Author's Note: Belinda Sutter, pampered daughter of wealthy Southerners, fell in love with Sam Greene, a young biracial man, while he was working at her family's home the summer before her senior year of college and his final year before completing his M.B.A. The couple are now married and expecting their first child. Sam's biracial parents are warm and accepting, and while Sam has won Belinda's father's respect, the rest of her family remains horrified at her interracial relationship.
As an FYI, Sam doesn't have a monster cock and Belinda doesn't turn into a complete moron the first time she has sex with a black guy. If that's your thing, enjoy, but this isn't the story for you. As always, I love comments and feedback.
CHAPTER 22
Belinda had encouraged Sam to go home for Christmas, planning to join him in Chicago before New Year's. She just couldn't face a family holiday when she wasn't welcome in her own home. Her dad had sent her a $5,000 gift certificate to Babies R Us, trying in his own way to make up for the situation, but it didn't stop the hurt of being banned from her own home because she had married a black man. Sam said he'd rather spend the holiday with her, and besides, they had their 20-week ultrasound on the 23rd, and flying on Christmas Eve would be a nightmare. They'd spend a week around New Year's with his family.
Belinda clutched his hand tightly as they walked into the ultrasound lab. Dr. Davidson had assured them at their last prenatal visit that the blood work looked perfect, her belly was measuring exactly as it should and the baby's heartbeat sounded fantastic, but part of her was still nervous. She just wanted the baby to be healthy. After a few minutes in the waiting room, a medical tech called her name and led her to an exam room, telling her to undress except for her underpants and get up on the table, giving her a paper robe to cover herself with. Belinda left the robe open in the front as instructed and sat on the exam table.
"That's pretty hot lingerie," Sam teased, pointing to the paper robe. "Think we can get an extra one to take home?"
"Very funny," Belinda answered. "Now are we agreed we aren't finding out the gender?"
"Agreed," Sam said as the door opened. Sam caught the look on the ultrasound tech's face as she greeted him, hoping Belinda wouldn't notice the look of scorn that flashed across her face.
"Before you start, we don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl," Belinda said. The tech didn't even acknowledge her, just pushed Belinda's paper robe aside roughly and squeezed a thick clear gel on her belly. She began rubbing the ultrasound wand across Belinda's belly. She stopped suddenly, and asked rudely, "Why do you still have your underpants on? They're in my way."
"The assistant told me to leave them on," Belinda explained, "but I can take them right away."
"I'm sure you can," the tech said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if you had kept them on before you wouldn't be in this mess."
In an instant, Sam was between Belinda and the tech. "Get out," he hissed, his voice low and angry.
"Sir, I'm trying to do my job. If you don't move, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she sputtered.
"Get away from my wife. Get out of this room. And go get your boss. I'll be calling my lawyer while you're gone."
The tech stood her ground for a moment, then backed down, leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. Sam quickly called his mother, a successful doctor in Chicago for advice, quickly explaining what had happened as he rubbed Belinda's arm. He could tell she was on the verge of tears. Belinda had never heard Colleen utter anything but a friendly word, but even with the phone to Sam's ear she could hear her mother in law's stream of curse words, interspersed with terms like "professionalism," "unacceptable" and "fired." Sam had told her his mother's Irish temper flared up from time to time, but this was the first she had ever heard of it, and she was glad she wasn't on the receiving end.
A doctor entered, while they were talking, the tech trailing behind him. Still on the phone, Sam bluffed: "Of course, the usual retainer rate. I'll call you about filing the paperwork if we can't come to an acceptable solution." He clicked the phone shut.
The doctor shook Sam's hand. "It seems there's been some misunderstanding, Mr. and Mrs. Green. Marcie," he said, waving his hand toward the tech, "would like to apologize if she said anything that could have been misconstrued as unkind."
"There was no misunderstanding," Sam told the doctor, "How else could you understand her statement?" he asked, repeating Marcie's words back to the doctor verbatim. The doctor cringed slightly.
"What can we do to make this visit go more smoothly?" the doctor asked, skirting the issue.
"For starters, you can get her," Sam pointed at Marcie, "out of here. We're not interested in hearing some sorry apology she wouldn't even mean." The doctor nodded and the tech left the room, closing the door quietly this time.
"Mr. and Mrs. Greene, I do sincerely apologize," the doctor said as the door clicked shut. "Marcie's behavior was regrettable and it will be dealt with. Our best ultrasound tech is working today, and she's just finishing up with another mother right now. I'll send her in as soon as she's free. Now, here's my card. If you have any further problems, you or your lawyer," he cringed again as he said the last word, "can be in touch with me directly. I'll have one of the medical technicians bring you a snack while you are waiting."
"Thank you," Belinda finally spoke up. "We appreciate your assistance. We really don't mean to be a bother."
"No bother at all, Mrs. Greene," he answered as he left the room.
"Jesus, Belinda, why do you have to be so nice all the time?" Sam snapped at her, annoyance in his voice.
"Honey catches more flies than vinegar," Belinda answered. "You made your point loud and clear. But in the end, the nicer you are, the meaner it makes the other person look. And don't take out your anger on me."
"I see your point," he answered. "But . . ."
"It's over. You handled it beautifully. The lawyer bluff was priceless. Now, we're about to see our baby. Please can't we just enjoy it without letting some ignoramus ruin it."
The rest of the visit went smoothly, and Sam and Belinda left the hospital holding picture after picture of their baby, which the second ultrasound tech had assured them looked 100 percent healthy. Back at the apartment, the pictures were quickly scanned and emailed to the Greene family, to John Sutter and to a handful of friends. Sam and Belinda settled into the couch to continue their ongoing arguments about baby names and whether Christmas presents were supposed to be opened Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.
The name discussion was still not settled, but they compromised by Belinda opening her gift Christmas Eve, while Sam would open his on Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve, the two went to a late service and came home to dinner of a big dish of Sam's Nana's mac and cheese. No cravings for pickles and ice cream had come up, but Nana's mac and cheese was something else entirely. After dinner, Sam brought Belinda her present from next to their little tree to where she sat, her feet curled up under her on the sofa. Sam hoped she liked it. He had done a little detective work to find just the right thing, checking her Web history to see which sites she was shopping on. On one of her favorites sites, he found the perfect gift.
Belinda unwrapped the package, revealing a beautiful nightgown. "It reminded me of Pi Phi pajamas," he explained. "If it hadn't been for the little nightgown you were wearing that night in your parents' kitchen, we might not be together now. And look," he said, leaning over and showing her the small snaps on each side, "the top opens up for when you are nursing the baby."
"Oh, honey, I love it," Belinda gushed. "I'm going to put it on now. Wait here and I'll come out and model it."