name being called like that brought back. 

“Then hello Mike.” The Dr. said in a calm and greeting tone. She smiled at him and it helped calm him down some. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Dr. Shelby Hines.” She offered her hand and he shook it. “Hi..” he replied giving a half smile. His stomach was still in a knot and the thought of why he was here was eating at his mind. “Well, let’s get things started here, shall we?”  They followed her to the room she had come from. “Mike, would you mind if your guest waits outside for the beginning part?” He looked at Sarah sadly “Um yeah I guess, this is my mom…by the way.” Dr. Hines looked sympathetically at the young man, “Oh I see.” She turned to Sarah and smiled “I’ll call you in shortly” Sarah nodded and the three others walked into the room.

The Dr. sat behind her desk then motioned for Mike to sit at one of the other chairs. “Mike, do you know why you’re here?” She began. “I believe so…I mean I remember what happened, I think. It’s just so crazy I don’t want to believe it’s true. But I guess it is…or I wouldn’t be here, right?” She nodded. “I have known Trisha for a long time now. This is by far the most outrageous thing I have ever heard of her trying to do. But I also know her strong will and determination has probably helped her succeed in her doings, I’m afraid you are probably indeed now with child.” He paled at her words, and the nausea hit again. Dr. Hines must have noticed because she pulled out a trash can from under her desk and handed it to him. 

He sat it next to him and looked back at her. “Why..” he started “why me!” Dr. Hines just shook her head “Trisha is a complicated woman to understand. I have never understood her reasoning’s and I probably never will. But one way or the other she chose you. Now, we just have to pick up where she has left us and figure out what to do.” She gave Mike a sympathetic look and turned her attention to the young nurse. “Tiffany can you go get Mrs. Nolan now. Only if you’re ok with that, of course…Mike?” 

He nodded and the nurse left the room. Dr. Hines could tell he was nervous, and she could only imagine scared out of his mind. “Mike?” she said walking around to sit beside him. “You sure you want to do this right now?” He laughed under his breath and looked up at her, “Not like I’ll be hiding it from anyone soon. I mean it’s been almost four months already. And look at me” he sighed looking down at his stomach “It’s already noticeable.” He shook his head and looked back down, as his mom and the nurse walked in.

“Hey sweetie!” Sarah said taking the seat beside her son once the doctor got up. “You ok?” she took his hand and looked at him concerned when he didn’t answer. “Mrs. Nolan, your son has been placed in a very unique and difficult situation right now. I ask for his sake you try to stay calm and handle this news in an appropriate manner.” Sarah looked at the doctor confused “What do you mean he is in a unique situation. What’s wrong with him…Mike, what’s going on?”

Mike bit his lip, stood up and began pacing the room. “Ok, look mom, this isn’t one of those things I can just spit out and that be it because you won’t believe me. So when I say I don’t know how to tell you this it’s the honest truth….” He stopped and looked at her to see just how confused she looked so far.

 His mom, however, was a very understanding woman, which is why he wanted to bring her. “Mike, I can handle it just tell me…” she said beginning to get inpatient with all the stalling. He rolled his eyes and thought, “Alright, let’s go at it this way…You know how you always bug me about grandkids, well congratulations.” 

He took a deep breath and looked at her to see if she might have got part of what he was saying. He stiffened when she perked up. “Oh my god! Micheal, you got someone pregnant!” Tiffany tried to hid her laughing when she saw the annoyed look on Mike’s face. “No, mom….I didn’t get anyone pregnant!” Sarah looked down to think again, but before she could say anything Mike spoke. “Mom! You’re not going to guess it ok! Look, this isn’t about a girl who’s pregnant, ok.”

 She looked at him confused, “But Mike, why would you bring up grandkids, if no one is pregnant, I don’t understand….” She sat back when Mike cut her off. “No there is no girl pregnant, but…” Sarah cocked her head at his pause and tried to understand where he was going. Nothing could prepare her for his words. “Mom, I…I am…Pregnant…”

A bright light brought Mike back to reality. He looked up to see Kasey pointing her camera at him. “Good one...” she laughed. He looked away feeling awkward, and then stood up and walked to the door. “Alright everyone, it’s time to go!” The younger kids looked at him disappointed. “No Mikey! We wanna stay with you longer!!!” Noah cried. It hurt to see his little brother actually begging to stay. 

“Sorry kiddo! I got something to do. But listen as soon as I get some time, I’ll come get you and we’ll go hang out. Ok buddy?” Noah pouted but agreed. “Me too, right?” Lyssie jumped up and ran to his side.  “Of course! How could I forget you?” He smiled and hugged the two little kids. He had forgotten how much he missed them all. Now he hated to see them go, but he had to do this. 

