He just closed his fingers over mine and walked with me like we were walking off the plank of a pirate ship.
The woman smiled, her eyes happy and excited. “Y’all ready for your first doctor’s visit?”
This technically wouldn’t be my first. Not even with this pregnancy.
But I didn’t bother correcting her of that.
She led me through the usual rigmarole. She got my weight, my blood pressure, then used the doppler on my belly to find the baby’s heartbeat.
My hand never left Boone’s as we waited with bated breath to hear that whoosh-whoosh.
My heart lurched into my throat when the heartbeat sounded, fast and strong.
Boone’s hand on my own became tighter.
“One-sixty-two.” She smiled. “That’s perfect.”
I knew that.
Yet, again, I didn’t correct her.
She asked me personal questions, which funny enough, Boone answered half for me before she left.
Dr. Sanjay arrived two minutes later, a look of worry and concern on her face as she took me in.
“Nettie, Boone.” She smiled, her eyes sad. “I’m so glad to see y’all here.”
I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes.
This woman was the woman that’d seen both Boone and me at our lowest.
Sixteen and seventeen, holding the tiny little baby in our hands, crying our eyes out.
Because, she may have been unplanned, but she wasn’t unwanted.
“We’re nervous as fuck,” I blurted out.
Dr. Sanjay smiled. “I’m sure you are. The heartbeat sounded really good. Want to take a look?”
I looked at Boone, who was nodding furiously, lips thinned and wearing his heart on his sleeve.
“Should be more than far enough along to see on the outside then,” she rolled the cart toward her and got to work on the sonogram.
Two and a half minutes later—I was counting the seconds—our baby appeared on the screen.
“Whoa,” Boone said. “That’s a baby.”
I snickered.
“Bigger than you expected?” she asked with a small smile, her eyes still on the screen.
“Yeah,” he croaked.
“You said she was nineteen weeks along?”
“Yes,” we both answered.
“Well, she’s measuring right on time.” She paused. “I do hope that I didn’t just ruin the surprise.”
