Baby Mama Drama

“Who’s this?” I asked moving towards the desk hesitantly.

     “I’m Anna, I work here with Search.” She said getting up off the desk and reaching out to shake my hand. I’d never heard Search mention hiring new staff. He’s so cheap, he insisted on him and his partner Ed running everything. I even had to convince him to get an office and stop meeting clients in our living room.

     “Mommy!” Emmalise ran over to me and wrapped her small body around my legs. I rubbed her head reassuringly, letting her know that I was there.

     “She wouldn’t stop crying for you,” Search said, moving over towards me. I took a step back and smiled at him.

     The office was small, nothing fancy. Just a room really that he and Ed rented out for a cheap price to met clients and keep all of their files.

My mind kept going back to the upgrades he said he had to get on the car. Funny he never mentioned those or the new staff he hired to work in the small room he shared with Ed.

     “Can I use your phone?” I asked Search, urging myself not to be petty. He handed his phone to me and I dialed the number that called him earlier. Ana’s phone rang.

     “Huh, so that explains a lot. Emmalise, let's go.” I said grabbing her hand and walking out of his office.

     It was a bad idea to sit around with him and his little girlfriend with our daughter, while I was so pissed. The floor shook and I picked up Emmalise, snuggling her in my arms. I heard to door to Search’s office close and quickened my pace wanting to put space in between us. I knew that I wasn’t going to go outside, but maybe I could find another office that was unlocked, for Emmalise and me to wait things out.

     Down the next hall, I found an office with the door cracked. I let myself in looking around admiring the décor of choice. It was light pink and pastel yellow everywhere. Tons of flowers lined the waiting room tables and a receptionist desk was filled with long stem white roses. Talk about setting the atmosphere.

     “Can I help you? We’re closed due to the uh,” a woman wearing a soft pink lab coat said, waving her hand at the sky.

     “Oh, um yes, I’m sorry, I’m just looking for a place to wait this out with my daughter is all,” I told her sitting down in one of the plush waiting room chairs.

     She came over and sat down next to us, extending her hand.

     “I’m Dr. Stephenson, but given the circumstances, I guess you can just call me Stephani.” I shook her hand and cracked a smile.

     “Stephani Stephenson?” I said, amused at her name. She smiled back at me like she’s heard this joke before.

     “Dr. Stephani Stephenson.” She said dropping my hand and turning her attention to Emmalise.

     “And who might this be?” She asked Emmalise with wide curious eyes.

     “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” Emmalise said, then turned her head into my stomach. I laughed at her candor attitude.

     “Well enough, you’re a smart little girl.” Stephani pulled a lollipop out of her front pocket and offered it to me. I smiled and grabbed it giving it to Emmalise.

     “This is Emmalise,” I told her as Emmalise enjoyed the pink lollipop.

     “There you are,” Search said sticking his head into the doorway. His pants were soaked in blood and it alarmed Stephani. She jumped up and helped him into the room. He was limping again.

     “Let’s fix that up,” She said guiding him to an exam room. The lights flickered and the building shook. An alarm blared inside the building sending Emmalise into a screaming fit.

     “Lockdown, lockdown the building is on lockdown. Noone may enter or leave. Please remain calm, until further instruction.” The computer voice over the intercom said over the alarm. Stephani ran into the waiting room and locked the door, when she came back, Ana was behind her.

     “Noone else come in here either,” She said yelling as the alarms stopped.

     I rolled my eyes and diverted my attention back to Emmalise. Search laid out on the exam table and Stephanie moved around the room quickly gathering supplies.

     “Don’t just stand there, help.” She said to Ana and Ana began to pass the doctor supplies as she pointed to them. She stitched Search up after removing the bullet, which she says luckily wasn’t that deep, to begin with. I knew luck had nothing to do with it, as I silently thanked God.

     “Colby, I’m sorry.” Search said as Stephani cleaned up the room. “I messed up.” His voice was becoming agitating, though I was glad that he was okay.

     “How long until this thing heals, and he stops limping?” I asked Stephani ignoring Search altogether.

     “The limping is up to him, the healing can take a while if he keeps walking on it. I have some crutches in the back, that can help for now.” She got up to go and get the crutches.

