The Other Side of the Pillow

He stood and walked to the end of the bed, grabbed my chart and started flipping through it, his eyes speed-reading the pages. He had yet to say a single word.

“Dr. Horton said that I was lucky. He’s going to have to monitor things and wants me to start coming in to see him weekly, at least for the next month or so.” His silence was beginning to frighten me. “Tevin, did you hear what I said? Tevin?”

He looked up from the chart. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment.” He set the chart down. “Everything looks good. They did a sonogram?”

“Two of them. One when I was still knocked out and another one when I was awake.” I paused to consider whether or not I should elaborate. I decided he needed to know everything. “At first I didn’t feel the baby kicking, but the little sucker is moving around now.”

“I’ll ask them to see the film.”

“Yes, you can do that. But there is something you should know before you see it.”

He came over and took my hand into his. “What? Is something wrong with the baby?”

“No, he’s fine.”

“That’s good because . . . He?”

“Yes, he. Even though we’d decided not to find out, it was kind of obvious this time around. Little Man looks like he’s going to be hung like his father.”

Tevin chuckled. “You could see his dick?”

“Oh yeah, couldn’t miss it this time. Congratulations, Tevin Harris, Senior.”

“We’re going to name him after me?”

I shrugged. “I assumed that is what you’d want. Don’t you?”

“I’m not sure. I kind of want him to have his own identity. But then again, it would be great to have my name carry on.”

I brought his hand to my lips and kissed it. “It’s a great name. He has a lot to live up to. I say we go for it. No point in breaking out baby name books or doing Internet searches when the perfect name already exists for him.”

Tevin grinned from ear-to-ear. “Did they say how long you have to stay in here?”

“At least until tomorrow morning. I’m glad that I didn’t break anything. My ankle’s going to be sore for a few days, and my lower back. All in all, I took that flight of steps like a trooper.”

Tevin frowned, probably envisioning the horrific fall in his mind. “So what exactly happened?”

“We had a guest speaker today, a former student. I was walking him downstairs from the auditorium and he was telling me that he plans to donate what amounts to a few million dollars’ worth of electronics and software to the school. I must’ve gotten too engrossed in the conversation and I slipped.”

There was no way that I was going to tell Tevin that two students had accidentally caused my fall. He wouldn’t have seen anything but blood.

“You have to be more careful, baby,” was all that he said. “I’m just glad that you and the baby are okay.”

“I know that you were petrified when they told you. I hope you didn’t drive recklessly on the way over here.”

“Floyd drove me. He’s downstairs parking and calling Courtney to meet him over here.”

It was my turn to frown. “Great!”

Tevin sighed. “Please try to be nice to him. It’s not the time.”

“There’s never a time to call someone on their bullshit. When Courtney gets here, it’s going to take every ounce of self-control that I possess not to say anything. I haven’t spoken to her since you told me that Floyd is a whore.”

“I haven’t told him that I let that slip. We need to get through this without drama. If you feel like you have to tell Courtney about his dirt, can we at least wait until we get home?”

“Yeah, you’re right. The day has been long enough already.”

Tevin wiped his right eye. “I was so scared. I don’t think that I can handle losing another child.”