103 - Bowl Me Over

“So how was the ultrasound?  You had an appointment yesterday, right?  I go on Tuesday for my second one.  I’m convinced it’s another boy, but I guess we’ll find out for sure.”

Sheridan smiled.  Desiree Bongiovi was a bundle of energy.  At eighteen weeks pregnant, she had no idea how the woman did it, but she was always chattering away and seemed to never sit still.  She made Sheridan feel very old and very lazy. 

“It went fine.  The tech said everything looks good.  What are you up to today?”

They hadn’t actually told anybody about the twins yet.  It had been less than a day since they’d found out themselves, and anxiety had kept her from being eager to spread the news.  Today, however, she was feeling pretty good about it.  It wouldn’t be long until they were ready to bring the family into the loop.

Desiree sighed loudly.  “Today is Bongiovi family fun day.”

“Well, that sounds... fun.  What exactly does that entail?”

“About once a month Matt and I take the kids someplace for a family activity.  Sometimes it’s a carnival, or the park.  Ice skating, the zoo, the aquarium.”

“What a great idea!”  It was, in fact.  So very normal and family-ish.  Maybe she should try and institute something like that.  “What’s the activity of the day?”

“Bowling.  Matt likes Asbury Lanes best, but I told him I’m not driving all the way down to Asbury Park today, so we’re going over to Hazlet.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Does it?”  Des sighed again.  “Well, you’re welcome to come along if you want.  Rented footwear isn’t necessarily my idea of a relaxing weekend, but the kids seem to enjoy it – even the really big one – so I go along without too much complaint.  As long as he buys me dinner after.”

Sheridan was a New Jersey mom now – or soon would be.  She should get comfortable in New Jersey, and bowling sounded like the perfect suburban mom way to do it.  Didn’t it? 

Jon was in the studio, but she wondered what he had planned for the rest of the day.  Would she be able to convince him to go bowling?

“I might just take you up on that, if I can talk Jon into it.”

❧❧❧

He shook his head, swore under his breath and tried again.  “Someday you may wanna know who I am…beyond this guitar in my hand…”

No.  The words weren’t right.  The chords, the feel of the song weren’t right.  He was beating his head against the proverbial brick wall today and getting nothing but a thumping headache for his trouble.

It was Sheridan’s fault.  Kind of.  She’d mentioned him leaving a legacy for the kids, like it was a foregone conclusion, but he didn’t feel that way.  Sure, he had songs he’d written when he was a kid that were still popular and he had new music, but there wasn’t really anything of him.  It had led to some soul-searching on his part, and a desire to give his children – all of his children – a piece of him.  A look inside at who he really was.  John Bongiovi, Jr. – not Jon Bon Jovi.

And as soon as I figure what the fuck that means, maybe this will go a little easier. 

Dropping his head back against the utilitarian leather couch that he’d had moved from his other studio, he blew out a breath toward the ceiling.  “Dammit.”

“Does that mean now isn’t a good time, or that now IS a good time?”

He turned toward the soft voice of his wife, finding that she hovered in the doorway.  Sheridan hadn’t been in here since the workers left earlier this morning, but she wasn’t taking in the finished product, she was looking at him with a little smile on her face.

“I’m not getting anything accomplished, so it’s a good a time as any.”  The faithful Takamine went in its stand and he leaned forward, dangling his wrists between his splayed knees.  “What’s up?”

“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

“Probably just more frustration.  Why?”

“Well…”  She finally walked fully into the room, coming to stand in front of him.  “I’m sorry things aren’t going well for you, but I hope that means you might be open to kind of an off-the-wall idea.”

Off-the-wall?  He kicked up an intrigued eyebrow.  He could possibly get into off-the-wall.

“I’m listening.”

She chuckled softly.  “Get your mind out of the gutter.”  Then her forehead wrinkled as she considered.  “Well, that gutter, anyway.  What do you think about going bowling with Desiree, Matt and their kids?”

“Bowling?”  It wasn’t that he didn’t like bowling.  He actually enjoyed it from time to time, but it surprised him that she, with her always-polished fingernails would want to do that.  “You want to go bowling?”

She shrugged.  “If I’m going to live here, I should get a feel for the whole suburban mom thing.  I thought it sounded like fun.”

Suburban mom.  That term she’d gotten stuck on since yesterday still cracked him up.  She was the least suburban mom-type he’d ever known.  MILF, maybe, but a stereotypical soccer mom with the minivan?  Hell no.

“Sure, why not?  I don’t know if Dot has plans for the kids, but if not, we’ll take them, too.”

❧❧❧

Mommy and Me

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Well, today was fun.  I discovered that, even though you’re tiny, you already affect my mobility.  It’s difficult to bend at the waist when there are two little people living there. 

Daddy and I went bowling with Uncle Matt, Aunt Desiree, Bella, Rocco, Romeo and Jake. Stephanie was at school this weekend and Jesse had a date with your cousin Mandi.  Yes, I know that's weird to have your brother going out with your cousin, but it's not as bad as it sounds.  It started before your daddy and I got married and, from what Aunt Riley says, I'm pretty sure the whole thing will be over by the time you're born.  That's the way it is with teenagers - it's over as quickly as it begins.  

