His voice is rough, serious. It's him in full CEO mode, but aimed entirely at prenatal care.
"What should Avery be eating? Things to avoid? What about stress—how do we keep that under control? And what about other activities?" He glances at me, adorably awkward, before flicking his sheepish look at the doctor. "Is it safe for us to still… you know."
"Have sex?" Dr. Wilson smiles, and I can tell she's seen and heard all of this before. The protective partner who wants to optimize everything, treat pregnancy like the most importantproject he's ever managed. "Yes. In a healthy early pregnancy, sex is perfectly safe. You won't hurt the baby."
Nick visibly relaxes. I try not to laugh.
"The only rule is the same as everything else," the doctor continues. "If something causes pain or discomfort, stop and adjust. Try to avoid stress whenever possible. Otherwise, enjoy your lives. There's no need to put yourselves in bubble wrap yet."
She walks us through the basics: prenatal vitamins I've already started, nutrition guidelines, the importance of rest and hydration. Foods to avoid. Warning signs to watch for, when to call with concerns.
Nick listens intently, nodding at each point, and I know he'll remember every single word. Knowing him, he'll research more tonight, dive into medical journals and pregnancy guides until he knows more than most first-time fathers ever think to learn.
"One more thing to think about," Dr. Wilson adds. "Down the road, you'll have the option to find out the baby's gender. There's a blood test around ten weeks, or you can wait for the anatomy scan at twenty weeks. Or save it for delivery, if you want the surprise."
I glance at Nick. We haven't talked about this. There's so much we haven't talked about. Names, nurseries, how a baby fits into lives as complicated as ours.
His eyes meet mine, a silent question.What do you want?
I shake my head slightly. Not here. This conversation is for us, alone.
He nods. Understands without needing words.
"We'll think about it," I tell her.
She gives us final instructions and reminds me to take care of myself, then leaves us alone to get dressed and absorb everything.
Nick is holding the ultrasound printout, staring at it like he's memorizing every pixel. After a long moment, he tucks it carefully into his jacket pocket, settling it against his chest.
I reach for him and he comes immediately, wrapping me in his arms while I'm still sitting on the exam table. I press my face against his chest and breathe him in, the warm familiar scent of him, the solid weight of his arms surrounding me.
"We're having a baby," I murmur against his shoulder.
"We're having a baby." His voice is rough, still carrying that edge of amazement, like he's trying to make it real by saying it out loud.
I feel lighter than I have in weeks. Hope settles into my bones for the first time since I sat alone on our bathroom floor staring at two pink lines.
But underneath it, a quieter thought waits. Our wedding is just a couple of weeks away now. All the noise around it. The pressures waiting just outside this room.
I push that aside for now. Those are worries for another day.
My hand finds my belly. Nick's hand covers mine there. Warm. Steady. Sure.
Today, this is enough.
His heartbeat under my cheek. And our baby's heartbeat still echoing in my ears.
18
NICK
The elevator doors openand Avery steps into the foyer ahead of me, already slipping out of her coat. I take it from her automatically and hang it in the vestibule closet along with mine. The ultrasound printout is still tucked in my jacket pocket. I retrieve it reverently, handling it with utmost care.
The image is grainy, barely recognizable as anything as far as I can tell. Still, I've never seen anything so fascinating in my life. A smudge inside a darker oval. Our child. Its tiny heartbeat still echoes in my mind, so fragile and miraculous. I'd gotten choked up in the exam room, and just the sight of the ultrasound in my hands now puts a knot of emotion in my throat.
"It's kind of cute, isn't it?" Avery's palm rests tenderly on my back as she stands next to me and looks at the image of our baby.
"It's fucking incredible." I can't keep the awe out of my voice. Hell, I don't even try. I turn toward her and gather her close, wrapping my arms around her. "You are amazing. What your body is doing right now. You blow me away."
