The Baby Legacy

From the expression on Mac Duncan’s attractive face, Megan could see that her appearance had been a shock. Had he expected her to be prettier, younger or just thinner? Was he disappointed? The way he’d gaped at her stomach made Megan feel as though she were carrying quintuplets in a wheelbarrow.

Too bad, because he made her wish, just for a moment, that she was available and unencumbered. He was a very attractive man. No doubt the hot flash that engulfed her had more to do with her hormone level than his great cheekbones or his sexy mouth, but having a child who looked like him would be no great hardship.

The rest of the class was waiting for them. As soon as Mac followed her inside, the instructor shut the door behind them.

“Welcome to ‘We’re Having a Baby,”’ the woman said with a smile as Megan hurried over to a couple of empty chairs at the edge of the group, near a pile of mats and pillows. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the vinyl floor. Being the center of attention always made her uncomfortable.

“I’m Dr. Claire Davis,” the instructor continued, “and from the number of maternity outfits I see, you all appear to be in the right place.”

The five other women and their partners chuckled appreciatively while Mac sat down next to Megan.

“I’m a pediatrician here at the clinic,” the doctor continued. She was a slim, pretty woman with dark red hair, blue eyes and a warm smile. Megan wondered if Mac found Dr. Davis attractive. “Several of us on the medical staff are assigned to these classes on a rotating schedule.” She picked up a clipboard and glanced at it. “I’ll be your instructor for the next six weeks and we’ll all be working together closely, so please call me Claire. Now it’s your turn to introduce yourselves. Tell us whatever you’d like everyone to know.” She glanced at Mac and Megan. “Let’s start with you.”

Wondering if anyone else here had gone the artificial insemination route, Megan stood up and gave her name. As she glanced at the others, all paired off and smiling, she felt like the only girl at the dance without a date.

“And who’s this with you?” the doctor prompted gently.

Megan glanced at the man standing beside her, but her mind went blank. Someone giggled. He shifted closer, his hand curling warmly around hers.

“I guess she’s forgotten,” he teased, the twinkle in his eyes taking away any possible sting as a smile tugged at his mouth. “You’d think we just met.”

Megan stiffened. Was he going to pretend that they, too, were a couple, or spill the beans and humiliate her?

His dark eyes seemed to say “trust me.” Fingers laced with hers, he introduced himself to the group. “We live right here in town,” he added.

She knew he was only playing a role, but for the first time since she’d made her decision to have this child, she felt like part of a team. This time when he grinned at her, she managed to smile back at him.

“Are you the father?” asked a girl who looked barely old enough to be pregnant.

“Let’s not ask personal questions,” the doctor interjected. “We’ll volunteer what we’d like the group to know.” She glanced back at Mac and Megan, but neither spoke again.

Megan wondered if anyone could tell that they barely knew each other. She certainly wasn’t ashamed of the method she had used to become pregnant, but neither was she eager to justify herself to a room full of happy couples.

“Well, thank you,” the doctor said after a moment. “We have a lot of material to cover tonight, so let’s move on.”

The two of them sat back down and Megan disentangled herself from Mac’s grip. “Thanks,” she murmured. “I’m not usually so inept.”

“No problem.” He shifted slightly away from her. Apparently she’d been right that his show of unity had been just that, an act for the others. Wasn’t that what she wanted—her independence? Before she could sort through her feelings, another couple, both wearing rings, stood up and began talking excitedly.

There were a dozen people in all, including a mother and daughter, another pair who appeared to be platonic friends, a man and woman who kept touching each other and exchanging smoldering glances, and two married couples each having their first baby. None of the other women were as big as Megan.

Glancing at the wall clock, Claire explained what they would be covering in class. “Tonight we’re going to talk about breathing and relaxation techniques to use during labor and delivery. We’ll spread out the mats and go over a few simple positions that will keep you comfortable as your pregnancies progress,” she said. “While you’re practicing, I’ll discuss your baby’s development.” She pulled down a chart that showed the stages of the fetus’s growth in living color.

Megan didn’t look at Mac, but she wondered whether he was having second thoughts yet. The huge colored photographs had to be more than he’d bargained for.

“Next time we’ll tour the labor ward,” Claire continued. “Later on we’ll also cover the Lamaze and Bradley methods of childbirth, the stages of labor, some visualization techniques, the various kinds of anesthetics and how they’re administered, unexpected events, postpartum recovery and infant care.” She glanced around the room. “We’ll review bottle feeding, bathing the newborn and diaper-changing. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion, so don’t hold back.”

When no one said anything, she directed them to select from the pile of mats and pillows. Feeling awkward, Megan followed her instruction to lie down while Mac knelt beside her.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked in an under-tone as Claire described what she wanted them to do.

Comfortable? Megan felt like the proverbial beached whale who’d washed up at the feet of an extremely attractive beachcomber. If their baby was a boy, she hoped he looked like his father.

“I’m okay,” she stammered when she realized Mac was waiting for an answer. When had she started thinking of this as their baby?

Mac was watching her with a concerned frown, so she did her best to give him a reassuring smile although she felt very awkward when Claire urged them to use the pillows to try the different positions she was describing.

“As your weight increases, you’ll need to make more adjustments,” she said. Her glance at Megan was sympathetic, making her feel even more clumsy. She must look as ridiculous as she felt.

Mac was glad when the exercise was over and he could get to his feet. Trying to help Megan shift and turn on the mat had been an awkward experience, considering that they barely knew each other and he was never quite sure where to touch her.

From the pink in her cheeks, he assumed she found their situation equally uncomfortable. Perhaps this had all been a big mistake. In the week since he’d gotten the letter from the clinic, he’d thought a lot about what he was getting into.

Now he took Megan’s hand and carefully helped her to her feet. Their eyes met and that intriguing splash of color ran up her cheeks again. She looked away, but not before Mac heard her sharply in-drawn breath. No doubt the baby was crowding her lungs or something equally clinical.

Claire called for a short break. There was a general exodus from the room and Megan’s gaze followed the others.

“I need to, um, use the restroom,” she said softly. “Pregnancy does that.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Mac replied. “Maybe there’s a coffee machine somewhere. Want some?”

She shook her head. “Caffeine’s bad for the baby. I’d better get in line.”

Feeling like an idiot, he watched her leave the room.

“How’s it going?” Claire asked him when everyone else was gone.

“I just realized how little I know about this,” he admitted.

“The class?” she asked with a chuckle. “That’s why you’re here.”

“No, the whole deal about having a child,” he replied, wondering how much she had been told.

Claire patted his arm and smiled. “You’re not alone,” she said. “First time father?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Just saying it made him feel good. A foolish grin spread across his face.

“The best thing you can do is to talk to your partner,” Claire suggested. “There’s no better way to share in the experience than communication. And be sure to ask questions while you’re here. No matter how trivial it may seem, you’ll only be putting into words what someone else is wondering about, too.”

Before he could thank her for the advice, three of the women came back. They were laughing and he heard the words “potty breaks” and “shrinking bladder” before he saw Megan trail after them. He remembered Claire’s words.

“Would you like to stop somewhere afterwards?” he asked Megan when she joined him. They needed to talk.

Her gaze was guarded. “What for?”

“How about ice cream?” he asked. “With hot-fudge topping?”

“You make it hard to say no,” she admitted with a slight smile.

Relieved, Mac cupped her elbow. “That was my intention.” If he had his way, she would agree to everything he suggested.

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