They passed by him exiting the apartment one by one, each stopping for a hug and good-bye. All except Kasey, who just rolled her eyes and walked out. “You can’t even be around us an hour without finding a reason to get away, can you?” But she left before he could answer. Sarah came by last and hugged him tight then rubbed his belly. “It is an amazing feeling isn’t it?” he gave her a small smiled and nodded. She understood his comfortableness and kissed his head, then left. 

He watched them leave the hall and shut his door. Rushing through his closet he found some clothes that still half fit and grabbed them. He got dressed and grabbed his keys. Then he left his apartment and went down to his car. Getting in he searched around until he found the piece of paper with the address to Dr. Hines clinic. 

***

Mike felt his heart race as he walked through the doors. He walked up to the desk and saw the nurse from before. She was busy typing on the computer. She looked so serious about what she was doing so he decided he would wait, but she looked up. “Mike!” she exclaimed. “Hey, wow, didn’t expect to see you come back!” she stood and walked to the door that led out to the lobby where he was. “Oh my goodness, look at how big your belly has got!” she reached down and rubbed his bump, then noticed the hurt look he was trying to hide. 

“Oh…god. I am so sorry! I didn’t mean that…” she blushed and walked back in to her desk. “So you’re here for an appointment, right?” He walked up to the glass and nodded. “Ok, great! I’ll go let Dr. Hines know you’re here!” She jumped up again and started for the door. She started out and almost ran into Dr. Hines. “Oh I’m sorry, ma’am. Um, Mike is here…for an appointment.” She squealed. Mike smiled, her peppiness was cute, he thought. “I know, Tiffany.” Dr. Hines smiled, “Sarah just called me, and told me to be expecting him.” Mike rolled his eyes and laughed, Of course she would know where I was going…

Dr. Hines motioned for Mike to follow her and she turned and walked into her office. He entered and sat down. Biting his lip he watched her cross the room to her desk. “So, what made you decide to come back?” she asked sitting. “Mom didn’t tell you that too?” he smirked. “She told me what happened, but I want you to tell me.” He looked down and unknowingly laid his hand on his stomach and began trying to get the baby to move again. Dr. Hines smiled at the sight. “I don’t know, I guess I just want to make sure everything is ok. It would be dumb to go through all of this and then the baby has something wrong with it.” 

She then picked up the phone and called for Tiffany. The young nurse bounced in and Dr. Hines asked her to get Mike a new patient form. She smiled excitedly and left the room, then reentered with a small stack of papers. “Here you go!” she giggled and handed the papers to him along with a pen and clip board. Mike filled the papers out and gave them to the doctor to put in the folder. 

Dr. Hines wrote Mikes name on the folder and stood. “Come on lets go to the examining room.”  Then looking at Tiffany “You too.” The two followed the woman into a room down the hall. Pulling the bed paper over the bed she patted for him to get on; he obeyed. She lifted his shirt and he fidgeted as she began pressing on his stomach. “Does that hurt?” she asked looking concerned. “It’s uncomfortable…why? Is that bad?” he looked at her worried. “Not unless it actually hurts.” She smiled to try to calm him, but he saw her give Tiffany a look and he watched her write something in his folder. 

He was nervous the whole examination, but his heart stopped when she reached over and turned the machine next to him on. He had seen ultra sound pictures of him and his siblings in scrapbooks Kasey had made, but this was different. He breathed deep and swallowed. Dr. Hines looked at his face and laughed out loud, “I’m sorry,” she said feeling unprofessional for laughing “But you just turned white as a sheet. Are you ok?” The white turned red and he nodded. 

She told him the gel would feel warm then squirted a glob on his belly. He flinched then calmed again. He just looked at the device in her hand as she moved it across his bump, afraid to see the image on the screen. He was trying to stick to his tough guy feelings about the baby, but since the baby kicked he was melting fast. Finally Tiffany broke the silence. “OH MY GOSH! Look at that….it’s sooooo cute!” Curiosity took over and he turned his focus to the screen. 

It was amazing how clear you could see it. The head, the hands, the feet. He laid his head back into the pillow and watched his baby kick and stretch inside him, and his mind was made up. “Wow…” he whispered, but both women heard him. Tiffany giggled, and Dr. Hines smiled. “You know I can tell the sex, if you want to know?” He looked at her then at the screen, and back to her and nodded. “Alright, Mike, you are looking at your little girl.” His eyes widened and he smiled. “Oh…” My little girl he thought. He liked the way it sounded.