“What time is your flight back to NY?” Mom asked me from the doorway of the guest bedroom.
“Ten tonight,” I told her as I folded Zoë’s jeans and put them into her pink and purple Minnie Mouse suitcase. “It was the only one I could get,” I explained. My mom came to the bed and started to help me fold my daughter’s clothing items.
“You don’t have to do that, Ma,” I told her. “I can get it.”
“It’s all right, Taylor.” My mom held out an extremely small Daisy Duck T-shirt. “Aw look how cute this is!”
I laughed and took it from her. “That’s Anya’s.” I folded it and put it on the bed. “It must have got mixed in with Zoë’s stuff.”
Mom nodded and said without looking up, “Taylor, I think when you get back to NY you should take Clare to a doctor.”
I looked up at her startled. A doctor? What was wrong with Clare? Did Mom know something I didn’t? We had been in Tulsa for the past two weeks, I didn’t notice anything strange through our whole visit! “Huh?” I said. I stopped folding clothes and started to panic. “Is she sick? Where is she?” I started towards the door, getting nervous and scared at the same time.
“Taylor!” Mom called. I whirled around and saw on her face that she didn’t mean to startle me the way she did. I trusted my mother and her expressions so I walked the few steps back to the bedside.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Don’t apologize, Tay. It’s not like that at all.” Her head was bent, her gaze cast down at the suitcase. A mysterious smile formed on her lips. “This morning I accidentally walked in on Clare in the bathroom. She was dizzy and she confided in me that she had thrown up. I helped her sit down on the closed toilet seat and we talked for awhile.”
“Mom...” I said slowly. “I’m going to be a new daddy again aren’t I?”
Mom’s smile grew wider. “I’m not saying a thing...”
“I have to find Clare!” I threw the last piece of clothing in the suitcase and bolted down the stairs like I used to do in my own house when I was a kid. I found my wife in the kitchen with Zac and my father drinking tea. I practically flew across the room towards her. I was smiling from ear to ear and her eyes went wide as I picked her up from her chair. She was startled but not hurt. I used to do it a lot to her when we were first going out and I knew the exact place to grab her so that she wouldn’t get injured. I leaned her bottom up against the table keeping one arm behind her back and she leaned backwards on the table as I kissed her passionately.
“Um... hi to you too Taylor...” I heard Zac say from his seat next to Clare’s. I waved him away with my hand.
When I pulled away from Clare’s mouth her eyes showed that she understood I knew what was going on with her body but she told me anyway. “I made an appointment with Dr. Boyle an hour ago for tomorrow afternoon.” I was bursting with pride and happiness when I heard the doctor’s name. Dr. Boyle had delivered both of my daughters and in addition to being a great doctor he was a friend as well.
“Do you think it’s definitely true?” I asked her, pulling her back by the waist to a standing position.
Clare made no hesitation to nod. “I took a home test this morning after your mother and I had our little chat.”
I settled my hand onto my wife’s lower stomach and kept it there delicately. I turned to my father and brother. “We’re having a baby!” I told them excitedly. “Did you hear that? We’re having a baby!”