Drama Momma (Surprisingly Perfect Sequel)

Lights, Camera, Embarassment

I gazed into the glass of the aquarium in the waiting room of Doctor Andrews' office. I used to think this one was really impressive, but it had nothing on the one Chase set up in my room.

"Look at this sucky fish," I said to Mom, who was sitting next to me. "It's a bushynose, like the one in my room. But see here, this one only has bristles around its lips, so it's a girl. Mine has those big bristles on its face, which means it's a boy!"    

"You and your fish tank," Mom chuckled to herself. "I bet you have a name for every single fish in that tank, don't you?"

"The fish? Please. I can't even figure out what I want to name this one!" I said, my hands going to my bump.

I was slightly looking away so she couldn't see my smirk. At the same time, I was also focused on the TV. I had the staff change it to the right channel so we could see The Morning Show, where Chase was going to go on any minute now.

"I think that's the thing that surprises me most of all," Mom said.

"What?"

"That you don't have a name for her yet. Maybe you should check out all those baby name books we pranked Chrys with at the gender reveal last year! I'm sure she's got them lying around in a box somewhere."

"Yeah. I'll ask her when I get home," I said, still grinning.

I couldn't believe she was buying it. I had her totally fooled, along with everyone other than Chase. We had way, way too many bad surprises this pregnancy.

I wanted there to be at least one good one on the day she was born, which was going to be when we revealed her awesome, totally cute name.

"Poppy?"

I looked up and pouted when I saw the nurse. Chase still wasn't on yet, and he told me I really needed to see this interview.

Mom got up with me and the nurse walked us down the hall to an examining room that was a little different from all the other ones.

The ultrasound machine was already there, and there was a metal tray where two needles were laid out. Both were too big. I swallowed a lump in my throat when I saw them.

Is it too late to turn back? Like, I'm all set.

The nurse took my vitals after I got changed into a cloth gown. Everything looked good. I gained another five pounds, so now I was up to fifteen that I gained in total.

I felt sort of insecure because I wasn't my normal skinny self. I felt so bloated and fat because I was eating everything in sight. Pregnancy cravings were unstoppable.

The nurse left and I waited on the table, trying to get a live feed of The Morning Show from my phone, but it was one of those dumb things where you needed a cable subrsription to watch.

My mom was a single parent with two kids and soon-to-be a third grandkid. Long story short, we never had cable.

The best I could get were rapid-fire texts from Destiny about how good he looked in his outfit and what he was saying about his next movie.

There was a knock on the door, and Doctor Andrews walked in with two other nurses.

"Hey Miss Poppy! How are we doing today?" she asked.

"Uh...okay," I said.

"She's a little nervous. She never liked needles," Mom said, making me blush in embarrassment.

"No worries! This will be nice and quick. We'll get you numbed up so you don't feel a thing," Doctor Andrews said.

I laid back on the table and opened the front of my gown, like the nurses asked. They placed a sheet of blue plastic with a square cut out on my belly. One squirted me with some cold jelly while the other powered up the machine.

Doctor Andrews washed up on the other side of the room, then put on a mask and gloves.

Out of nowhere, a perfect thump, thump, thump filled the room. I could listen to it all day. Mom was reaching into her purse to grab a tissue.

Come to think of it, that day was the first time she'd ever gone with me to a doctor's appointment. It was the only time she'd heard her granddaughter's heartbeat, other than when we were at the hospital.

"Okay Miss Poppy, this is the small needle, the local anesthetic. You'll feel a slight pinch," Doctor Andrews said.

Mom was holding my hand because I was already breathing heavy. At that moment, I was in full-on paranoid momma bear mode, petrified that one of the needles would poke my little baby and harm her in some way.

I grit my teeth and somehow made it through the pain of that needle stabbing me in the abdomen. That was the small one? Seriously?

Doctor Andrews talked to us about my gender reveal and baby shower while we waited for the anesthetic to kick in. I told her all about what I was thinking of for my winter-wonderland baby shower in December.

Then we moved on to the next part of the procedure. I closed my eyes, held Mom's hand, and listened to the rhythm of buzzes that was Destiny blowing up my phone. I could feel a slight pressure for a little while, but that was it.

"Alright Poppy, you're all set!" Doctor Andrews said.

I thought when she said that I was good to open my eyes, but nuh-up. Nope. I saw Doctor Andrews capping the massive needle that was full of my amniotic fluid. I nearly barfed all over the floor.

"I'll see you at your next appointment! Call if you notice anything unusual. Just remember to take it easy for a few days. I'll give you a call when I have the results. Those take about two weeks," she said, walking out the door with the needle.

The two nurses took off the plastic sheet. There was tape and a gauze pad on my belly. The nurses helped me sit up. My lower half felt a little weird from the anesthetic, but otherwise I was good to get up and walk.

Mom got us all checked out and we were out the door. Once I was in the car, I could finally check the massive feed of texts from Destiny. She even included pictures from the massive flatscreen mounted on her bedroom wall.

One was Chase holding up pictures of my last ultrasound. My phone buzzed once more as the last text came in.

So long story short, I think Chase pretty much revealed that you're his babymomma on national television.