Olivia inhaled shakily, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blanket.“She said that, right now, we're both healthy.”
My heart swelled, and I couldn't stop the grin that spread across my face.Olivia looked at me uncertainly.“You're happy?”
“Of course I'm happy.I love you, and we're having a baby.”The words felt surreal coming out of my mouth, but also incredibly right.
Her lips trembled, fresh tears sparkling in her eyes.But this time, there was a glimmer of joy behind them.“I love you so much, Carter.”
I pulled her closer until her head rested on my chest.
“We're having a baby,” I whispered, testing the words on my tongue.
Olivia's fingers curled into my shirt.“You're not freaking out?”
“Oh, I'm absolutely freaking out.But in a good way.”
She tilted her head up to look at me.“What about work?And Ethan?And?—”
I pressed a finger to her lips.“We'll figure it out.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she released her death-grip on my shirt.I kissed her forehead then her nose then her mouth.“Get some rest.You and our little sunshine need it.”
As Olivia drifted off to sleep, I held her close and thought about the life growing inside her.It didn’t feel quite real yet, my brain was still playing catch up.Fear and excitement battled within me, but one thing was certain—I was all in.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
OLIVIA
The whoosh-whoosh-whoosh filled the room,rapid and strong.I held my breath as I heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time.Hot tears welled up, and I gripped Carter's hand tighter.
“Is that...?”He stared wide-eyed at the grainy black-and-white image on the screen.
Mel nodded, a warm smile spreading across her face.“That's your baby's heartbeat.Strong and healthy, just what we want to see.”
My eyes were glued to the monitor.The tiny blob on the screen barely resembled a baby, but knowing that it was ours—a little piece of Carter and me—made it the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
“Look at that,” Carter whispered.He leaned in closer, squinting as if trying to memorize every detail.“That's our kid.”
Our kid.The reality of it hit me all at once, and a sob rose in my chest.This man who had freed me from so much of pain—both physical and emotional—was the father of my child.Our child.
“You okay, Sunny?”Carter’s thumb caressed the back of my hand.I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.Mel handed me a tissue.
“Happy tears are very common in this room,” she said.“Now, let's take a closer look and get some measurements.”
As she moved the ultrasound wand over my gel-covered belly, I thought back to how nervous we'd both been when we arrived at the office.The waiting room had been filled with other expectant couples, some further along than us, others looking as nervous as we felt.I'd fidgeted with a pamphlet, my eyes darting around the room, feeling like an imposter among these “real” pregnant women.
But Carter had been there for me, as always.He'd held my hand, giving it reassuring squeezes whenever he sensed my anxiety rising.When the nurse called my name, startling us both, we'd exchanged a look that said everything words couldn't.Come what may, we were in this together.
Now, watching Mel point out different features on the ultrasound, I felt a sense of calm.This was real.We were really doing this.
Carter's voice pulled me from my thoughts.“So, what exactly are we looking at here, Doc?I mean, I can seesomething, but...”
Mel chuckled.“Don't worry, it's normal to have trouble making sense of ultrasound images at first.Here, let me show you.”
She pointed to different areas on the screen, explaining what we were seeing.“This curved part here is the head.And see this fluttering movement?That's the heart.”
I watched Carter's face as he attempted to decipher the blurry image.The look of wonder in his eyes brought an exquisite ache to my chest.
He peered closer, head tilted to one side.”It's so small.”
