She smiled at me. “Congratulations, Mama. It’s a boy.”
I sighed, letting out a breath. “Brayden will be happy. He’s been convinced it’s a boy.”
“Is that your husband?” she asked, pressing a few buttons on the machine and producing yet another printout to add to my collection.
Shaking my head, I swallowed hard. “No. He’s just a friend.”
After being assured my baby was developing well and my health was on track, despite their concerns that I hadn’t gained as much weight as they would have liked to see, I grabbed my things and proceeded to the desk.
“How can I help you?” the girl asked when she saw me approach.
“I was wondering if you offer any sort of payment plan for my bills. I know I’m overdue on a bunch of them and I wanted to see if there was a way to pay over time. My name’s Mackenzie Delano.”
Nodding, she turned to her computer, typing feverishly. She stared at the screen and scrunched her eyebrows. My heart sank in my chest, worried the amount was so much, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway.
“You did say Mackenzie Delano, correct?” she asked, turning to me.
“Yes…,” I answered cautiously.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. What exactly do you need to work out?”
“My bill. I have an unpaid balance from my last several appointments. It’s at least a few thousand dollars from all the ultrasounds and the testing. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can’t pay it all at once. I–”
“You’re not showing any unpaid balance, dear,” the woman said, interrupting me. “It’s showing your bill was just paid on Saturday. There’s a note to send a copy of all future bills to a Colleen Burnham in Massachusetts. She has asked to be listed as the guarantor of any and all medical bills.”
Confused, moved, and relieved, my mouth fell open. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure this wasn’t just a dream. Covering my mouth, I let out a small sob, elated.
“Is that your mother?” the woman asked, a genuine smile on her face.
“No. My baby’s grandmother,” I replied, placing my hand on my stomach.
“Well, your baby is very lucky.” She returned her eyes back to the computer screen. “We have you scheduled to come in for your twenty-two week appointment in the middle of August, so we’ll see you then,” she said, handing me an appointment card.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I nearly had to restrain myself from leaping over the counter and hugging her. I was overjoyed and wanted to share my good fortune with someone else.
“See you next month.”
A grin on my face and a spring in my step, I hopped into my car and made the short drive back home, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Pulling into the parking lot, I was about to swing my car into my assigned spot, only to see it was occupied by an Audi SUV. I cursed under my breath and proceeded toward the back of the lot.
“There she is!” Paul exclaimed as I entered the lobby, irritated.
“Paul, someone else is parked in my spot,” I said, my tone annoyed at the inconvenience. “Can you look into it for me, please?”
A mischievous grin crossed his face, his reaction confusing me. “Someone else isn’t parked there, Mackenzie.”
“Yes, there is. I just tried to park my car and I couldn’t.”
His smile grew wider. “You’re not listening.” He opened the desk drawer and handed me an envelope with my name scrawled on it in elegant handwriting. “That’s not someone else’s car. It’s your car.” He dangled a key fob in front of me.
“Who would give me a car?” The minute the words were out of my mouth, I knew exactly who was responsible. My heart thumping in my chest, I tore open the envelope and pulled out the note.
Mackenzie,
I know you must be so confused about everything right now. Trust me. I know. I’ve been where you are. You feel as if you, alone, got yourself into your position and you can get through it on your own. You think asking for help is a sign of weakness, but it’s not.
My oldest daughter, Carol, was a mistake. She was never supposed to happen, but I am so glad she did. I was young and thought I was invincible. Hell, I was only eighteen. I thought I had my entire life before me. I was the girlfriend of a handsome navy pilot who was about to travel