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She cleared her throat. “I’ll print a picture for you.”
She then removed the wand, and the image disappeared. My chest remained heavy with emotion as I got dressed. After she handed me the printout, Sig and I went back to the waiting room. I stopped at the desk to make my next appointment as he waited by the exit.
We were quiet as we walked out together. I didn’t want to say something dumb that would undermine how difficult it must have been for him to see his child for the first time without its mother being alive.
When we’d settled in the car, rather than start the engine, he laid his head back on the seat.
“That made it feel real, right?” I murmured.
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“February tenth. Hope you don’t have plans.”
He turned to me. “That’s Britney’s birthday.”
My stomach dropped to the floor. “Oh. That’s… Wow. I didn’t know.”
He looked out the window. “Chances are it won’t be born on the due date, but yeah…”
I placed my hand on his forearm. “Are you okay?”
He turned to me and forced a slight smile. “I’m fine.”
I offered him the photo. “You want to keep this?”
“No.” He shook his head. “You keep it.”
“Alright.” I slipped the printout into my purse. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“After I drop you off, I have to head back to the office.”
“I’m actually going to Felicity’s, since I took the rest of the day off,” I told him. “She invited me over. Leo has some event tonight, and she wanted company. You want to skip work and come along?”
“No. But thank you. I have far too much to do.”
“Okay.” I feigned a smile, disappointed that I probably wouldn’t see him again for a while.
CHAPTER 21
Abby
Track 21: “Crush” by Jennifer Paige
“Oh my God. It looks like a little acorn.” Felicity gushed over the ultrasound image I’d taken out to show her.
We’d just finished eating, and now she and I sat in the living room as Eloise played with her dolls on the floor. I looked at the photo for the first time since I’d placed it in my purse earlier, and tears filled my eyes.
“Oh no.” Felicity’s expression darkened. “Did I say something to upset you?”
“No. You’re fine.” I sniffled. “It’s just… I’ve been emotional ever since I saw the heartbeat. But I didn’t want to cry in front of Sig earlier. Didn’t feel like I had a right to. So I guess it’s coming out now.”
She stood and grabbed me a tissue. “You haveeveryright. You’re just as much a part of this experience as anyone else—the biggest part, if you ask me.”
I blew my nose. “I didn’t expect to be so emotional about it.”
“How was he during the appointment?”
“At first he seemed reluctant to be there, but when that little heartbeat was up on the screen, he was transfixed. He admitted in the car that it made everything seem real. Then he told me the due date is Britney’s birthday.”
