Maternal Harbor Read Free Page B

all over and watching him pick it up.  Better yet was tossing his crap from his half of the medicine chest into the waste basket, hearing his bottle of aftershave break.  She handed him the odorous basket at the door.
    His parting shot, emphasized with a pointing finger still echoed, “Don’t get an abortion.  I’m a rotten person but he deserves to live.”
    Teagan aimed for his hand when she slammed the door, but a slight hesitation caused it to miss.  After the slam, her anger receded and her world dissolved, his desertion seemed unbearable.  How could he not want to be part of his child’s life?  Her baby must never know the emptiness caused by absent parents.  She’d known enough for the both of them.
    Teagan’s baby moved and she absently laid her palm where the head rested.  “Yes wee one, your father left us,” she whispered, “but we won’t hate him.”
    She had a new start because of the baby, an unexpected one for a self-proclaimed loner.  The unlikely friendship with the three expectant mothers at the clinic suited her; it was unbelievable, but she even liked shopping for baby things with them.  Pai picked out the cutest rompers.  Hope nothing bad happens.  Teagan shivered the thought away. 
    Over at the clinic’s reception station four skinny, no-belly women busily answered telephones, checked in clients, or took payments – working like nothing unusual was happening.  Insensitive witches.
    Teagan noticed for the second time a slight discomfort poking the small of her back and fingers of pain inching around to her navel.  She felt nauseated.  Oh great, Pai’s dying and she needed to puke.  The baby pressed against her bladder; she concentrated on the aquarium. 
    A school of fringe tail goldfish swam in graceful arcs.  Their brilliant blue fins rocked constantly like Teagan’s worry.  Unlike everything else, she didn't choose the middle of worrying.  She fretted whole hog and actually took pleasure in an ability to dig up old stuff to stew about if nothing recent presented itself.  John maintained she never let go of anything.  He was right, but Doretta should be concerned about Erica; Pai shouldn’t panic over labor; A nurse should let her know what was happening.  Teagan was rankled, scared, and planned to stay that way.  She never realized until now how much she liked the quiet, seemingly timid Pai, but the gal did have iron in her tail fin.  She had certainly netted the promise she needed to get through the agony of giving birth.  Although she believed she remained confident, she had not.
    Cheerful banter erupted from the exit hallway, and then Doretta huffed across the waiting room.  “You’ve seen your doctor already?” 
    Relieved to see a friendly face, Teagan blurted, “Pai has terrible pains and they rushed her inside.  I don't know how she’s doing.  She even made me promise to care for her baby if she dies.”
    Doretta puffed her chest in righteous indignation.  “That sounds just like Pai.  Least little twinge and she's dying.  So what do we do?”
    “Wait.  They said they'd let me know and I still haven't seen my doctor.”
    “ I'm hungry.”  Doretta tried to plop into a chair, but the best she could do was a backward tipsy fall.  She caught the padded arms and lowered onto the seat.  She tried to cross her legs, couldn’t and leaned back, stretching them out to entwine her ankles.  “Look!”  She bolted upright.
    Teagan jumped.  “What!”
    Eyes wide in horror, Doretta pointed at the side of her calf.  “That vein is sticking out!” 
    Teagan wanted to pinch her.  “You scared the shit out of me over a little varicose vein?”  She reached for the back of Doretta’s arm.
    Doretta avoided Teagan’s fingers and tried to rub the spot on her leg.  “That's a good idea.  You can promise me the same thing.”
    “ What same thing?”
    “ If something should happen to me, you'll take my baby.”
    “ You have a perfectly nice