Page 61 of Shark’s Rise

And so was our child.

The conflict raged through my head as the technician entered a bunch of information into the machine. I must have gotten obvious about it, because Abbigail squeezed my hand and gave me a definite “settle down” look. Since she’d shot it my way before during these appointments, she obviously thought I was pulling my typical “impatient patient” routine. In many ways, she had a point. I had to concentrate on what mattered here, damn it. Her and our baby.

After the technician asked me to dim the lights in the room via the switch by the door, she squirted a liberal amount of gel on Abbi’s growing belly. When she swirled the wand around in the goo and then pressed the device in, an image came to life on the screen.

The air stopped in my throat. Abbi’s breath hitched, as well.

We had seen the baby a bunch of times now, but every occasion was amazing. The little person was getting bigger and was starting to look less like an alien. Abbi was sixteen weeks pregnant now, and all things were going along as expected. Because of the severe morning sickness, she had barely gained weight, but the baby was growing right along the standard growth curve. Thank fuck.

The ultrasound technician prattled on about the measurements she was taking, pressing the wand in at different places, tapping away at the screen to measure “long bones,” as she called them, as well as the baby’s length, position, and so on.

Through the whole process, Abbi kept up her tough grip on my hand. A few times, I had to remind her to breathe, because it seemed like she wasn’t. The tech would ask her to turn a certain way, or reposition her arm, but for the most part, we were both just observers.

Finally, the tech posed her last—and biggest—question.

“Were we wanting to know the sex? You’re at sixteen weeks. It’s early, but I think we can all plainly see. Did we already see? I mean, it’s pretty obvious.”

The woman gave a condescending chuckle. I glowered. Luckily, Abbi was feeling more gracious.

“We would like to know, yes,” she answered.

“Well…” The woman slid the wand over Abbi’s belly, positioning it so the image became clear right between our baby’s legs. “You have a very cooperative little man here today.” She placed an arrow graphic on the screen and froze the picture so the end was right at a little penis.

“Oh, my God,” Abbi sobbed.

“Definitely a boy!” the technician chirped.

“A boy…” No way could I hold back the wonder and love in my voice. I was gutted. Transfixed. Awestruck.

“I’ll go log in and make sure all the images are emailed to you. Congratulations! You can get cleaned up, Ms. Gibson, and I’ll be right back.”

As Abbigail sat up again, she found my gaze with her tear-filled stare. “So…are you happy?” There was a heartfelt glitch in her voice. Though the room was still dim, I watched her chin wobble. “You thought it would be a girl. Was that because you really wanted one more than a boy? I mean, are you still good with—”

“Are you kidding?” My voice cracked with the emotion flooding my entire body. My hands shook as I cupped her cheeks. My lips sought hers for a fervent, velvet kiss. “I’m over the fucking moon, baby. He’s healthy and right on track. Thank you.” I kissed her again. “Thank you.”

She laughed while forming her fingers atop my own. “Well, you’re welcome—but news flash, my love… You helped.”

“Jesus Christ. I’m having a son.” As she started getting dressed again, I spun around and stabbed my hands through my hair. I tugged on the ends in a desperate motion. More tears choked me. I could barely move oxygen into my lungs. “A son…”

Abbi stood up. The paper drape fell to the floor, and her little dress dropped over her body. I swept her into a tight, trembling hold. We held each other for long moments, racked by feelings we didn’t know how to express. Was this how it was for everyone? The disbelief. The euphoria. The excitement.

And the love.

Holy shit. So much love.

Finally, I leaned back. I had to see Abbi’s face again, to confirm she comprehended even half the storm that was overtaking me. Elation swelled through me, erupting in a laugh, when I witnessed her amazed smile, joyous flush, and joy-sparkled stare.

“You knew from the very beginning,” I murmured to her. “You kept saying it was a boy.”

“Welll…” She gave me an adorable shrug. “I just had a feeling—and about two thousand visits to the porcelain god.” She rolled her eyes and snickered softly. “He’s already a force of nature.”

“Like his mama,” I husked, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Like his daddy,” she said, wiping them away as hers flowed freely.

“We’re having a boy!” I bent low and grabbed her hips. As I hoisted her up and twirled her around, a giddy squeal spilled from her. “Can you believe it?”

“Oh, I think I can.” She laughed again as I settled her back on her feet.