Her tone is warm, and her words deliberate. She’s right, and I know it. I can’t push her right now, even if walking away feels like ripping my own heart out.
Forcing myself up from the couch, I leave the house without another word.
EIGHTEEN
Lucia
“This might feel a little cool,” the doctor says.
It’s not my first ultrasound, but she always warns me the gel will feel cool. I can hardly believe I’m almost five months pregnant. Today we find out the gender, and the excitement in my chest is almost overwhelming.
The past few days have been the calmest I’ve had in a long time. Tony has come home for dinner every night. We actually talk now, real conversations, no threats, no games. He’s asked about my childhood and the memories I have of my mother. It’s almost like we’re a normal family.
For the first time, Tony came with me to the appointment. As I glance at him now, I see him standing quietly by my side, his attention fixed on the monitor. The doctor moves the ultrasound probe over my belly and asks cheerfully if we’d like to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
For me, it’s not the first time, but for Tony, it is.
When the steady heartbeat fills the room, I turn to look at him. A soft, peaceful smile touches his lips, one I’ve never seen before. His gaze shifts from the monitor to my eyes, and that smile deepens.
He gently takes my hand. His warmth spreads through me. For the first time since that horrible night, the memory fades a little. The deep, enduring affection I’ve always had for Tony rises to the surface again, unbidden and undeniable.
I squeeze his hand and press it to my chest, my eyes returning to the monitor.
“Can we find out the gender?” Tony asks.
“We can, Mr. Bruni, but your little one is being shy today. Legs crossed tight.”
Tony leans down and plants a kiss on my forehead. “There’s no such thing as shyness in the Bruni family. Must’ve got that from you.”
His playful, warm voice melts something inside me. I smile at him, and his lips descend further to press a soft kiss against mine.
“Tony, look—tiny hands and feet!” I say excitedly, turning my attention back to the monitor.
His hand tightens around mine. “I see them, princess. Already showing the Bruni temper with those little fists.”
The doctor chuckles, “Well, it seems your little one has finally decided to cooperate.”
Glancing between us, she asks, “Would you like to know the gender, or should it remain a surprise?”
I look to Tony for his opinion. He shrugs casually. “I’m not a fan of surprises.”
I turn back to the doctor and tell her we’d like to know.
“Congratulations. It’s a girl,” she says with a big smile.
It feels like my heart has bloomed into a thousand flowers. My eyes drop to my growing belly, swelling with love so intense it’s almost as if I’m holding my daughter already.
But right then, worry creeps in. What if Tony’s disappointed that the baby is a girl? The Bruni family is old-school about sons. The thought of my daughter facing the same indifference I got from my father makes my stomach churn.
I lift my head anxiously to gauge Tony’s reaction.
Before I can look at him, he leans down and kisses my belly, where the gel has been wiped clean. The kiss is quick, but it floods me with a sense of calm, erasing every doubt in its wake.
***
I don’t know how long I’ve been staring at the sonogram photo, but the honk of a car next to us pulls me out of my trance. I glance around, taking in the towering steel and glass buildings of the city, but not even this cold, iron skyline can dull the happiness of today.
Turning to Tony, I let my eyes trace his face—the sharp jaw, dark stubble, thick hair and his perfect body, concealed beneath his impeccable suit.
