Sweet Little Thing(31)

Dr. Cho’s face was sympathetic, something I didn’t think was possible. “It’s unlikely at this stage. My recommendation is to go ahead and schedule your cesarean section for the thirty-eighth week. You’ll be full term and the baby won’t likely come before then. I’m very sorry,” she said and then left the room.

Mia put her tights and boots back on without looking at me. She was quiet, inside her head.

“Talk to me.” I said.

She looked up, right into my eyes, and then lost it. She moved toward me quickly and buried her head in my chest. I wrapped my arms around her as she began releasing heavy sobs.

I rubbed her back and tried to soothe her. “Shh, baby. Everything is going to be okay. It doesn’t matter how that baby gets to us. We should be happy he’s okay.”

“Mm hmm. I know.”

“He didn’t want to turn.” I lightened my tone and she laughed a little through tears. “Lazy little f*cker,” I said finally.

She looked up at me. “I can’t believe everything I’ve done to prepare for this and I don’t even get to try.”

“You’re the toughest girl I know. You would have succeeded.”

“You think so?”

She looked like a defeated child in that moment.

“Yeah, I do. Let’s get outta here and go for a walk.”

We found one of our favorite streets to stroll down and window-shop. I got excited thinking about having a little boy.

“Drums, I’m gonna get him on the drums first, then piano,” I said to Mia excitedly as I walked backward up the street in front of her.

Her mood started to lighten as the reality set in. We were going to have a boy.

“Oh my God, Will, isn’t that the cutest?” Mia stopped when something caught her eye in a store window.

It was a grey newsboy hat for a baby and a matching one for a dad. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and swayed back and forth.

“That would look adorable on you two,” she said. “I’m coming back tomorrow when they’re open and buying that. You’ll wear it, won’t you?” she pleaded. The color and life had returned to her cheeks.

“Of course, baby.”

I pulled her along and across the street. “Let’s get a cab—I want to get you home and into bed.”

“Hey, wait, I think that’s Lauren,” Mia said. She picked up her pace and began walking briskly. I followed but let her go ahead of me a few strides. “Oh my God, it is. I have to go talk to her, Will.”

I recognized Lauren and knew Mia had formed some kind of special bond with her. She believed that Lauren had helped open her eyes during our time apart. Whatever Lauren had done or said, it stopped Mia from treating my heart like a pincushion. I saw a taxi headed our way, so I flagged it down and asked him to wait as I watched Mia approach Lauren. They talked and hugged as I looked on with curiosity.

When Mia finally turned around and headed toward me, she had a little bounce in her step. Leaning up on her toes, she whispered in my ear, “It’s all because of her.”

I looked past Mia to Lauren, who was smiling. I smiled back, blew her a kiss, and mouthed, “Good-bye, Lauren, you sweet thing.”

We slid into the back of the cab. Mia shouted our address to the cabbie and then snuggled into a ball next to me.

“What did she say to you?”

“She said congratulations.”

“That’s it?”

“She said something like listen to the music because the answers are there.”

I laughed. “Oh my God, it’s Martha in the making.”

Mia laughed with me. “She’s older, Will. She has kids. She’s been through all this. I think she was just reminding me to stay true to myself.”

Squeezing her hand, I bent over to speak to my son. “Hey, man, be good to your mommy and turn over.” I kissed her belly and looked up to see her expression.

With a smile barely touching the corner of her mouth, she said, “Do you want to go into the studio and mess around for a bit?”

She was trying to get her mind off the disappointing news from the doctor. Apparently the answers were in the music.

“Ooh, that’s sounds hot.”

“I meant musically.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said, but I had other plans for her.



TRACK 11: One Last Hoorah

“We have an idea,” I said, as Tyler and I stood in front of our very pregnant wives.

They were sitting on the couch in our loft, looking up at us skeptically with their arms crossed over their plump bellies.

Tyler waved his giant arms around. “Just hear us out.”

Jenny looked away and rolled her eyes.

“We’re listening,” Mia said.

I addressed Mia first. “Okay, you and I know the exact date that our baby will be born, and Jenny is not due for another month and a half, so…”

“Spit it out!” Jenny snapped.

I put on the most serious face I could muster. “We’re about to embark on a journey.” I used the Twilight Zone voice. “Full of involuntary sleepless nights, throw-up, and out-of-control behavior. Our freedom will no longer exist; our identities will vanish before our very eyes. We. Will. Be. PARENTS!” I mimicked loud, thundering music.