Sacrifice

Seven

A few hours later I'm watching my baby on the ultrasound screen.

"Do you want to know the gender?" He asks, as he is gliding the freezing cold gel across my belly with the Doppler.
I'm tempted, I can't lie, but I shake my head. "I'm leaving it a surprise..." I say, feeling the sides of my swollen stomach that don't have the gel on.
"Do you have a feeling?"
"I'm keeping my cards to my chest for now, I'm not going to say. I have a feeling but I don't want to jinx it. As long as I have a healthy baby, that's all that matters."
"Well, you have a perfectly healthy baby, happy too, they've been kicking and moving around a lot I assume?"
"Oh yes, keeping me up all night sometimes." The doctor laughs,
"It was the same with my wife and our first baby. I suggest getting one of those huge pillows you can lay against to take the pressure off, especially as you're heading into the third trimester."

"Oh yeah I've seen those."

I leave yet another appointment happy, I'm so lucky to have such an amazing Doctor and a healthy baby. I've never been happier.

As I'm sat in my car getting ready to drive home I get a call from Rachel, which is random because we never really talk on the phone.

"Hello?" I say as i answer the phone, I hear Rachel hushing someone,

"Oh, Sarah, hi, how did the appointment go?"

"It went good, I'm just in my car now ready to drive home.... What's up?"

"Oh... Nothing, how long will you be?"

"I don't know Rachel, ten minutes tops? Why do you ask?"

"Why don't you go to the store? You know, relax, look at baby stuff, you might see some really cute outfits, do you need to pick up milk?" I am so confused by the conversation, it's almost making my brain hurt.

"Rachel what are you doing? If i wanted to relax I'd go home, not to the store..." I say, rubbing my head in confusion.

"I'm not doing anything Sarah..." I hear chattering in the background, then Rachel hushing someone again.

"Seriously what are you doi-" I start to say, but then i get hung up on.

What a weirdo. Why did she just randomly call me? Why was she hushing people in the background? I have no clue what's going on.... Why did she want me to go to the store?

I start up the car and drive home, confused, thinking over and over again about how random that conversation was. I turn the radio on half way home to distract myself, singing along. The baby starts to kick so i turn the music on louder.

Looks like I have a musical genius growing inside of me.

I get home exhausted, just wanted to flop on the couch and sleep, I see a car parked outside my apartment, not unusual, as many people live in my apartment building, but this car looks familiar.

Is that Rachel's car? It can't be....

I put the key in my door and almost have a heart-attack. My father, my grandparents, my mother, my sisters, Amanda and her kids are stood at my doorway,

"SURPRISE!"

I hate being scared. I scream and fall to the floor. "Dammit you guys! I have a baby in me, be careful!" I clutch my stomach to make sure the baby is okay, i feel a kick which reassures me. I landed on my knees, not anywhere that could have harmed the baby, but I nearly peed myself. I look around, even more confused.

I see White banners hung around the walls, white balloons, a table with a blue and pink cake on it with maybe 50 pink and blue cupcakes next to it and a pile of gifts in the corner of the room. "What is happening?" I say, as Liz and Amanda pick me up, laughing.