What looked no different than a flicker on the monitor caused Mads to smile at the signs of life. Mads knew the rate of accuracy for at home pregnancy tests, so went to her doctor to confirm. It took a few weeks to get her appointment, but the ultrasound found the spark of life in only a minute.
"There it is," Mads' doctor said. "I'd say about four weeks."
"That calculus works," Mads said with a grin, then looked over at York who joined her for the appointment. York couldn't help but smile as well.
Heather and York had completed their fallout, and Heather came back for her stuff within a few days. Heather's firm had asked her to move to Colorado permanently, and she was planning on asking York once the project was complete. She moved immediately instead. York did have to buy her a new phone considering he smashed her last one.
Mads was prescribed prenatal vitamins and received a picture of her ultrasound. The other thing they received was an estimated delivery date of 17 September. They would both be doctors by then, and then after graduation York would begin his residency. Mads was planning on taking the next year off.
"September," Mads said on the drive home, York nodding.
"Are you sure you want to take the year off?" York asked.
"I always planned on doing that when I had a baby," Mads explained, making sure he did not feel guilty about it. "We need to start getting some ducks in a row though. First thing, are we planning on keeping the apartment? I know the lease is up in July."
"Maybe somewhere a little closer to the hospital. It was a good place for college students, but probably not for a baby," York said, Mads agreeing. "What about the car situation?"
"What about it?"
"Baby seat won't fit in this one, and your car is out of the question," York explained.
"My car is fine..." Mads said, then looked at York who answer by raising his eyebrows. "Point taken. We haven't even scratched the surface of things to take care of and my head is already throbbing thinking about."
"Right there with you."
"Do we want to gender reveal when we can?" Mads asked, and York really thought about whether he wanted the surprise. It did make planning easier.
"Yes," York said, Mads thinking for a moment, then determined she wanted to know as well.
"Would we still be living together?" Mads asked, and York looked at her, then back to the road. "Nothing is simple with us."
"No it is not," York said, then began to ponder that last question. Continuing to live together was the convenient answer, but more likely than not, it wasn't the right one. Mads was trying to have something real with Regina, who for now at least, was accepting the pregnancy. For the time being, the arrangement was not going to change, and they had a few months until the lease was up.
-
Aside from Mads' developing pregnancy and the complete absence of Heather in body and spirit, nothing substantial changed. Mads still went to the lab and put the finishing work on her thesis; York still split his time between the hospital, the school, and the gym. They hung out when they were both home and slept in their respective rooms. Regina stayed over more than she didn't, and from that she got to know York as well.
The hurdle York wanted to get over immediately was telling his parents. Introducing Mads to them was going to be interesting. Heather for all her faults, at least looked the part. Well dressed and well-spoken with no tattoos. Mads was more than capable of being well-spoken, and York would even admit she was smarter than him, however she typically chose not to be articulate. York knew his parents would focus heavily on her tattoos and start the meeting with distracting presumptions.
The schedule aligned to take the trip to Utah to meet his parents when Mads was twelve weeks and just starting to show. Regina dropped them off, understanding that this was necessary. York tried to prep her during the flight of what she would be walking into. After the last time he failed to give her a proper heads up, he didn't want to do that again.
"You said they were lawyers, right?" Mads asked.
"Yes, but don't talk about law, that's when they get the smuggest," York warned. "And if you are insistent on not wearing sleeves, they will be snobbish about your tattoos."
"I could cover them, but I don't want to hide anything. They should know who the mother of their grandchild is," Mads said, feeling that wearing long sleeves to hide her tattoos was like hiding herself. It was also kind of pointless when she had the scorpion on her neck.
"Any off-limits topics?" Mads asked.
"Well, law. Politics in general, they don't even agree with each other. Guns," York said, rattling off things that would open the dinner conversation to certain doom.
"What side of guns? Do I not bring up my Glock?" Mads asked.
"Wait, you have a Glock?"
"Top drawer of my dresser, back left corner, magazine and ammo on the right," Mads replied.
"You've had a gun in the apartment for two years and I didn't know?"
"Heather knew I have a gun. I took her shooting once."
"It's legal, right?"
"Of course it is," Mads said to reassure him. "Do I or do I not..."
"Do not bring up your gun."
-
York was welcomed home by his parents Reginald and Caroline, his mother by hugging him warmly and his father with a firm handshake. Mads politely, and somewhat awkwardly, stood behind York as his parents greeted him, then turned to her. York recalled his mother and even his father, had met Heather with hugs and genuine smiles. They both only shook Mads hand with disingenuous forced grins.
"Nice to meet you Madison," Reginald said, Mads looking at York for a moment. 'Madison, really?'.
"You too, I typically go by Mads though," she replied then shook his mother's hand next. His father looked at York the same way Mads did. 'Mads, really?'.
"We've known about you for years, but we're only now meeting," Caroline said, and Mads could feel the eyes on her arm tattoos. Then on her neck.
"Nice to finally be more than just a name," Mads said, the group standing in the greeting room in uneasy silence before Caroline snapped back to being a host.
"Let me give you the tour," Caroline said, taking Mads away to show her the house while York stood alone with his father.
"Not the usual girl you bring home," Reginald said to bring some noise into the room.
"What is that supposed to mean? York asked.
"Well, the girls you bring home typically haven't looked like bikers," Reginald said, trying to be humorous but it fell flat. He cleared his throat when he realized his son was not amused. "What exactly happened with Heather?"
