“My phone must have died. I’m sorry, officers, that you had to come all this way. I promise that I’m fine,” I reassure them.
They both nod and leave. I lock the door and grab my phone. Sure enough, it died. I plug it into the charger in the kitchen. When it comes to life, I have twenty text messages, sixteen missed calls, and twelve voice mails. I don’t even bother to listen or check any of them. I immediately call Luca.
“Hadley, shit. Baby, are you okay?” Luca sounds panicked.
“Luca, I’m fine. My phone died, that’s all. You really didn’t have to send the police.”
“What was I supposed to do, Hadley?” he yells. “I couldn’t get a hold of you.” He begins to yell at me in Russian and I give up even trying to understand him.
“Luca, I’m fine, and you need to rest for the game.”
There’s a moment of silence and I know that he’s trying to calm down.
“I love you and I was worried,” he whispers and I can hear every emotion he’s feeling.
“Luca, I love you and I love that you were worried, but I’m fine. I promise you that I am.”
He releases a deep breath and I can picture him running his hands through his hair. “Maybe we should look into a house phone in case your mobile dies again.”
“Well, if it will stop the Omaha police from coming out here, then yes we should,” I try to joke with him.
“I had no other choice, baby.”
“Well, would it help you to know that your parents will be in a few weeks?”
“Yes,” he answers right away.
I laugh. “Okay. Go rest. I love you.”
“I love you.”
When I end the call, my heart swells a little bit. He does care. I know he does, but that question, the one I don’t want to answer, is still hanging out in the back of my mind.
Will he leave?
It could still happen. Maybe he’s waiting for Little Valeria to come. Would he leave me at the hospital? What would I do then? Could I handle all that stress?
~ ~ ~
Dr. Jones tells me to lay back and I listen to the paper crinkle as I try to get comfortable. She pulls out her tape and measures my belly.
“Hadley, it looks like you’re measuring about a week earlier than we originally thought.”
“We’ve talked about that.”
“We have.” She begins to push on my stomach and rotate my belly a bit. “I still think you might go early, but that’s nothing to be concerned with. The baby is doing well. Any other issues?”
“The sharp pains, the ones I told you about.”
Dr. Jones nods. “That’s more than likely Braxton Hicks Contractions.”
“Don’t those come later on?” I could have sworn that’s what one of the books had said.
“Some women have them earlier, but you need to remember you only have about ten weeks left, Hadley.”
Ten weeks?
Ten weeks.