FOR THE NEXT several weeks, I rearrange my work schedule to accompany Tyler to races. His name is quickly becoming synonymous with victory and he’s enjoying the perks of being on top.
“Would you ever sell the business to race full-time?” my dad asks, eyeing Tyler carefully over a steak dinner.
“No, sir. As much as I love racing, I know it’s going to end someday and I have a family to support.”
“A family?” my mom interjects suspiciously, setting her glass of wine down on the patio table.
Tyler and I share a quick glance and a smile.
“Congratulations, Gramma and Grampa.”
My mother jumps to her feet and accidently knocks the glass to the ground, wine splattering everywhere.
“You’re pregnant?! How did this happen?”
A loud guffaw rips through me. “Do I really need to explain how it works? You are a doctor after all.”
“Get over here!”
My body is wrapped in her arms as she whispers in my ear.
“I’m so happy for you.”
While still in her embrace, I dart my eyes to Tyler who is shaking my father’s hand, offering an apology for the sequence of events.
“I’m sure you would’ve liked for us to have been married already, but…”
My dad rejects his apology, telling him instead to take care of me and our baby. “You asked my permission before hand and you got down on one knee. At least that’s what Karrie said you did. I’m still waiting to see the video.”
“I keep meaning to pull it from the surveillance tape.”
After a quick switch, Tyler’s face turns bright red when my mother makes a sexual reference and is immediately shushed by my dad.
“Behave yourself, woman!”
“That’s not what you said last night, dear.”
“C’mon here, Kare Bear.” My father lifts me from the ground, leaving my feet dangling. “If you need anything, you know I’m always here for you.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
I’m set back on my feet gently.
“And lay off the sweets. You’re getting heavy.”
“Dad!” My jaw drops open.
“Oh, you know I’m just kidding! But you are getting a little wide right here.” He slides his hands down his own hips, slapping twice before smiling.
I narrow my eyes in response.
“I’m always wide right there! I have mom’s genes!”
Tyler tosses his arm around my shoulder and announces that we’re leaving after thanking my parents for dinner and praising my mother for her scrumptious dessert.”
“You’re such a flirt.”
He feigns innocence. “Me? What did I do?”
“The way you charm my mother.”
“What can I say? I have a way with the Miller ladies.”
Our short commute back to our house is interrupted by a phone call from Tre. Tyler taps the Bluetooth device, filling the cab of his truck with his nephew’s sweet and very excited voice.
“Hi, Uncle T! Hi, Aunt Karrie!”
“Hey, buddy! How are you?”
Tre rambles on for a solid ten minutes about his new school in Georgia, the house they bought, his baseball team and how Jack is teaching him how to ride the dirt bike.
“Can you come visit me when grandma comes?”
I see the struggle on Tyler’s face.
“We’ll see, buddy. It’s race season, remember?”
Tre sighs dejectedly. “Can you come after that?”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Okay.”
“Guess what, Tre! You’re going to have a cousin!”
“I hope it’s a boy. I don’t really like girls.”
I laugh and comment that girls are just as good as boys.
“When I find out, I’ll tell you.”
We say our goodbyes as we arrive at the house.
“Don’t forget we have an appointment on Thursday.”
Tyler smirks. “Like I’d forget that.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man so excited to have a child.
“You forgot about the appointment for the wedding venue.”
“I didn’t forget. I got caught in traffic and besides, I didn’t like that place.”
Confusion appears on my face. “Why didn’t you like it?”
“I just didn’t.” He adds a quick shrug of his shoulders.
“Well, since you’re already taking the day off, I figured we could go to lunch and look at another place. I hate that I’m going to be a pregnant bride.”
“What? That’s ridiculous! You’re going to be a stunning bride. Especially because you’re my bride.”
By Thursday morning, I’m anxious to hear the baby’s heart beat again and find out the sex. From all the tossing and turning, I’d say Tyler’s just as excited.
The technician, a woman I used to work with, squirts a cold jelly on my belly and proceeds to search for our baby’s heartbeat.
“I can’t believe you’re this far along and you didn’t know you were pregnant.”
I detect the skepticism in her tone.
“I got a period every month. Why would I think anything?” I retort.
“I guess you were lucky. I swear I knew the second the egg was fertilized. I was a roaring bitch for nine months. My poor husband!”
I glance at Tyler and smile, feeling thankful that my hormones haven’t caused any major catastrophes except for some late night runs to Susie’s for an éclair or two.
“Are you going to breastfeed?”
I drop my chin to my chest, eyeing my boobs, which are quickly becoming the size of cantaloupes.
“I plan on it. I hope I don’t choke the poor kid with an overabundance of milk.”
When I look at Tyler, he’s practically salivating at the sight of my boobs.
We watch as she moves the wand around my belly with one hand, clicking the keyboard and mouse with the other.
“There. See that?”
I nod eagerly before I turn to Tyler whose eyes are squinted while trying to decipher the blurry image on the screen.
“Unless this baby has a third leg, I’m pretty sure it’s a boy.”
“What?” Tyler shrieks. “That’s my kid’s di—”
“Penis!” The technician and I interject simultaneously.
“That’s my kid’s penis?” he asks, overexaggerating the last word.
I grin and nod as laughter erupts.
“Yep! Like father like son.”
Tyler’s hands move away from his mouth and reach up, encasing his head in disbelief.
“You okay?” I pull my hand out from behind my head and tug at his T-shirt, drawing him closer. “I’m sure he’ll grow into it.”
“It’s not that,” he breathes. “That’s my son. Our son.”
The blue color of his eyes dominates as the tears well up.
“Can we listen to his heart again?”
The room stills as the sound of our child’s heart beats. The loud thumping and pumping indicates its health.
“It’s so loud. So strong.”
I pucker my lips in hopes of a kiss.
“Just like his daddy’s.” I run my fingers over his heart, remembering how I held it in my hand.
“I love you,” Tyler murmurs against my lips.
The technician clears her throat and hands us printed copies of the ultrasound.
“In just a few months, you’ll get to meet this little boy,” she says with a smile. “The doctor will be right in.”
After a quick visit with the doctor, Tyler and I stop for lunch at a quaint, seaside restaurant and choose to sit outside on the patio. The ocean breeze offers a respite from the summer’s brutal temperature.
“This place is really beautiful.” I look out at the ocean where sailboats move easily on the water. “This might be a really nice place for a wedding. Small, intimate, on the water.”
I turn my attention to the man sitting across from me when I get no response. I smile, realizing he’s not heard a word I’ve said because he’s lost in the black and white image.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask, curious to know what’s behind his expression.
He slides his hand across the table and takes my ring finger between his, twisting my diamond from left to right before he sets it in its original position.
“I never would’ve believed this could happen to me. To be marrying the girl of my dreams and for her to carry my child at the same time. I can’t believe I get to have this life with you.”
“This is going to sound crazy so please don’t take it the wrong way.”
He cocks an eyebrow.
“I’m glad we didn’t have a relationship when we first met.”
His eyes widen then fall with hurt.
“Let me finish.” I smile. “Yes, it would’ve saved us both a lot of heartache and sorrow, but this is our time. Now is our time. I think going through what I did, what we did, made us so much stronger than we possibly could ever have been. There isn’t anything we can’t face.”
The waiter brings our food and I stare at his entrée longingly, wishing I could have a bite of the fresh white fish.
“Have a bite.” He offers a forkful.
I lean over and open my mouth.
“Why didn’t you order this instead of a salad?”
“Two reasons. If I eat any more fish, I’m going to grow gills and… I need to watch my weight.”
After giving me a stern look, Tyler switches our entrées and orders me to eat.