     “I don’t know what you did to her, but you had better fix it, now. The world has gone to heck, is this how you want things to be between you two?” She turned and said to Search. Then she eyes Ana and shook her head. Ana got up and walked out of the room behind Stephani.

     “Why the hell was she calling you baby?” I asked him. The floor shook again and I felt selfish for even caring about this right now.

     “Don’t act dumb, you know why, but I’m sorry.” Search told me squeezing my hands. “I been so stressed and I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.” He told me looking into my eyes, I knew he was right because I would never allow it.

     “Dam right it won’t, because I won’t be around for it. You skip out on the rent and go and hire your girlfriend. I’m lost here. Explain.” I said, punching him in the leg where he got stitched up at. I was glad that Emmalise was busy reading a book in the corner so she couldn’t see the beginning of a fight I was starting to pick. Search picked the wrong day to get caught out doing something so stupid.

     “My theory on what’s happening in the news is feeding us total b.s,” Stephani said eyeing Emmalise. I’m glad that she was nice enough to keep a cap on the cursing in from of her. She came over to Search and handed him the crutched. Ana was standing close to him.

     “Why are you even here?”I asked her my voice laced with malice. My eyes narrowed and I was done pretending that she didn’t exist. “Why are you calling my husband baby and why the heck are you here?” I walked up to her ready to swing. Stephani took Emmalise from the room and into the waiting room to play with her.

     “Search, aren’t you gonna tell her?” Ana asked him with wide puppy dog eyes.

     “I’m talking to you, so you can talk to me. Stop speaking to him. You have no business talking to him.”

     “I’m pregnant.” She said looking at me with a smirk in her eyes that I could have snatched out of her soul. I turned to face Search and punched him one last time. I knew that this was the end for us and all his I’m sorry’s in the world could not reverse this. There’s no overlooking a whole other baby. Search groaned when my fist hit his leg.

     “Get out,” I told him pointing to the exit sign. “And take your baby mama with you.” I turned to Ana and slapped her hard in the face. My hand stung from the force of it. She gasped and looked at Search, for him to say something. He just got up and stared at me.

     “I know you’re mad but we can’t split up now. Emmalise needs both of her parents. Not just one. I need to be there to protect her and you.” He said reaching out to my hands. I backed up and shoved them into my pockets.

     I hated to admit that he was right, and putting him out when we needed to stick together would only hurt Emmalise.

     “She has to go,” I told him. Pointing at Ana.

     “I’m pregnant with your baby, I need your protection too,” Ana said her long black hair flipping in the air as she spun around to face Search.

     “Pregnant?” Stephani said sticking her head back into the room. Her mouth slid to the side, and her eyes narrowed.

     “How far along are you?” She asked Ana.

     “A few weeks I just found out last week, I had my first check-up.” Ana looked nervous and rubbed her stomach even more now.

     “I can help with that, we have an ultrasound machine n the back, and I have a test I can run right here in the lab.” Stephanie gestured towards the nest room.

     “NO, it’s okay, I already had a check-up and I don’t have insurance, so I wouldn’t be able to pay you. Search already had to put up the cash for last week's visit to Dr. Chou.” She pointed to Search, and my head whipped to him fast.

     “The money?” I asked him shaking my head. “You spent out rent money on her doctor's visit?”

     “I gave her the money to get an abortion, that’s what she said it was for.” Search said as if that made it any better.

     “Still a doctor’s visit,” I said under my breath.

     “Let’s focus, on the baby. You've been through a lot this morning, we should check in that the baby’s okay. Free of charge, I insist.” Stephani said. Ana shook her head no.

     “Well, at least let me give you a proper first visit, Dr. Chou hasn’t been taking new patients for weeks, so it would have been impossible for you to see him. Were are close friends and I send all of my prenatal referrals to him so I would know. Don’t bother lying about it.”

     The building shook again and Emmalise ran back into the room from the hallway crying. I was thinking she would get used to the shaking at some point, but it still spooked her every time.

     Ana sat down on the exam table and Search watched intently from across the room.

     “You can leave you to know.” Ana hissed at me and I stepped back into the hall with Emmalise. The building shook again and a crack etched in the wall. I grabbed Emmlaise and picked her up. We were going to have to get out of here sooner than I'd hoped.