"
You coming in this time?," Avril asked, hopefully, even though she already knew the answer.
"No way," Angela replied flatly.
"Oh, come on Angie," Avril whined, as she pulled on Angela's arm. "This is my last check-up before the baby's due. You haven't even come in for one."
"So why break the record now?" Angela asked, sarcastically. "You go in....I'll be right over there in the waiting room. If you need me, which you won't, you can give me a holler. You're like, an old pro at this now."
"Whatever," Avril said, with a hint of attitude. "If you're going to be like that, make yourself useful and hold my purse until I come out."
As Angela opened her mouth, to retort, a young woman in scrubs, came bouncing down the hall, and headed straight towards Avril.
"Wendy," Avril called, with a smile.
"Avril," she replied back. "How are you feeling today?"
Without waiting for a response, she opened the door to the examination room, and ushered Avril inside.
"Will you be joining Avril today dear?" she asked, looking directly at Angela.
Without saying a word, Angela turned, and began walking down the hall, towards the waiting room.
"Well," Wendy began, with obvious sarcasm. "Wasn't she just a barrel of sunshine. Is she your sister?"
"Personal stylist," Avril replied flatly, as Wendy shut the door.
The waiting room was overwhelmingly noisy, which wasn't unusual, for a room containing so many people.
The sound of babies crying came from every direction, forcing Angela to put her hands up to her ears, in an attempt to drown out the sound.
"
I hate babies," she whispered to herself, as she made her way to the far corner of the waiting room.
She immediately saw an available seat, directly beside a guy who looked like he was seconds away from passing out.
Angela rolled her eyes, and gently sat down next to him, secretly hoping he didn't notice her.
The last thing she wanted to do right now, was get into a conversation with someone.
No such luck.
"Hey," the man next to her said.
Angela pretended as though she hadn't heard anything, and looked in the opposite direction.
"I'm Matt," he continued, knowing very well that she had heard him. "This place is crazy, isn't it."
After a moments hesitation, he began talking again.
"I'm just so nervous," he said, shaking his head.
My girlfriend probably hates me so much right now.... I mean, this is our first baby together.....but .....I'm just not ready, you know? To be a father. I don't even have the balls to go in for the ultrasound with her."
He looked at Angela, to see if she was still paying attention.
"I mean....my girlfriend's in there......right now."
Angela sighed, realizing that this guy wasn't going to stop talking anytime soon.
"Yeah" she finally responded. "Mine too."
An awkward silence began to form, when suddenly, as if the phone Gods had heard Angela's prayers, her phone began to ring.
"I'm gonna have to get that Matt," she said, pointing at her phone, as she stood up, and began walking away. "But it was nice talking to you."
He nodded.
"Oh, and for the record," Angela continued, with a smile on her face, and an icy fringe in her voice.
"You're going to make a terrible father."
Finding an isolated corridor, Angela leaned back against the wall, and sank down to the floor. Basking in her newfound silence, she picked up her cell, and checked to see who had called.
Oddly enough, it said that there were no missed calls.
"How very strange," she whispered to herself, when suddenly, she realized what had happened.
Reaching into Avrils purse, she pulled out another phone.
"She has a message," Angela smiled to herself, as she typed in the code to get to Avrils voice mail.
"Now who could be calling her?"
Putting the phone up to her ear, she listened.
"Hey Avril," a quiet voice began. "It's me......Deryck."
"Oh no he didn't," Angela whispered to herself, as she turned up the volume on the phone, and listened intently.
"I know this call is like, totally out of the blue," Deryck continued, his voice breaking. "But I just needed to let you know..... that I still love you.....and....I really want to be there for you....and our baby."
Angela rolled her eyes, as she listened.
"I tried you at home," he continued, "You obviously weren't there.......and you either can't hear your phone right now, or....you just don't want to talk to me."
There was a pause.
"But.....either way....I'd really like to talk to you....so call me back...please."
And with that, the message was over.
Angela stared at the phone for the longest time, and listened as the computerized voice on the other end reviewed her options.
"That is so sweet of him," Angela whispered to herself, wiping away a fake tear. "He still loves her."
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Angela heard someone calling her name.
It was Avril.
Quickly hitting delete, Angela threw the phone back into Avrils purse, and stood up.
"There you are," Avril sighed, "I've been looking all over for you. Come on.....I want to get home before it gets dark out."
Following Avril out of the hospital, Angela smiled.
"Hey Avril," she said, sweetly.
"What?" Avril replied.
"Here's your purse back."

