Chapter 30
“This is your first appointment with us, right?” he asks.
I nod, suddenly aware of how my heart has picked up. “Yes.”
“Alright, then I’ll walk you through everything we’re going to do today,” he says, gesturing toward the examination table.
I lie back as he explains the procedure in detail – the gel, the probe, and what we might see and hear.
“Alright, lift your shirt just above your stomach,” he says gently. “And fair warning, the gel is a bit cold
When he squeezes it onto my belly, I flinch with a laugh. “You weren’t kidding.”
He smiles briefly, then moves the wand over my stomach, watching the monitor with practiced focus. The room is quiet for a beat and then there it is—a soft, rapid thump filling the room. My baby’s heartbeat.
My chest tightens and my eyes sting with tears. I can’t stop smiling.
“That’s your baby’s heartbeat,” Adrian says softly.
Something in me cracks open. My throat tightens, and my eyes blur. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear this until now. My baby is real and not a figment of my imagination or anything like that.
For a moment it feels like the heavens have opened up for me. I can’t really describe it, can’t put it into words, but the feeling is out of this world.
Dr. Adrian turns the screen toward me. The image sharpens, and I see the tiniest bean–shaped figure. My heart swells, overflowing with a warmth I’ve never felt before.
I’m in love. Completely, hopelessly in love
Lord, I’ve never felt like this. I thought I knew love. Thought that I’ve loved. My family, my aunt and uncles, Lilly, and Noah, but this is different. This is stronger and much more overwhelming. This is a different kind of love. It’s like my heart has been cracked wide open and healed at the same time.
“You’re about eight weeks along,” Adrian explains, pointing to measurements on the screen. “That means conception likely happened around…” He gives me a date range, and my stomach dips, knowing the date very well. “Your due date is in late March.”
He continues, going over prenatal vitamins, diet recommendations, and my next appointment. When the ultrasound is done, he wipes away the gel, then asks, “Would you like a few printed pictures?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation.
“Alright, wait in the lounge and I’ll get them ready for you.”
In the waiting room again, I immediately call Mom to tell her everything. The heartbeat, the tiny shape on the screen, the due date. Her joy is so pure I almost cry all over again.
When
my
name is called, I head to the desk, pay, and collect the vitamins they’ve prescribed.
I’m typing a quick message to Lilly when I step outside–when a horn blares.
1/2
Chapter 30
+25 Bonus
I look up, just to see a car inches away from me. I close my eyes, waiting for the impact but instead I feel a rush of air and then a firm grip on my arm. I’m pulled back just as the car speeds past.
My heart slams against my ribs. My breaths are coming out raggedly. I close my eyes for a brief second and take a deep breath, just to try to calm my racing heart.
Fuck, that was so close. I’d almost been hit, and I could have lost my baby all because I wasn’t being careful.
“Are you okay?”
I look up. It’s Dr. Adrian. 1
“Yeah,” I breathe, trying to steady myself. “I was just… a bit distracted.”
He nods, still holding my gaze. “You forgot these,” he says, holding out the ultrasound photos.
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