“Okay, are you ready for a scan?” Dr. Greene asks, turning her attention back to Charli.
“Yes.” Charli sounds both excited and nervous.
“We’re going to do a quick pelvic exam too, which is standard practice at first OB appointments. We check the uterus, ovaries, and cervix, and also make sure we don’t detect any issues. It’s quick and mildly invasive, all things considered.”
“Well, I have to get used to having someone rooting around down there,” she mutters, lying back on the exam table.
“That is true, though I’ll only do it when absolutely necessary,” Dr. Greene states. “I’ll do the exam first to get that out of the way, and then we’ll take a look with the ultrasound machine.”
Charli nods and places her feet up in the stirrups. Because of my position in the chair, I’m just off to her left, and while I don’t have a direct view of what’s happening, I do have a leg positioned near me. I drop my head and rest my elbows on my knees, keeping my gaze down.
“All done, Dad. You can look now,” Dr. Greene says, removing disposable gloves and tossing them in the trash.
I glance over to Charli, who gives me a tight smile. Moving the chair a little closer, I’m able to reach her hand, which is lyingon the table. I thread my fingers through hers and give it a gentle squeeze in support.
Dr. Greene pulls a small machine over and types on the keyboard. “We’re going to do a transvaginal ultrasound today. This little wand will be inserted, and I’ll be able to get a good look at the baby. I’ll take measurements, and we should be able to hear the heartbeat. Next month, you should be far enough along to use the Doppler, so this type of exam won’t be necessary.”
I watch closely as she preps the wand and gets it into position. “Ready?”
Charli nods. I feel her tense, but it’s quickly forgotten as movement fills the screen. It’s hard to describe what I see—or, I guess more accurately, what I don’t see—because I have no clue what it is. It’s a little fuzzy, like an old TV with static, with a little blobbish circle in the middle.
“Okay, Mom and Dad, say hello to your baby,” she says, making sure the monitor is facing us and pointing to the screen.
My eyes burn as I see our little peanut on the screen for the first time.
“Heartbeat looks good and strong, coming in at one forty.”
I already know a baby’s heartbeat is much faster than a normal beat per minute, so it doesn’t concern me when she shares the higher number. She does a little more measuring, and my eyes bounce from the woman on the table to the image on the screen.
When I see a tear slide down Charli’s face, disappearing into her hairline above her ear, I reach out and brush away the trail. She glances at me, her eyes filled with happy tears as she gives me a watery little smile.
“I’ve printed off a few photos for you, and the ultrasound confirmed the due date. We’ll see you every four weeks for prenatal appointments, and then when we reach about twentyweeks, we’ll do additional screenings and an anatomy scan. That’s the fun ultrasound, and if you want to know the sex of the baby, we do what we can to find that out. We know a lot of expectant parents do gender reveal parties, so if you have anything planned, just let the nurse and tech know before the scan is done so they don’t accidentally reveal something you’re not ready for.”
“Okay,” Charli says, in the sitting position now.
“I’d also like you to start prenatal vitamins. You can get those over the counter at any pharmacy, but if you prefer a prescription, just let us know.”
“Will do. Thank you, Dr. Greene,” Charli says.
“You’re welcome, and congratulations.”
She exits the room, leaving us alone.
“I’ll turn so you can dress,” I state, standing up and spinning around to face the ivory painted wall once more.
“Quinn?”
I glance over my shoulder. Charli’s still sitting there, a single tear sliding down her face. “Thank you for coming with me.”
Spinning back around, I take her hands with mine and give them a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be at every single appointment. You can count on that. I’ll be right beside you every step of the way.”
She gives me a grateful little grin. “Okay.”
“Now, let’s get out of here. We’ve got dinner with your family coming up.” I press my lips to her forehead and turn back around, releasing her hands as I go.
I’d much rather take her in my arms and kiss her soundly, but not until I know where we’re headed. I wish I could tell if she is just emotional from the appointment or what, but I just don’t know.
Charli gets up and dresses, and I think about what’s going to happen when we get to her parents’ house. The plan is to tell everyone about the baby, and I’m certain the announcementwill come with mixed emotions. Not where the baby’s concerned—no, there will only be excitement and happiness for that—but specifically about my part in the equation.
