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Chapter Thirty One – June 29

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“I’m sure. I’ve got to go over to my mom’s and try on my dress as soon as I’m done.”

“So? I can come with you?”

“Nick, you’re not seeing my dress until the wedding.”

“Well, you can’t blame me for trying. I need to see how easy it’s going to be to get you out of it.”

I laughed; Nick leaned forward and kissed me.

“Well, I guess Brooklyn and I will just have a daddy daughter day. Y’know, cruise the town, grab a few beers…”

I rolled my eyes. ‘Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”

Nick squeezed my hand and smiled. His voice grew gentle. “Hey, don’t be too late. This is our last day of peace before the craziness begins.”

I smiled. Our bachelor/bachelorette parties were scheduled to take place the next day. The day after that was the rehearsal dinner. And then on Saturday…

The wedding.

“I won’t be. I’ve just put off meeting this doctor too long. I might as well go and get an all clear before we take off to parts unknown. Which reminds me…where are we going on our honeymoon? I have no idea what to pack.”

Nick grinned. “You don’t need to pack anything.”

I laughed. “Nick I’m going to need to know what type of clothes to bring. Dressy, casual, short sleeve, long sleeve.”

“Who says I’m going to let you out of our room?”

I suddenly felt warm all over. I grabbed my purse and looked over my shoulder at him. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Be good this afternoon,” I said. Nick grinned.

“I’m always good.”

Didn’t I know it, I thought to myself.

---------------------------------------------------

As I sat in the waiting room of Dr. VanSynz’s office, I flipped through a magazine restless. I couldn’t help but think that it was stupid that one doctor couldn’t do it all. I liked Dr. Tresher, but she wasn’t a general practitioner. I had been lucky enough that she was an OBGYN and a pediatrician so that I didn’t have to find anyone else for Brooklyn to see. I liked that the same doctor that brought her into this world could help her grow up.

Unfortunately for me, all of my other aches and pains required that I find another doctor. So, after complaining to Dr. Tresher, she had written me a referral for Dr. Leslie VanSynz. I had made it very clear I wanted a female physician.

“Olivia?”

I looked up to see a nurse leaning in the doorway leading back to the exam rooms. I tossed the magazine down and followed her back.

“So why are you here today?” the nurse asked pleasantly as I sat up on the cold exam table.

“Oh, I’ve just been feeling under the weather,” I admitted. “I’m getting married in a couple days and I just want to make sure I’m not coming down with a bug.”

“Yeah, you don’t want to be sick on your honeymoon,” the nurse said with a smile.

“Exactly,” I said.

The nurse took my blood pressure and temperature; both were normal. She patted my chart.

“Dr. Tresher sent over some of your other information. Dr. VanSynz will be with you shortly.”

I thanked the nurse and sat there swinging my legs, feeling like a nervous five year old who was about to get a shot. Feeling antsy, I turned on my cell phone and checked my messages.

The first message was from Sam. It was a quickly written e-mail.

Interview with Howie D. went well – here’s to hoping I’ll be your roadie!

I smiled. Even though Sam had enough dirt on me to embarrass me endlessly, I still couldn’t help but think how fun it would be to have him on tour. His work was fantastic and he had a great sense of humor.

I had just put away my phone when I heard two quick knocks upon the door. I looked up just in time to see the door swing open and a short Asian lady walked into the room. She smiled at me and held out her hand.

“Hello. I’m Dr. VanSynz.”

“Olivia Ryans.” I had to remind myself that in a few short days I would be saying Olivia Carter. I prayed the doctor wouldn’t check my heart again, but just the thought made it start to race excitedly.

“So this is your first visit today. Is there anything in particular that brought you in?”

I laughed. “Well it’s silly…”

Dr. VanSynz smiled. “I don’t believe anything’s silly. What’s going on?”

“Well, I’ve just been feeling kind of crappy the last few days. Nausea, a weird taste in my mouth, body aches… I’m getting married Saturday and I really don’t want to get sick. If I’m coming down with anything I’d like to prevent it ASAP.”

The doctor flipped through my chart. “You had a baby girl in March?”

I nodded. “March 15.”

“Dr. Tresher notes everything’s been going well for you. No problems with bleeding or anything. Are you breastfeeding?”

“I was,” I said. “But Brooke had a bout of colic and the lack of sleep and everything was getting to me. Plus, we’re going to be leaving on a 10-day honeymoon so I started to supplement with formula to get her used to that change. She took to it so well that we switched all together.”

“Well, even though we recommend breast milk, we know it’s hard to keep that up,” Dr. VanSynz said. “Have you had your first period yet?”

I shook my head. “No. But if you look at my chart, that’s not so uncommon.”

She flipped through the pages and scanned the notes.

“You know it’s funny,” she mused. “A lot of times women who’ve struggled with infertility actually have better fertility after one successful pregnancy. Are you on birth control?”

I shook my head. “No, I intended on breastfeeding longer than I did and I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t gotten around to it.”

“Actually,” I continued, then paused. “I had a moment of insanity a couple days ago and took a pregnancy test. It was negative, though. So, that’s what led me to believe that I might be coming down with a cold. In fact, Brooke’s been sniffling the past couple days.”

Dr. VanSynz smiled. “Okay. Well let’s just go over a quick routine exam and see if I can see any throat or mouth irritation that might be making you feel rundown.”

Once again my temperature and blood pressure was taken. She looked in my eyes, throat, and ears. She felt my glands.

