I clamber up on the examination table and Sara proceeds to give me a quick check-up. The whole time, Kolya stays lurking in the corner like a gargoyle. Arms folded over his chest. Watching, but not speaking.
“You don’t have to be here, you know,” I tell him.
He doesn’t respond to that at all.
“The baby’s doing good,” Sara announces a minute or two later. “I’m getting a nice, strong heartbeat. Everything’s good there.”
I nod, feeling a fierce sense of relief. I place my hand over my belly, taking comfort in the small but sure swell of my stomach. I notice Kolya’s eyes following my movements. He misses nothing.
“Will you sit up for me, June?” Sara says. “I’ll remove your bandage and we can tend to this next.”
I struggle upright. When I’m good, Sara starts pulling at the bandage gently.
