Riverbend Reunion(62)

“Haley Macall,” the nurse called out.

Haley stood up and said, “Thank you for coming with me. Everything is still surreal, from Mama’s death to us making the decision to work with Jessica and Wade, to being pregnant. I’m not sure I could do any of it without all of you.”

Mary Nell stood up at the same time. “You are very welcome, but it’s only by the luck of the draw that I got to be the one to come along today. Jessica and Risa are both jealous and sitting by their phones.”

Thinking about Oscar holding straws in his big, calloused hands and letting Risa, Jessica, and Mary Nell draw to see who got to go with Haley to her first doctor’s visit put a big smile on Haley’s face. “All right then, let’s go see if we can find out when this critter is due.”

“‘Critter’?” Mary Nell frowned. “Not little angel or sweet baby boy? And I didn’t realize that I could go in with you. I thought I’d have to sit in this waiting room.”

“Nope.” Haley shook her head. “‘Critter’ is good for today. I don’t imagine we’ll know what the sex is until later, and right now I don’t care if we have a boy or a girl. And support means you go with me.”

“That’s a great attitude,” the nurse said. “How long have you been partners?”

“We’re not partners, as in married partners,” Haley said, “but we’ve been best friends since before we went to kindergarten. I will be a single mother, and my three close friends are going to help me raise this child.”

“Well, it’s great that you have that kind of support.” The nurse led the way back to an examination room.

“Yes, it is,” Haley agreed. “This is Mary Nell Wilson, one of those friends I just mentioned.”

The lady pointed to her name tag. “Gloria Anderson. I will be your nurse through your pregnancy. We like to form a relationship with our patients from the start to make them feel more comfortable. The first thing we are going to do today is weigh you.”

“Here’s where we find out how much damage Risa’s cooking has done.” Haley stepped up on the scale. “We’re remodeling an old church into a bar at Riverbend, and Risa will be the chef. She’s been practicing on all of us.”

“I heard about that.” Gloria wrote down a number, but didn’t say it out loud. “I can’t wait until you’ve got it up and running. I love to dance on the weekends, and I’ll be one of the first people to walk through the doors. Jukebox or band?”

“Jukebox here at first,” Mary Nell answered. “Maybe a band later, when we get our bar legs under us. This is all new. None of us have ever done anything like this before.”

“Long as it’s music and the beer is cold, I’m good with either.” Gloria pointed to an open door. “You’ll need to undress in here. Put on the gown and leave it open in the front, then go through the other door into the exam room. Mary Nell and I will be waiting on the other side for you.”

Haley stepped into the room, which was no bigger than a closet, and sat down on the bench to remove her shoes. Her hands trembled and went all clammy. She had never been claustrophobic, but the walls began to weave, and she couldn’t breathe. She bent forward and put her head between her knees to keep from passing out. She had accepted that she was pregnant and the idea that she would be a single mother, but the exam would leave absolutely no doubt in her mind. Sure, she’d been sick and the test had been positive. But she’d told herself that the sickness could be stress, and the test could have been wrong. Hopefully, if her doubts had been right, the team would be relieved and not disappointed.

Finally, the dizziness subsided, and she was able to get undressed. She even opened the adjoining door into the exam room with a smile on her face. “I feel a little exposed in this thing,” she said as she wrapped the gown around her a little tighter.

“We all do,” Gloria said. “Hop up here on the table, and I’ll cover you with a sheet. Dr. Jeannie will be in soon.”

Haley lay back on the bed, and Gloria spread a fresh-smelling sheet over her. “You just rest a few minutes, and we’ll be back to do the first ultrasound so we can determine a due date.” Then she left the room and closed the door behind her.

“Dr. Jeannie?” Mary Nell raised an eyebrow.

“I did my research. She’s the best OBGYN in the area. I had a female doctor in Alabama and really liked her,” Haley answered.

“Are you nervous?” Mary Nell returned the magazine she had been looking at to the rack.

“Probably more than Frannie was when she found out she was expecting me,” Haley admitted. “She was fifteen, and I’m thirty-eight, and yet, I imagine that I’m experiencing some of the same feelings that she did. When I first read Mama’s letter telling me that Frannie was my biological mother, I was really mad at her—at them. I’m understanding and appreciating their decisions a lot better now.”

Mary Nell stood up from the chair where she’d been sitting and paced around the room. “I can’t imagine how nervous you must be, because I’m so jittery that I can’t even be still. I can’t imagine raising a baby all alone, but then I’m not as strong as you are. If I had been, I would have left Kevin years ago.”

Haley drew the sheet up to her chin. “I’ll just be glad when this visit is over, and I’m not alone. I’ve got all of you. Please tell me you aren’t leaving and going back to Kevin.”