The Baby Legacy. Pamela Toth

      When no one said anything, she directed them to select from the pile of mats and pillows. Feeling awkward, Megan followed her instruction to lie down while Mac knelt beside her.

      “Are you comfortable?” he asked in an under-tone as Claire described what she wanted them to do.

      Comfortable? Megan felt like the proverbial beached whale who’d washed up at the feet of an extremely attractive beachcomber. If their baby was a boy, she hoped he looked like his father.

      “I’m okay,” she stammered when she realized Mac was waiting for an answer. When had she started thinking of this as their baby?

      Mac was watching her with a concerned frown, so she did her best to give him a reassuring smile although she felt very awkward when Claire urged them to use the pillows to try the different positions she was describing.

      “As your weight increases, you’ll need to make more adjustments,” she said. Her glance at Megan was sympathetic, making her feel even more clumsy. She must look as ridiculous as she felt.

      Mac was glad when the exercise was over and he could get to his feet. Trying to help Megan shift and turn on the mat had been an awkward experience, considering that they barely knew each other and he was never quite sure where to touch her.

      From the pink in her cheeks, he assumed she found their situation equally uncomfortable. Perhaps this had all been a big mistake. In the week since he’d gotten the letter from the clinic, he’d thought a lot about what he was getting into.

      Now he took Megan’s hand and carefully helped her to her feet. Their eyes met and that intriguing splash of color ran up her cheeks again. She looked away, but not before Mac heard her sharply in-drawn breath. No doubt the baby was crowding her lungs or something equally clinical.

      Claire called for a short break. There was a general exodus from the room and Megan’s gaze followed the others.

      “I need to, um, use the restroom,” she said softly. “Pregnancy does that.”

      “I’ll walk you out,” Mac replied. “Maybe there’s a coffee machine somewhere. Want some?”

      She shook her head. “Caffeine’s bad for the baby. I’d better get in line.”

      Feeling like an idiot, he watched her leave the room.

      “How’s it going?” Claire asked him when everyone else was gone.

      “I just realized how little I know about this,” he admitted.

      “The class?” she asked with a chuckle. “That’s why you’re here.”

      “No, the whole deal about having a child,” he replied, wondering how much she had been told.

      Claire patted his arm and smiled. “You’re not alone,” she said. “First time father?”

      “Yeah, that’s me.” Just saying it made him feel good. A foolish grin spread across his face.

      “The best thing you can do is to talk to your partner,” Claire suggested. “There’s no better way to share in the experience than communication. And be sure to ask questions while you’re here. No matter how trivial it may seem, you’ll only be putting into words what someone else is wondering about, too.”

      Before he could thank her for the advice, three of the women came back. They were laughing and he heard the words “potty breaks” and “shrinking bladder” before he saw Megan trail after them. He remembered Claire’s words.

      “Would you like to stop somewhere afterwards?” he asked Megan when she joined him. They needed to talk.

      Her gaze was guarded. “What for?”

      “How about ice cream?” he asked. “With hot-fudge topping?”

      “You make it hard to say no,” she admitted with a slight smile.

      Relieved, Mac cupped her elbow. “That was my intention.” If he had his way, she would agree to everything he suggested.