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Reagan smiles. "There it is,” she says, pointing at the screen. “Everything looks good--the heartbeat is strong, and I don't see any problems. Gestational age tracks with what you said. I’ll have the nurse call you and give you some dietary information, but..."
Claire lets out a huge sigh of relief, and I feel like I can finally breathe too. The doctor could be saying anything and I don’t think either one of us would be able to hear her. Seeing our baby up there on the screen makes everything feel real, and I'm overwhelmed with emotion.
"Thank you so much, Reagan," Claire says, her voice thick with tears.
"You're welcome," Reagan says with a smile. "It was my pleasure to show you your little one."
As we leave the clinic, I can't stop looking at the picture Reagan printed out for us. It's such a small thing, but it means so much to me. We're really doing this--we're going to be parents.
Claire walks alongside me, her hand still in mine. We don't say anything, but we don't need to. I can feel her excitement and happiness radiating off of her, and it makes me feel like I'm on top of the world.
As we get into the car, Claire turns to me, her eyes shining with tears. "Thank you for being here with me, Gray."
"Always," I say, leaning over to kiss her. "I'm not going anywhere."
We buckle in and I start up the truck as Claire gazes at the picture. "I wish Grandpa was around to see this," she says. "He would be so excited."
I glance over at her as we turn onto the main drag, headed back home. "Do you have any other family you could share it with?"
She shakes her head. "It was always just me and him." Her brow furrows and she looks at me.
I nod. She’s right, old man Sawyer would’ve love to see his granddaughter fall pregnant, and I’m hoping I can honor his memory by taking care of her. That’s all I want to do, take care of Claire and our kid for the rest of my life.
"Gray, do you have any family? I know we've been busy with other things, like the house and uh...the sex," she laughs. "But I feel like you never talk about your family. All I know is that you're from Texas and that you had to leave it all behind."
I stiffen slightly, not wanting her to see my reaction. My family is a sore subject, but she deserves to know.
And then maybe it will give me an opportunity to tell her everything else.
Because I still haven't told her my worst secret.
"I come from a big family," I say. "Four brothers, one sister. Lots of cousins."
Her eyes widen. "Gray--I can't believe you never mentioned it! Do you want to send them the photo of the ultrasound? Have you even told them? Do you want to wait to announce? I know some people prefer..."
I shake my head when she trails off. She must see the weary expression on my face. "Haven't spoken to any of my family since I came up here six years ago," I reply. "Things got tense between us. I'm the middle child and I always just...had this tendency to disappoint them."
Her face falls. "Oh," she says, and despite the disappointment I think I see on her face, she squeezes my leg reassuringly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"Claire," I say, "I want to tell you everything...but not today. Today I want to enjoy just being with you and thinking about our future."
She smiles, her hand on my knee. "Me too."
For the rest of the drive, we talk about our plans for the baby. We discuss names and possible nursery designs. Claire tells me about her dream of opening a little boutique in town, and I tell her about my plans to expand the construction business.
When we get home, we put the ultrasound picture on the fridge, and I feel like I'm on top of the world. Everything feels right--like finally, after all these years, I've found my place.
But as we settle into bed that night, I can't help but think about what I haven't told Claire. My family, my past, my secrets.
I know I need to tell her. But I don't want to ruin this perfect moment. Not yet.
Instead, I wrap my arms around her and hold her close, feeling her warmth and the steady beat of her heart. That's all that matters right now.
Chapter sixteen
Claire
Idon'tthinkI'veever been this happy.
