Page 44 of Mate Match: Curtis & Jae
Jae’s head snapped round. “Are you sure?” If I didn’t believe he loved me before, I would have known it then.
“Seriously?” the woman asked. She looked at me like all her Christmases had come at once, though she didn’t quite believe it was real.
“Yes,” I answered, firmly. “We got the payout from AlphaPharm,” I explained to the omega. To Jae, I said, “This is the best way to ease your guilt about it. Let’s pay it forward by helping…” I looked at the pregnant lady, waiting for her name.
“Sophie,” she supplied.
“Let’s help Sophie out so you feel better about the payout.” I figured if I framed it as Sophie helping to alleviate some of Jae’s guilt, then she would be more inclined to take our money.
“I’d like to do that.” Jae went to Sophie, taking her hands. “Please, let us.”
Sophie laughed. “Who am I to turn that offer down? My husband is going to be over the moon. He lost his job looking after me when I was sick. The start of the pregnancy was hard. He’s got another one now, but the insurance—”
“Hey,” Jae said gently. “Stuff happens. I’m just glad we can help.”
“How long do you have to go?”
“A week!”
“Exciting!”
I turned away from them to go to the clerk. “Is her appointment available if it’s paid?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Can we put money on her account to cover the birth or be billed after?”
“We can bill you after.”
“Great. Let’s get the outstanding and the scan paid today and if you could note on the account to bill us. Whatever she needs, okay?”
“Fantastic.” In an undertone she added, “Thank you so much! I hate this part of my job. We try to work with people but—”
“I get it.” I really did. They couldn’t afford to do all the work without being paid. I knew this center had drop ins once a month. A long line of people often formed around the block.
Sophie hugged us both before she was taken for her appointment.
“Thank you for agreeing,” Jae said, looking lighter than air. The good deed had been great for his conscience.
“Jae?” Erika called. “Come on through.”
“Well, your blood pressure is perfect. Your urine sample was also perfect. Are you still enjoying the pregnancy?” Erika was upbeat as usual. Today she was wearing a lilac headscarf covering her braids. The color matched the cheerful scrubs she wore.
“I’m nervous about the birth, but at the same time, I can’t wait to meet them!” Jae was lying back on the bed, a sheet covering his groin, waiting for Erika to check him over.
“Yeah, I get that. The last two weeks feel like they last months, right?” Erika snapped on some gloves. She examined his stomach thoroughly. “Oh, baby is head down. I did think you were carrying low. Have you had any unusual bowel movements?”
“Um, I had a bit of an upset stomach earlier. It was disgusting.” Jae’s face was hilarious. I swallowed back a snicker.
Erika laughed. “Yep, that’s your baby getting into position. Your uterus has signaled its eviction notice to the baby. The hormones have cleared your digestive system so everything can get in the right place for the birth, okay? It’s shut off one line so the other can open, make sense?”
“Yeah, kinda.”
“Jae? Your baby will be here in the next few days.”
“Really?”
Erika was quiet while she examined him internally. “For certain. You’re already three centimeters dilated. Baby is impatient! Good news is, I’m on call for the next few days, so it could be me handling your labor.”
