I stared at the black and white image, awed to speechlessness. According to the book I’d been given, the fetus was about the size of a prune at this stage, so I hadn’t been sure I’d be able to really make anything out. I’d been wrong, though. Yes, the image was fuzzy, but the outline of a head and little arms and legs were clearly visible.
Tears sprang to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. I didn’t want to miss even a second of this.
“I’m just going to take some pictures,” the doctor said, moving the wand around.
The view shifted, and he captured the image, then repeated the process while I watched in silence. Choked up and desperately wishing Marc were here.
“That will do it,” he said when he was done, then focused on me. “Do you want a few pictures to take with you?”
My heart leapt as I thought about showing them to Marc tonight.
“Yes!”
Hilary, who’d moved behind me, made a little noise, but I ignored her.
The doctor hit a button and, like magic, the machine spit out a few images. He tore them off and passed them to me.
“Now let’s check out the heartbeat.”
I hadn’t thought anything could affect me as much as the ultrasound had, but I’d been wrong, because when thewhoosh, whoosh, whooshof my baby’s heartbeat filled the cubicle, I almost burst into tears.
“It’s so fast,” I whispered, wiping the tears from my eyes.
“That’s normal,” the doctor replied.
He let it go on for a few seconds, then flicked the machine off without warning. A second later, he’d pulled the ultrasound wand from me, and the screen went black. It was disappointing but okay since I had the pictures.
“Keep us informed if you have any issues. Cramping, bleeding, and things like that.” The doctor got to his feet. “Otherwise, we’ll see you back in four weeks.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“You’re very welcome,” he replied, then ducked out of the room.
“I’ll step out so you can get dressed,” Hilary said as she crossed the cubicle.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. All I could do was stare at the pictures of my baby.
Since it wasNew Year’s, we’d been allowed to stay up until after midnight, and it was nearing two o’clock in the morning when Marc slipped into my room.
He smiled when he saw me sitting up in bed. “Couldn’t sleep after the big party?”
“Right,” I rolled my eyes because it had been the most depressing New Year’s Eve party I’d ever attended.
Marc crossed to me, kicking off his shoes and pulling his shirt over his head. He dropped it to the floor and got to work on his pants, so that by the time he climbed into bed at my side, he was wearing only his boxer briefs.
He kissed me lightly. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year,” I replied, then said, “I had an ultrasound yesterday.”
Marc’s eyes widened, but I couldn’t tell if it was in fear or excitement. “Everything is okay, isn’t it? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the baby, right?”
“Everything is fine. I got to see him. Got to hear theheartbeat.”
His eyes sparkled when he grinned. “Him?”
“I don’t know if it’s a boy. It’s too early, but I don’t like sayingit.”
“I get that.”
