“Yes, and before you ask, I’m eating enough protein.” Stephen smiled at Parks and, again, Brenden felt as if he was the third wheel on a very strange date. It was as if they forgot that he was in the room.
“There’s nothing wrong with eating a steak or burger occasionally,” Parks joked.
“Please, don’t say that. I’ve been craving a burger all week,” Stephen groaned.
“You should just give in to your cravings,” Parks advised.
“You’re a good doctor, but a lousy friend.”
“Yeah, yeah. So, everything feels fine, and I assume you’re getting a lot of exercise?” Parks asked reaching for the bottle next to him. Stephen nodded. “This should be warm by now.” He squeezed a good size amount on Stephen’s bump before putting it back. He then picked up the thing that looked like a probe and moved it around spreading the clear liquid over the small bump.
Brenden looked at the father of his child and saw how intently he was looking at the screen in front of him. He followed Stephen’s line of sight and focused on the black and white grainy screen, even though he had no clue of what he was looking at. Parks continued to move the probe around. The room was filled with a silent tension except for the tapping sounds when the doctor would stop the probe to type his notes.
“Everything looks fine, nothing out of the ordinary. I want to tweak your diet just a bit.”
“You aren’t going to make me eat meat, are you?” Stephen asked.
“No, stop worrying.” Parks smiled. “I want to add some more protein options to your diet.”
“Good, then I approve.” Stephen smiled.
Parks chuckled. “Now, let’s see if we can see what baby Young is up to,” he said not looking away from the screen.
Brenden would have corrected the man by telling him the baby’s last name was Smith, but his focus was on seeing his child for the first time. Parks moved the probe around, and Brenden was getting worried when he saw nothing. He looked over to Stephen, who was watching the screen with the same intensity. He turned his focus back to the screen just in time to see the small flicker.
“And there he is,” Parks said.
“She,” Stephen corrected.
Brenden looked at the doctor and then Stephen. “You know the sex already?”
“No,” Stephen answered. “But it’s a running pun between Jamie and me. He thinks it’s a boy and I think it’s a girl.”
“You won’t find out until next month,” Parks added in as he reached over and tapped the keyboard again. “But I’ve never been wrong.”
“Yet,” Stephen added.
Within seconds Brenden heard the steady beating sound. “Is that…”
“Yup, that’s your baby’s heartbeat,” Parks answered for him. “It’s a strong, steady beat and that’s what we want to hear. You’ve got one strong kid.”
Brenden was overcome with so many emotions. He didn’t know he would feel that way hearing his child’s heart for the first time. It was as if he heard his own heart beating in tandem with his child. He couldn’t think of the right words to express what he was feeling. It was one thing to know he was going to be a father, but seeing it and taking it all in was another thing. He missed all the firsts with Nicholas and knew he could never bring those moments back, but he had a chance to change that. Thinking quickly, he pulled out his cell phone and recorded the sound, and then took a picture of the baby on the screen.
Stephen reached over and touched his arm, getting his attention. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Brenden wasn’t expecting that; he could not say it was okay. He was still hurt he missed hearing Nicholas’ heartbeat or seeing how he developed. He did not have to forget, but he could forgive. The only thing he could do was nod, stating he understood. They were not on the same page before; they were too stubborn to talk about the future, each thinking and expecting different things from each other. But now they had a chance to make everything right, to change their future. His mom was right, he needed to figure out what he wanted and what he needed.
I want to be a part of my children’s lives in every aspect.
Putting his phone back in his pocket, he reached out and took Stephen’s hand; squeezing it, assuring him they were going to be okay.
** ** ** ** **
