“Something wrong?” I asked.
Dr. Lucy flipped open the folder before she smiled. “How have you been feeling lately?”
I blinked. “I feel fine. Why?”
She snapped the folder closed. “Have you been experiencing any nausea?”
I furrowed my brow. “Uh, no?”
“Any tiredness not associated with your sleeping schedule?”
“I’m a nanny. I’m always tired.”
She giggled. “What about food aversions? Turning your nose up to food or drinks you like as of late?”
I paused. “Well, I’m not really a fan of coffee anymore.”
She opened the folder and scribbled something down. “Anything else?”
I racked my brain for other things. “Come to think of it, I haven’t been hungry lately at all.”
She peered at me from beyond the rims of her glasses. “What have you eaten in the past twenty-four hours?”
I thought back on the last day or so. “Uh, peanut butter toast. I had some chocolate milk, though that’s not technically food. I, uh… oh! I had a slice of pizza last night. But, I had to pick the pepperonis off. Just smelling them gave… me…”
The doctor grinned. “Heartburn?”
My eyes slowly found hers. “No.”
A smile slowly crept across her face. “Yes.”
I swallowed hard. “But, that’s not—that’s not possible.”
Am I really pregnant?
Another knock came at the door, and Dr. Lucy opened it. And when she did, that same nurse came jogging in with a smile on her face before she thrust a baggie into my lap. And I felt the world tilt around me as nausea rumbled my stomach.
“Congratulations, Eva! You’re pregnant!”
My doctor’s voice sounded so far off as the words tumbled from her lips. I picked up the baggie and opened it, gazing into the dark expanse. There was a folder filled with pamphlets and pieces of paper. There were two bottles of pills down at the bottom of the bag. There was a small booklet entitled “What To Expect Now That You Know.” There was even an appointment sheet for doctors to fill out to keep me accountable for every appointment I’d need between now and the next nine months.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered.
Dr. Lucy pulled up and chair and sat in front of me. “This is so exciting.” Her eyes were alight with joy, but I couldn’t help but wonder how she couldn’t see the dismay written all over my face. Her bright smile didn’t make this a happy occasion.
My eyes slowly raised to hers as tears lined my eyes. “Can you not read a room?”
The doctor blinked. “I’m so sorry. I thought—you just, every time I see you, you’re always talking about—”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’ve been sleeping with someone, yes. But, every time after sex, I cruise into the pharmacy, pluck that Plan B pill right off the shelf, and I down it in the store with some water before I even pay for the stuff! How am I pregnant?”
Dr. Lucy sighed. “The Plan B pill isn’t one hundred percent effective. No form of contraception is. And the longer you wait after unprotected sex to take it, the less effective it is. On the back of the box, it says to take within twelve hours for maximum protection. Did you take it within those twelve hours?”
I blinked. “I mean, not all the time. But, it even says if you take it within a twenty-four-hour window, you’re good.”
“Eighty-two percent good. Not one-hundred percent good.”
My God, I’m pregnant.