“Everything seems fine. How’s your sleep pattern?” she laughed. “Or lack thereof.”

“Brooklyn’s starting to sleep for six to eight hours,” I said. “The last week or so I feel like I’ve caught up on sleep pretty well.”

“Excellent. Well, I think the next thing we’ll do is take a blood sample. I want to double check your insulin and blood sugar levels. I can also double check your thyroid levels.” She stood up. “I’ll send a nurse in to draw a sample and I should be able to call you before the office closes tonight.”

I shook her hand. “Thank you, doctor.”

She walked out and once again I was alone in the exam room. I sighed. I hated needles. I know that everyone says the poke only hurts for a second, but that’s a second too long for me.

Ten minutes after the doctor left, a nurse came in rolling a cart set up with the needle. I feigned interest in a poster discussing heart disease as the nurse prepared my arm.

“Just a little poke,” she said. I always wished the nurses wouldn’t say that. I’d almost rather be surprised. Instead, my body tensed and I felt the sharp prick. I sucked in air hard through my teeth and began to count in my head. Finally I felt the nurse press a cotton ball into the crease of my arm and then apply a Band-Aid.

“All done!” she said cheerfully.

Even though I didn’t feel thankful, I thanked her and headed out of the office. As I walked to my car I called my mom.

“Hello?”

“Hey mom. Can I come over and try on the dress?”

“Sure. How’d it go at the doctor’s?”

“Fine. No temperature, no sore throat, no ear infection.”

“Good. The last thing I’d want is for you to be miserable on your wedding day.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I already was once. I don’t want to be again.”

Twenty minutes later and a half dozen curse words later, I pulled up to my mom’s condo. She met me at the door with a big hug.

“I’ve got to tell you, I’m getting excited,” she said happily as we both walked back into the living room.

“Would that have anything to do with a certain handsome detective being your date?” I asked. Mom laughed.

“A little, dear. A little.”

I unzipped the bridal bag and stood for just a moment looking at the dress. Every time I looked at it, I knew more and more that I had picked the perfect dress. I got into my Spanx and Mom helped me slide it off the hanger. In nervous anticipation, I slid it over my head. This was the moment of truth…

The dress slid over my hips like a gem. I let out a little gasp of delight.

I was officially a size 8.

“Oh, that’s just absolutely perfect,” mom said. “That dress was made for you.”

Gathering the material in my hands, I stepped up to the mirror. I wiggled my newly pedicured toes. I couldn’t wait to walk barefoot down the beach towards the flowered arch and Nick and know that I had finally found someone who loved me no matter what.

Without realizing it, I had begun to cry. I wiped at the tears futilely while mom procured some Kleenex. She hugged me tightly.

“I have never seen a more beautiful bride,” she said lovingly. “You’re daddy’s going to be shining a thousand smiles down on you Saturday.”

I sniffled loudly and dabbed my eyes again.

“Thank you, mom.”

We spent a few more minutes admiring the dress.

“The dress was tight last week. What happened between then and now?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately,” I admitted. And even when I did, the stomach pains and queasiness wouldn’t allow me to do more than just pick at my meal.

“Well, as beautiful as you look, after you and Nick get back from the honeymoon I expect you to come over and eat an actual dinner,” my mom said. She helped me get out of the dress. I smiled.

“I don’t think that will be a problem. Nick will be drooling before we hit the doorstep.”

Mom laughed. I took off the Spanx and got redressed. Mom disappeared for a moment; when she returned she had a dress in her arms.

“This is what I’m wearing for the wedding,” she said.

It was a beautiful turquoise sundress with light yellow accents. A sash wrapped around the waist. The back was low cut. It was dressy and sexy, yet there was still a proper level of modesty about it.

“That’s perfect,” I assured her. “Even just eyeing it, I can tell the color will match perfectly.”

Mom smiled. “That’s what I thought too. And it’s easy to clean. Just in case Brookey spits up on me.”

I laughed. “My daughter? Spit up on you? Never!”

I spent another twenty minutes with mom, going over instructions while we were gone and teasing her a little bit about the good detective. Finally I gave her a parting hug.

“I’ll see you for the rehearsal, Friday!” mom called out. “Have fun at your bachelorette party.”

I laughed. “I will!”

Feeling better than I had for the past week, I cranked up the radio and jammed out to Nickelback on the way home. After being buzzed in, I coasted up the driveway, a smile on my face. My dress fit perfectly and the big day was almost here. Nick and I had only known each other for a little less than a year and a half, but it felt like we should have been married a long time ago.

Mrs. Olivia Carter. It sounded so good.

I had just walked through the front door when my cell phone rang. Checking the display, I recognized the number of Dr. VanSynz’s office. I walked into the kitchen to find Nick giving Brooklyn a bath. He turned around and smiled. I waved as I answered the phone.

“Hello?” I said happily.

“Olivia? This is Dr. VanSynz.”

I hadn’t expected to hear from the doctor herself. Usually a nurse called.

“Oh hello, doctor.”

“I just got back your test results,” she said. I walked up to the sink and ran my fingers along the underside of Brooklyn’s wrinkly foot. Her toes scrunched up in response. Nick flicked me with Johnson’s baby shampoo.

“All good?” I said into the phone. I felt like I had inhaled positivity potion. My wedding dress fit; ergo, everything was perfect. I heard Dr. VanSynz shifting papers on the other end of the phone.

“Well…”