From Teen To Mom

Chapter 5

I ended up unexpectedly staying over at Greyson's house that night. It wasn't planned, but we just started talking and hit it off. He generously offered me his bed while he took the couch. As I lay there, cocooned in his blankets that carried a faint scent of light cologne, weed, and cigarettes, I noticed a sweet honey aroma from a scented candle on the nightstand. With a belly full of s'mores (and our baby), I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up feeling a sense of urgency and rushed to the bathroom. Without even having time to close the door, I found myself vomiting up the remnants of the s'mores and yellow stomach acid. Fortunately, it wasn't as severe as the previous day, and once I finished, I instantly felt relief.

Standing in the doorway with his shirt off, exposing his tattoos and muscles, Greyson looked at me with concern in his brown eyes. His dark, messy hair added to his rugged appearance as he asked, "Does that happen a lot?"

I nodded, gathering myself. "Yeah, it's been happening often lately, although today wasn't as bad. But it's been worse before."

"I'm sorry you have to go through that," he sympathized. "I did some research last night, and it mentioned that we should get you and the baby checked by a doctor."

"Wait, you did research?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

He nodded a hint of shyness in his voice. "Yeah, it said it would be a good idea to see a doctor just to make sure it's not an ectopic pregnancy or something like that. I want to make sure both of you are healthy. There's a free clinic about ten minutes from here. I looked it up."

I mustered a small smile. "I can stop by on my way home."

"No, let me drive you," he insisted. "I want to go with you if that's okay."

I agreed, and we made our way to his large grey truck. The steps were tall, and he had to lift me in, showcasing his strength. "I'm telling you right now, I'm never getting rid of my truck," he declared.

I chuckled. "That's fine. I wouldn't ask you to."

We drove in silence, with Wiz Khalifa playing softly on the radio. As we pulled up to the clinic, my heart skipped a beat, but Greyson offered me a nervous smile. At least he was making an effort.

Entering the clinic, we were greeted by a large, open waiting room adorned with drawings of zoo animals on the walls. A woman held a baby while a toddler picked his nose and wiped it on her shoes. All eyes seemed to be on us, the obvious youngest couple there. I held my head up high and walked confidently to the front desk.

"Can I help you? This clinic is for pregnant women and children," the elderly lady behind the desk told me, clearly thinking we were in the wrong place.

"Yes, I just found out I was pregnant yesterday, and it said I should see a doctor," I explained.

I could see the disapproval in her eyes, but she handed me a clipboard and a packet of papers to fill out. Greyson followed me to a chair and sat next to me. The paperwork should have been straightforward, but it took me longer than usual because the woman's baby started screaming, making it harder to concentrate. I silently prayed that my baby wouldn't cry incessantly like that.

Finally, I finished the paperwork and handed the clipboard back to the woman at the front desk before returning to my seat. It took about thirty minutes before someone called my name and led me to the examination room.

"Mercedes Benson?"

I slowly rise from my seat, glancing at him. "Do you want to come with me?"

He nods, a reassuring presence by my side. "If that's okay with you." We walk together to the back, where a younger blonde lady, who called my name, checks my weight and blood pressure.

"Everything looks great so far. I have 3 kids!" She shares with a warm smile, and I return the smile, grateful for her friendly demeanor.
We follow her into a dimly lit room, where an older woman doctor dressed in scrubs stands next to a peculiar-looking machine. She extends her hand to shake mine.

"I am Dr. Melina, the ultrasound tech."

"Hello," we both greet her politely.

Dr. Melina hands me a paper gown. "Please change into this and open the door when you're ready."

I nod, feeling a sense of vulnerability in the sterile doctor's office. I quickly change into the flimsy gown and open the door. Almost immediately, the ultrasound tech and nurse enter the room.

"Go ahead and lay on the table and put your feet in the stirrups," the tech instructs, and I comply. Greyson stands beside me, his discomfort and out-of-place feelings evident. The tech grabs what looks like a large dildo, coated with a gooey substance.

"You're not going to insert that inside me, are you?" Panic starts creeping into my voice.

"Yes, it doesn't hurt, it's just cold. I won't even look," she reassures me with a smile. "You're not far enough along to see the baby through your stomach."

Surprisingly, he reaches for my hand, offering support as the tech gently inserts the cold, foreign object. I squeeze his hand, feeling a slight jump at the chilly sensation. The tech moves the device around until we hear a soft thump, thump, thump. Then, we see a small bean flickering on the screen.
"That's your baby," the nurse beams at us, and my heart skips a beat, a mixture of panic and awe flooding through me.