The change - A short story- Fiction Part 4

                                  

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They usually slept in on Saturdays but Maria woke up early feeling sick again. John woke up from the noise in the bathroom and knocked on the door. 

"Go away!" she shouted and immediately felt bad about shouting at him. A few minutes later she came out and found him on the side of the bed with his hands in his hair. 

"I'm sorry Maria...I have no clue what happened to me last night. When I came home yesterday to check on you and you were not here, made me suspicious. Of course you are not having an affair."

Maria took a seat next to him on the bed, but immediately had to run to the bathroom again. She had no idea what was going on and thought it was because of the stress the previous night. 

"Let me take you to the doctor please Maria, you can't go on like this..."

She felt miserable but promised him that if she did not feel better the next morning he could take her to the emergency room. She climbed back in bed and John brought her a wet cloth to put on her forehead. She lay quietly for a few minutes, and assured him that she felt better. Just as quickly as the nausea came it left again and within half an hour she was feeling her old self. 

They spent a quiet day at home, and later that evening John suggested that they go out to watch a movie, but she didn't feel up to it. They ended up staying at home to watch a movie on television, but she felt so emotional during one scene that she had to excuse herself.  Something felt wrong but she couldn't pinpoint it at all. Perhaps going to the doctor was not such a bad idea after all. She made a mental note to make an appointment on Monday for a checkup. She had another meeting with the editor on Monday and could go straight from there to the doctor. 

On Sunday, she didn't feel as bad as she did the other mornings, and she packed some goodies for them in a basket and suggested that they go for a picnic.  They spent the whole afternoon in the park and watched as the kids played around with their parents, and she noticed the longing in John's face for that experience....

On Monday morning John left earlier than usual. She hadn't told him anything about her book yet, and decided to wait until she had the first copy in her hands. She was sure that he was going to be proud of her.  She felt a little nauseous again, but not so much, and just before eight, phoned the doctor for an appointment. The time fit in perfectly with her meeting. She was supposed to go for a photo shoot for her book today but they told her not to dress up and that they will make sure that she looked her best. 

She arrived at the building two hours later and was whisked away immediately to have her hair done and a professional make up artist did her make up. She looked like a totally new person and the photos looked very professional. She never thought that she could look so good in a photo and on more than one occasion the photographer told her that she was a natural and that she was glowing. 

She felt very relaxed and the photographer promised to send her some copies so that she could show John.  Just before one she left the studio and drove straight to the doctor. She felt silly going there, but she promised John, and a check up once in a while is good. 

She was the only patient there, and the doctor took her through to the examining room. She told him about her symptoms, and he asked her about her age. He told her all about menopause, as she fit all the symptoms, but he also wanted to draw blood, just to check her hormone levels. She hated needles, but she survived. 

The doctor prescribed some medication for nausea and gave her some vitamin pills to take in the mornings. He would phone her immediately if he got the results, so that they could discuss the course of action. 

She picked up some groceries on her way home, and she just parked the car when she heard the phone ringing inside the house. She ran to answer and was surprised to hear that it was Doctor Smith. 

"Maria, I have some good news. You are definitely not in your menopause...you're pregnant....."

She grabbed the chair next to her to prevent her from fainting. 

"According to the blood results, you are already past twelve weeks...

Maria was stunned...she thanked him for phoning and put the phone down. 

She took a seat at the kitchen table after making herself a cup of tea with lots of sugar in it. She sat there staring at the wall unable to process what he had just said. 

After all these years....

She forgot about cooking, and when John arrived home he found her there still sitting in the same position. 

"You look like you have seen a ghost Maria...what's going on?"

She looked up at him and said: 

"I think it's better if you sat down first."

-to be continued-

                   

                           

                          

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