“Okay. All done with the uterine measurements.” She angles the probe upward and presses. “Ah, there’s babyBroussard.”
I stare at the screen. “Showme.”
Cat points to the monitor. “This tiny little white area here—that’s your baby. And I see aheartbeat.”
“Oh my God, Tristan. Look. You put that tiny little being inside ofme.”
“It’s amazing,” hesays.
“I swear that is the sweetest little dot I’ve everseen.”
“The measurements correlate with your last menstrual period, so the baby is growing right onschedule.”
Tristan can’t take his eyes off the screen. “The baby looks healthy?” He’s barely able to choke out the words, and that melts myheart.
“Still very early but all looks well from what I can seetoday.”
I stare at the white oblong circle on the screen, mesmerized that I’m looking at the beginning of a human being. A little person that Tristan and Icreated.
Part ofhim.
Part ofme.
Ourbaby.
Cat prints several of the ultrasound pictures for us to take with us, and all I can do is stare at them. “Thank you so much. For everything. Seeing me today. The tests. Theprintouts.”
“You are so very welcome. And congratulations. I’m happy and excited for youguys.”
“Cat… before we walk out of here, we need to talk about what’s coming off of the menu. I don’t want to do anything to hurt her or thebaby.”
“I understand.” Cat lowers her voice. “I think it’s best if you let me comprise a list of don’ts specially tailored for your specific kind of relationship. That’s something that we should discuss outside of the clinic. Until then, keep itvanilla.”
“Gotit.”
We’re barely out of the clinic when Tristan puts his arms around me. “Are you happy, mon bien-aimé?”
“Iam.”
“Are youreally?”
“I am,Tristan.”
“I haven’t told you how hopeful I was because I didn’t want to push the topic and anger you, but I wanted this so much. I tried to tell myself that it was fine if it didn’t happen but that was because I didn’t know I would be this happy if itdid.”
“After being so angry with you, I didn’t know I was going to be this happyeither.”
He lifts me from the ground and spins me around. “You are so precious to me, and now this life that you carry inside you is too.” He returns my feet to the ground and kisses me hard, not caring who sees. “I love you, mon bien-aimé.”
“I love you,too.”
He opens the passenger door, and I get into the car. “Always such a gentleman inpublic.”
“Sometimes I’m not sure who the real Dominant is in this relationship. I’m the one who has to constantly prove that I’m worthy of yoursubmission.”
I hadn’t ever thought of it that way. “That’s actually a goodpoint.”
Tristan gets into the car, and we drive toward home. He stretches his long arm over and holds my leg, his fingers curling around my inner thigh. I’m always in some kind of possessive hold while we ride in acar.
