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“Good morning, Gianni Meraux.”
She shifted to Hailo and tried to mouth ‘is he the father’ discreetly. I appreciated her attempt, for Hailo’s sake, so I played along.
“Yes, he is,” Hailo chuckled.
“Great, it’s nice to have you join us. So today, we’re just going to check the baby’s heartbeat and make sure it’s nice and strong,” she informed me, and I nodded. The doctor rubbed the jelly on Hailo’s stomach while I stared at the screen, waiting for something to appear. “Okay, this is going to be a little cold.”
Listening to my baby’s heartbeat for the first time was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. My grin became lopsided, like two sides of my face couldn’t agree on how to feel. Happiness and disappointment fought for control, but their bout ended in a draw.
“Why does it sound like she’s struggling and beating so fast?” I asked, and a satisfied light came into Hailo’s eyes.
“That’s normal. Their hearts typically beat faster than adults. That’s not a cause for concern but a good question, dad,” she smiled, reassuring me that our baby's health wasn’t jeopardized.
It sounded like a horse galloping in Hailo’s stomach, but I relaxed and allowed the doctor to finish doing her job.
“Are there any questions?” Dr. Fayton asked, alternating between Hailo and me.
“Nope, thank you,” Hailo replied.
“Her diet,” I interrupted, and her lower lip trembled as she returned my glare. “What should she be eating and avoiding?”
Dr. Fayton began typing at the computer before turning back around, “So far, her weight is okay. We like to keep weight gain between twenty and thirty pounds. No matter what the elders say, you are not eating for two. We need just enough weight gain to keep mom and baby healthy, but too much can create a complicated delivery.”
“See, I’m fine.”
“We encourage the same healthy balanced diet even if she wasn’t pregnant. Sufficient water intake, fruits, vegetables, and a healthy amount of protein. That’s our goal.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Dr. Fayton excused herself from the room.
“She ain’t say shit about all that sugar you like,” I fussed, extending a hand to help her off the exam table.
“It had fruit in it too.”
“Barely.”
We made our way out of the building, and Hailo was quiet. For somebody who always had something to say, the silence was alarming.
“Her little ass better keep her legs closed when she comes out,” I joked as we made our way through the parking lot.
“She wants to do what she wants, just like her daddy.”
“Nah, that attitude is all you.”
“You didn’t have a problem with my attitude the night we met,” Hailo jabbed while I held the passenger door open for her.
“It was a lot less hormonal than the one I’m stuck with now.”
“Learn to pull out next time.”
“Some shit is just too good to pass up,” I flirted, causing her to shake away her amusement with my banter.
I watched Hailo with an observant eye wondering which traits my daughter would inherit. My daughter. I couldn’t even believe I was saying that. Listening to her heartbeat made mine sing in the oddest way. I was in love with this little person I had never met. It felt weird, but I would do anything for her—the same way I would her mother.
Hailo claimed she wasn’t hungry and opted for a salad, but somehow, her fork spent more time in my food than my own. I didn’t understand why Hailo didn’t order a steak of her own. She said she didn’t expect it to taste so good, so I grabbed another to go.
“What are we doing here?” Hailo asked, finally looking up from her phone as I parked.