I just got a chill at the thought of twin teenagers.  Oh my.  Take it easy on Mommy, would you? Please?

Anyway, Mommy hadn’t been bowling in a very long time and was never very good at it to begin with.  Uncle Matt thought it was the funniest thing ever to call “gutter ball” every time I stepped up to the line.  He thought it was even FUNNIER when he said it really LOUD from right behind me, scaring me to death and sending the ball straight into the gutter.  Neither of you will be named after your Uncle Matt, just FYI. 

Daddy getting a new namesake isn’t looking too good either at the moment.  He didn’t think I saw him, but he was encouraging Uncle Matt and laughing like a hyena behind my back.  Mm-hmm.

It didn’t matter though, because round little Aunt Des whose baby is bigger than both of you combined, beat us all.  I don’t know how she did it, but she got strike after strike.  Jake decided it was because she carries a “bowling ball” in her belly.  Maybe he’s right.  If that’s the case I should go pro about the time you guys are born.

We still haven’t told anybody that you turned out to be a buy-one-get-one-free special.  For now it’s mine and Daddy’s secret.  Soon though.   Maybe after my doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. 

❧❧❧

“Well, congratulations… again.”  Dr. Orbuch’s sparkling eyes were arced into slits, her smile eating up the lower half of her face.  “I know you were still having reservations about one child.  How are you feeling about two?”

Sheridan smiled back, bringing a hand to her midriff.  “Oddly enough, it’s okay.”

The doctor’s eyebrows winged upward toward her hairline and she dipped her chin skeptically.  “Is it?  Two somehow made it better?”

“Well, no,” she laughed.  “The ultrasound made it better.  There’s something about visual proof that there’s a person in there.  Granted, the second person was a little off-putting, but I’m getting used to it.”

“I’m happy for you, Sheridan.  And your husband?  What does he think?”

Jon had asked if she wanted him to join her today, but seeing as it was just a routine appointment, she’d told him not to bother.  He was working in the studio and trying to get some summer dates set up to combat his imminent restlessness.  As of now, there was a solo Las Vegas show in April and the full band had a May date at Asbury Park, but those weren’t going to be enough.  July was in his sights, and she’d left him to it, the phone stuck to his ear talking about Quebec when she took off this morning.

She hadn’t been to Quebec, and wondered about tagging along for that one.  As for Dr. Orbuch’s question…

“He’s okay, too.  A little freaked out at the thought of two crying babies, but no more so than anybody else would be – including me.”

“He has other children, is that correct?” 

“Yes, he has four from his first marriage.”

Reaching for Sheridan’s chart, the doctor opened the cover and flipped over several pages.  The papers that had just gone back were flipped forward again and she frowned.  “I don’t see a notation here, but didn’t you tell me you’d had an egg harvest?  Did any children result from that?”

“That’s right.  The eggs were donated, so this is my first pregnancy.”

An ink pen was withdrawn from the breast pocket of her lab coat and Dr. Orbuch scribbled in the chart.  “And as far as other medical procedures?  Is there anything else?”

Thinking back, Sheridan realized she’d been fairly fortunate.  Her medical history was relatively short.  “I had an appendectomy when I was twenty-two and had a broken arm set when I was twelve.  Nothing besides that.”

Scribbling again, the doctor nodded with satisfaction and put the chart on the counter.   She turned with a smile, reaching for a tube of jelly.

“Then, if you’d like to lie back on the table, we can take a listen to your babies’ heartbeats.”

Her own heart fluttered a little with excitement as she complied, lifting her shirt and pushing down the waistband of her new stretchy slacks.  The cold, gelatinous goo was applied to her abdomen, and a much smaller version of the ultrasound wand was pressed against the skin. 

“I’m sure this is similar to what you heard at the ultrasound, but that slow, steady beat is your heart.  The babies’ heart rate will be much faster.”  A rapid pulsing came through the handheld monitor and the physician nodded.  “Like that.”

The electronic sound was almost like air blowing over a live microphone, and it was easily twice as fast as her own heartbeat.  It amazed Sheridan that, at this time last week, she was completely ambivalent to this pregnancy.  Because now, that simple noise filled her with a crazy kind of warmth and… pride?

“Let’s see if we can find that second one.”  The little wand was directed up, down, over and around until the doctor frowned.  “Hm.  I’m not having any luck with number two.”

That frown bothered Sheridan, but she strove to keep a positive outlook.  Both babies were fine.  They didn’t dare be anything else after the way they’d turned her life upside down.   “One was behind the other in the ultrasound.  Would that make a difference?”

“Yes, it would.”  Dr. Orbuch took the monitor away and wiped the goop from Sheridan’s stomach.  “I think that’s everything for this time.  Continue taking your prenatal vitamins, get lots of rest and I’ll see you back again next month.  We’ll schedule your next ultrasound at that appointment.  Any questions?”

The woman’s frown had disappeared, but it hadn’t been replaced with a smile.  It would drive Sheridan crazy if she didn’t ask, “Are you sure everything is okay?  With both of them?”

Now she smiled and patted Sheridan’s knee.  “Everything’s just fine.”