Max rubs his jaw.
“What about me?” he asks softly, and Sloane swallows.
“I didn’t want you to feel trapped,” she whispers.
Max looks like she just slapped him across the face.
“Trapped? This pack is the best thing to happen to me, and now we’re having a baby. You never trapped me, Sloane. You gave me purpose.”
“I’m not even pregnant, and I feel like I’m going to cry,” I say as the ultrasound tech comes in.
“Can I have you push your shirt up?” she asks Sloane who nods her head.
I think she’s more than happy that this time it won’t be the wand inside of her.
Max and I go to stand next to Bram as the tech slathers some cold lube-looking gunk on Sloane’s flat stomach. Well, maybe there’s the littlest pouch on her lower abdomen, but that could easily be from eating too many snacks.
The tech slathers the sticky goo all over her lower stomach as she rolls the machine over her skin. We all watch the screen in awe as she finds the baby, and a much stronger thudding noise fills the room than last time.
Sloane lets out a breath of relief.
Max and Bram look at the monitor in complete fascination as they see our baby for the first time.
“I’d put you right between eleven or twelve weeks,” she says. “But it’s still too early to determine the sex. The heartbeat is in perfect range. Everything is looking great.”
The amount of tension that leaves the room is palpable.
The tech prints off multiple copies of the ultrasound and hands them to Sloane.
“Dr. Mann will be back in, and we can get your discharge papers ready.”
She hands the scans to Bram and Max who look over them like they’ve never seen anything so magnificent.
“Holy shit,” Max whispers.
“We’re having a baby,” Bram says.
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“Forgiven, yes. But now your health is in my hands,” Bram says easily.
“I agree,” Max says.
Sloane slumps into the mattress and mouths to me. “What the fuck?” Then her phone vibrates, and I already know what it is.
“And she’s getting notifications for anytime we’re brought up online,” I blurt out.
I just shrug at her, and she looks at me like I’m a traitor.
“Oh God, Sloane. All those articles are fucking horrible. I blocked all that stuff on my phone, but you’ve been reading all of it?” Max asks, and her cheeks turn red.
“Give me the phone,” Bram says, holding out his hand. She gives it to him, glaring at me the whole time.
Bram reads the article and looks back at Sloane.
“You’ve been reading all of these?” he asks, and tears fill her eyes. “No more reading this shit. It’s not good for you, and it’s allfake. This one says you’re also fucking Ahonen. What the fuck?” Bram complains.
“I’ve been in the press enough to know that looking at this bullshit can put you in a bad headspace. Why are you doing this to yourself?” Max asks Sloane.
