Page 21 of The Decoy

“Go ahead and lie back, Ellis,” Dr. Chen says gently, stepping over to a computer terminal. “Dad, you can pull an armchair right next to her.”

He doesn’t move right away. He waits until I’m settled on the exam table first. Then he grabs the chair, pulling it close, resting his forearms on his thighs, his attention completely on me.

“Okay, so we’re at twelve weeks today. How are your physical symptoms since your last visit?”

“Not a lot, really,” I tell her. “The fatigue is very real, though. I feel like I need a lot of naps. Especially around two or three in the afternoon. But it’s manageable for the most part.”

“That’s perfectly normal,” the doctor agrees with a nod. “As you enter the second trimester, your hormone levels will stabilize a bit, which usually brings a bit more energy. Today’s scan will give us some numbers on fetal growth. We’ll measure crown-to-rump, assess anatomical development, and evaluate nuchal translucency. Are you ready to see what’s going on in there?”

“Oh, okay. Yes! I didn’t realize we would jump into it so fast,” I say, nervous excitement washing over me.

“We should be able to get what we need to see now that the baby is a little larger, so I just need you to lift your shirt up or unbutton it to your bra line.”

I unbutton the bottom buttons on my blouse and tuck the fabric under my bra to expose my belly. The cool air hits my skin, making goosebumps rise on my arms.

Dr. Chen grabs the bottle of ultrasound gel, shaking it a bit. “This shouldn’t be cold. We keep the gel in a warmer.”

The minute the gel touches my skin, I suck in a breath.

Before I can exhale, a warm hand covers mine.

I look at Brody’s hand wrapped around my trembling hand on the table.

“You okay?” he asks in a low rumble, his eyes searching mine protectively.

“I’m good,” I whisper, my fingers automatically lacing through his, squeezing gently. “Just a weird sensation.”

“Okay, I got you,” he murmurs softly.

He doesn’t pull his hand back. He stays right where he is with his fingers tightly entwined with mine. Like he’s my anchor.

Dr. Chen presses the ultrasound wand onto my lower abdomen, spreading the clear gel across my skin. The high-definition monitor mounted on the wall flickers from a dark grey blank screen to a black and white image.

“Okay…let’s see here,” she says, moving the wand around my belly.

And then my breath catches.

On the screen is a clear, distinct shape. It’s not just a flutter like it was a few weeks ago. I can actually see a human profile. I see the feet, hands tucked near the chest, and a round head.

As we watch, the baby gives a little kick, bouncing against the wall of my uterus before settling back down.

“Look at that,” Brody whispers beside me.

His deep voice is stripped of its usual steady calm and is thick with something like he’s awestruck.

I turn my head to look at him. He’s leaning forward in his chair, his eyes fixed on the screen. He looks completely transfixed. The strong professional athlete who shattered a defensive line a few nights ago looks a bit undone. His jaw slackens, and his eyes shine in the dim light as he stares at the tiny human on the screen.

“Heartbeat is strong and steady,” Dr. Chen announces, clicking a button on her control panel. “I’ll turn the audio on so you can hear it.”

Suddenly, the room fills with the rapid, rhythmic sound I’ve been thinking about.

It’s fast, vibrant, and overwhelmingly powerful—a loud, beautiful beat echoing through the speakers like a little engine of pure life.

I feel like I’m about to cry, but I bite down hard on my lip, desperately trying to keep myself together, but it’s hopeless. A single tear escapes, followed by more until they’re running down my cheek.

Without hesitation, Brody raises his free hand and brushes some of my tears away with his thumb, with unbelievable tenderness.

“You hear that, Princess?” he murmurs, his voice sounding thick, like mine probably would if I could actually speak. His hand lingers against my face for a second before wrapping it around my forearm. “That’s a strong little heart right there.”