Simon flicked out Jr.’s onesie and pulled it over his son’s head, “Yes, we will.” He stated.
Doctor Cline then nodded and smiled, “Wonderful! Shelby would you like to help Ms. Montgomery out for us?” He asked.
Shelby smiled while she returned to Cherish’s side and grabbed the baby bag, “Of course. We will meet you out there Mr. Gabot.” She said. Cherish stood from her seat and exited the room with one last look at Simon as he redressed Jr.
Shelby shut the door behind them, and the doctor's smile fell a bit once he turned to Simon. Doctor Cline clasped his hands together with a sigh, “First off. I would like to offer my condolences to you and your son. I know that probably doesn't help, Mr. Gabot, but please know we are sincerely sorry here.” He said. Simon felt his chest tighten and he nodded silently. Doctor Cline hummed out and paced ahead, “I'm sure you heard Shelby and I with what we said about Ms. Montgomery. Your situation is odd, and I believe you did the right thing to help her. Are you...sure you can handle this, sir? Ms. Montgomery is an abuse victim. From what we read to what we see in her. She is showing classic signs. She says fine but it's an act, Mr. Gabot. Women like her have a high chance of developing Post-Partum Depression. I'm just worried you might be not be able to take care of her. She has a lot to go and heal through, just as you do.”
Simon didn’t have trouble believing what the doctor said about Cherish. He’d met Todd before, and saw a tidbit of the bullshit she had to go through with him. Though, the possibility of her background and that she could develop PPD scared him. He’d heard of what women with the condition did to their babies. With Cherish’s baggage and the death of his wife, Simon felt as though he was up to his chin with stress and on the brink of a breakdown. He questioned what he should do and thought it over.
Shutting his eyes, Simon sighed and rubbed over his eyebrows. No. He saw kindness in Cherish and couldn’t imagine her doing anything negative to the kids. She loved the babies, that much he was sure of and he had faith in her. Dropping his hand, he cleared his throat, “I can handle it.” He said nodding, “I’ll talk to her. Is there anything you can suggest making this easier?” He asked looking at the doctor.
Doctor Cline rubbed the stubble along his jaw as he gave Simon a once over. One could tell that he was slowly unraveling at the thread. There was a delicate balance between them who had somehow found a way to make things work, “Ms. Montgomery’s hormones are trying to go back to normal, her body is changing, and she’s timid. Encourage her to speak about her feelings and to be open with you about anything. With what happened to her during childbirth, I’m sure a few problems will arise. Schedule her to meet with a Gynecologist after the six week heal is over. Support her and each other.” He answered.
Simon nodded with each bit of advice. He would try to help Cherish through whatever happened to her and what was to come. He wasn’t an expert, but he would do his best.
“Call us if you have any problems of questions, here…” Doctor Cline wrote down a phone number before he handed the sheet over, “This is my personal cellphone. I don’t usually do this but given the extent of the situation, feel free to call at any time.” He said placing a hand on Simon’s shoulders and squeezing gently, “Good luck Mr. Gabot. I’ll see you in six weeks or sooner.” He said opening the door for him.
Simon deeply appreciated how Doctor Cline cared and willed to help. He felt better knowing that he had reinforcement if the situation became too much for him to handle, “Thank you for everything, Doctor. We will see you soon.” He answered.
Lifting the carrier, he returned to the waiting room and saw Cherish. He waited until she noticed him before a small smile rose in the corner of his lips.
Shelby approached behind them and held out a card in Simon’s direction, “Here’s your next appointment in the first week of August. Ms. Montgomery didn’t know what day would be good for you, so I picked one. I hope you don’t mind.” She said.
“Oh, thank you, Shelby.” Simon said.
Shelby then waved Simon over the receptionists’ area and they pulled up a price for Jasmine’s checkup. Cherish approached them with Jasmine in her arms., “That will be ninety-five dollars for little miss Jasmine today.” The receptionist said. Cherish felt as though her eyes fell out of her head. Shelby noticed her reaction and placed both hands up calmly and waved them downwards. Blinking several times, Cherish nodded and went to wait for Simon outside.
Simon didn’t think twice about paying. He handed his debit card over and took his receipt, “Thanks for all your help today. See you soon.” He said picking Jr.’s carrier up.
Once Simon exited the building, Cherish followed. She looked from side to side before they crossed the lot to his car. There was a knot of turmoil in her stomach which she tried her damned hardest to ignore. This man easily spent over three hundred dollars on her in two days. She wasn’t used to this kind of treatment and had a hard time in accepting it, “Simon. Simon, wait. That…that was way too much. You…” She swallowed her words as
