CHAPTER 1

Week 28: Baby's eyes partially open

Twenty-eight weeks into your pregnancy, or 26 weeks after conception, your baby's eyelids can partially open, and eyelashes have formed. The central nervous system can direct rhythmic breathing movements and control body temperature.

By now your baby might be nearly 10 inches long from crown to rump and weigh nearly 2 1/4 pounds.

***

“Mandy Johnson?”

Mandy hurriedly closed the magazine that she was reading and nearly dropped it in the process. She lurched to her feet. It was neither graceful nor pretty. Being seven-months along, Mandy had found that the simplest of tasks, such as standing, could be almost insurmountable.

Mandy smiled at Dr. Roberts’ assistant who was standing patiently at the door.

“It’s nice to have you back, Mrs. Johnson,” said the chubby middle-aged woman as she guided Mandy over to the scale.

“Um, I’m not married, Tina,” Mandy said with a sigh. It seemed that she needed to remind Dr. Roberts’ medical assistant of this at every appointment.

“Oh, I’m sorry, child,” she replied. “Up another three pounds this month.”

“Is that bad?” Mandy asked as looked at Tina in horror.

Tina laughed replying, “I have some women that gain almost seventy pounds with their pregnancies. You have gained twenty-one pounds which is perfectly normal. We did the urine sample while you were waiting, and everything came back fine. Shall we head into a room and listen to the heartbeat?”

Mandy nodded and followed Tina’s wide hips to the third waiting room. From there Tina asked her climb up on the table and squirted some jelly on Mandy’s belly. With the fetal doppler, Tina quickly found the baby’s heartbeat and recorded it on the chart.

“Are you experiencing anything unusual?” Tina asked, the tip of her pen resting on her full lips.

Mandy frowned before saying, “You always ask me that. But it seems that no matter what I tell you is happening you tell me that it’s perfectly normal.”

Tina raised a brow. “Pain, headaches, nightmares, heartburn, and occasional cramping are all typical of a normal pregnancy, Mandy. But should you come in with purple stripes and orange polka dots I promise to be properly impressed.”

Mandy laughed. “I haven’t experienced stripes or polka dots, so I suppose I should be grateful. It is nothing like that.”

“What is it, child? I have been seeing mother’s for over twenty years, and I don’t think that there is anything you could say that would surprise me.”

“I keep having sex dreams!” Mandy blurted out.

“About me?” Tina replied saucily as she winked at Mandy.

“No! Well, I couldn’t tell you who they were about because that changes from dream to dream. But I have these hot dreams of lovers, sometimes two at a time. And, I wake up in desperate need, but my vibrator isn’t cutting it anymore.”

Tina nodded sagely. “That is perfectly normal.”

Mandy groaned at the word ‘normal’.

Dr. Roberts knocked on the door and slipped inside. He was a handsome man in his forties, and Mandy was been grateful he was able to slip her into his caseload. He was an excellent physician, but that didn’t mean that Mandy wanted to talk about her sex dreams with him.

“You need to get laid,” Tina advised.

Mandy’s cheeks heated and she looked to the floor.

Dr. Roberts paused putting on the second latex glove. “Am I missing something?”

Mandy wanted the earth to split so that she could sink into a deep hole.

Tina answered, “Mrs. Johnson is having wild sex dreams. I told her that she needs to get laid.”

Dr. Roberts cleared his throat and said, “While not completely medically ethical, I would have to agree with Tina. These dreams won’t harm you or your baby. But you might get some satisfaction from having an orgasm.”

“Kill me know,” Mandy uttered underneath her breath.

“Now,” Dr. Roberts replied with a grin that made him look younger and eminently more handsome. “There is nothing wrong with good sex, Mandy. It has been proven to solve many ailments.”

Mandy pointed to her belly and said wryly, “And cause a few as well.”

Dr. Roberts lips twitched. “That was just luck.”

Tina giggled. “Or poor planning.”

Dr. Roberts admonished his assistant. “Every baby is a blessing from God.”

Mandy wasn’t sure what she thought about the peanut. Sure, at this stage of her pregnancy she’d gotten used to the idea that there was indeed a baby in there and this wasn’t alien-nation. But she wasn’t sure she was on the ‘blessing from God’ train yet.

“You could always use a vibrator,” Dr. Roberts continued.

“It’s not tickling her fancy,” Tina responded before Mandy could get a word in edgewise. “Besides, Mrs. Johnson has a hankering for two lovers.”

Dr. Roberts looked impressed.

“I don’t!” Mandy shoved her maternity top over her belly. “It was only a dream! And I’m not Mrs. Johnson!”

Tina sniffed. “Apparently she is sensitive about a few things.”

Dr. Roberts ushered Tina out of the room before Mandy could strangle her.

“Tina is a good woman who can’t keep her mouth shut to save her life,” he said with a good-humored smile. “Everything is on schedule, Mandy you measure at twenty-eight weeks. Do you have plans for Christmas? It’s right around the corner you know.”

Mandy grimaced. “I’m still living in my parent’s basement. It’s been hard to find a job being the size of a water buffalo. So, no, nothing is exciting in my life this Christmas."

“Didn’t you say that you worked as a PA before?” Dr. Roberts threw away his gloves and began to wash his hands.

“Yes,” Mandy replied as she climbed down from the examination table. “But they let me go when I vomited nonstop for five months.”

“I have a friend who is looking for a personal assistant. I have his number here somewhere.” Dr. Roberts searched his pockets and came up empty. “Do you mind if I give your number to him?”

“Thank you, Dr. Roberts, that would be incredible. You have no idea what it means to me!”

The doctor smiled kindly at Mandy. “I can’t promise anything, Mandy. But he’s a good man and you will get an interview. Oh, and about the other thing?”

Mandy looked at him in confusion.

“The sexual dreams?” His smile was kind. “That is all perfectly…”

“Normal,” they finished together.

“Don’t let Tina bother you,” he said as he walked Mandy to the waiting room and bid her farewell.

Mandy looked back at the magazine she’d been reading before her name was called. The story featured the best sexual positions while pregnant. Mandy glanced around the office and then walked over and picked up the magazine. She’d only read about the spoon, reverse cowgirl, and side by side. She’d five more positions to make herself feel worse about not having sex, and she wasn’t going to miss them.

Walking out as nonchalantly as possible, Mandy made her way out of the doctor’s office and headed toward her older sister Kim’s coffee shop. Once she entered The Grind and smelled the familiar aroma of French roast and Columbian’s finest, Mandy began to unwind.

She’d just finished up rear entry when her phone buzzed.

Unknown: Amanda Johnson? This is Elliot Brand. I was given your name by Dr. Roberts about a PA position in my firm. Are you interested in coming in for an interview?

Mandy gasped. That certainly had been fast! With fumbling fingers, she replied.

Amanda Johnson: Yes, Mr. Brand. I’m interested.

Unknown: Excellent. Are you available to interview tomorrow at 11 am?

Amanda Johnson: Yes, sir.

Unknown: Our offices are located on 5th and Main. I look forward to meeting you, Ms. Johnson.

Mandy squealed with delight. Perhaps fate was finally on her side.