Never Giving Up (Never #3) by Anie Michaels Read Free Book Online Page A

past us to check in with the receptionist. She stood at the little window, one hand on her giant belly and one hand rubbing her lower back, seemingly unconsciously. I watched her move, the pain etched across her face with every step, and started having very legitimate concerns about the whole pregnancy thing. This woman looked miserable. As if he read my thoughts, Porter’s hand came to gently rub across my still very flat belly. He leaned in and kissed my forehead.
    “It’s going to be ok, Babe. Maybe she’s pregnant with triplets.”
    Oh God. Multiples. I hadn’t even thought of that. I swallowed hard, a wave of nausea coming over me. Just then a door opened and a younger woman with colorful scrubs on called my name, leading Porter and me back to an exam room. She made me pee in a cup, which I learned would happen every visit. Great. Just one more thing to not look forward to. She left me to change into a gown and then came back to take my vitals and was very chipper. Eventually she left us to peruse the graphic pictures that hung on the walls of the exam room.
    One poster in particular caught my attention; it showed the progression of a dilating cervix, from closed to 10 centimeters. My eyes grew wide and my heart rate picked up. How in the holy hell was that supposed to happen? Porter must have noticed my panicked expression because his hand was on my arm, rubbing gently.
    “Ella, what is it?”
    I pointed to the poster and looked at him, my mouth agape. “Do you see this?” I swallowed and tried to tamp down the fear running through me. “I don’t think I can handle this.” I sat down on the exam bed, my hand running over my forehead. I felt him at my side and leaned into him.
    “It’ll all be ok. Women have been doing this since the beginning of time.”
    “Yeah, but I’ve never done this. I guess it just never occurred to me that now, since it’s already in there,” I said, gesturing to my stomach, “it has to come out.” I started to feel ill just thinking about it. “I can’t do this.”
    “Babe, I hate to break it to you, but it’s too late to back out now. Everything will be ok, I promise. I’m sure this little freak out is totally normal.”
    I kind of wanted to smack him. It was not normal to stretch out one’s vagina that big, not at all. Before I could tell him how I felt about it, the door opened. A woman of about fifty walked in, all smiles, and moved to shake my hand. I took hers, but immediately felt bad that mine was all clammy from my panic.
    “Hi, I’m Dr. Bronson. You must be Ella Masters.”
    “Hi, nice to meet you,” I said softly as we shook hands.
    “And is this Daddy?” Dr. Bronson asked, looking in Porter’s direction.
    “Yes. This is my husband, Porter.” They shook hands, exchanging smiles.
    “Ok, well, let’s get this party started,” she said with way too much enthusiasm for my current mental state. “Go ahead and lay down and place your feet in the stirrups.”
    As I followed her instructions she wheeled over a machine with a screen attached to it.
    “I’m going to use this machine to take a look at baby,” she said as she removed something that looked like a wand with a cord attached to it. She produced a condom, as if from nowhere, and after opening it, started rolling it down the wand.
    “Wait a minute, where’s that going to go?” Porter said, speaking my words for me. The doctor didn’t even bat an eyelash as she replied.
    “Ella is not far enough along to do a regular ultrasound. I wouldn’t be able to see the baby yet. So, we are going to do a vaginal ultrasound. Don’t worry. It’s virtually painless and over very quickly. It’s important that we check on the baby and the pregnancy to make sure everything is progressing well.” Porter looked as though he wanted to protest or argue with her, but she’d so soundly put him in his place that he looked a little dumbfounded. I couldn’t come up with anything to say, either, but the wand