35. Look At Our Child
35
LOOK AT OUR CHILD
“ I ’m not sure which one of us is more excited,” Angel said the next month. They’d just parked and were making their way in for her ultrasound appointment.
They wouldn’t even miss work today because the appointment was scheduled for seven thirty, followed by her appointment at eight that Coy was going to attend.
“I don’t care what the sex is, do you?”
“No,” she said. “I just want the baby to be healthy and everything to look good. You know, no extra ears or toes.”
He laughed. “That would be a plus,” he said. “But if there were extra ears, I hope they are small like yours.”
Things had gotten better since she’d lost her patience with Coy a month ago.
He finally stopped trying to baby her. The one thing he knew she hated yet he fell into that damn trap.
She had talked to Helena one day and felt much better about things.
She knew Coy loved her, but it was very hard to accept having everything done for her and paid for.
Good thing Helena hadn’t told her at that visit that in their family the grandparents bought the nursery furniture.
She’d started to shop for it, asked Coy his opinion, and when she was going to order it on his card so he didn’t throw a fit, had been told she couldn’t.
Her mother told her to just let it go. Coy was right—she knew what she was getting into with him and wasn’t sure why it was bothering her as much as it was.
He held the door open for her, and before they could get to their office, she heard Coy’s name called and turned.
“Hey, Garrett,” he said, moving forward. “On the island working?”
“I’m here for the year,” he said. “It’s been a few months already.” The guy’s eyes landed on hers, her hand on the door to the office. “Congrats on the wedding.”
“Garrett, this is my wife, Angel. Angel, Dr. Garrett Mills. A cousin. First cousin to Ava. Lots of doctors on the Mills’s side of the family.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand.
Garrett’s eyes grinned as he followed her gaze to the office she was going into, but he didn’t say a word.
“I’ll let you get on your way,” Garrett said. “Talk to you soon.”
“See you,” Coy said.
“Will he say anything?” she asked.
“No. Nothing to say. You could just be going in for an appointment and I’m with you,” he said.
“The fast marriage and all, I’m sure he’s thinking what others will too,” she said.
“And we don’t care,” he said, kissing her head. “Right?”
“Right,” she lied. She went to the window and said, “Angel Jansen for my ultrasound.”
She’d filled out all her paperwork last week to have her name and license changed to Bond. It could take several more months for it to go through. She hoped she’d be able to say Dr. Angel Bond before the baby was born, but she wasn’t positive.
“Have a seat,” the woman said after she checked in. “If you need more water, it’s over there.”
She held her water bottle up. “I’m good. I’m floating right now. Or at least it feels that way.”
Thank God for scrubs. She was twenty weeks along. Halfway through, but had gained seven pounds. She wasn’t complaining. Most of it was in her boobs, or at least it felt that way.
Her belly had a little bump to it, where it was thicker prior.
None of her fitted clothes could be worn, which had her wearing leggings or pants that were baggier. She was still able to hide the pregnancy well but didn’t think she’d have much longer. Everything she read said she might be popping out pretty soon.
She was starting to feel the baby move now and wished Coy could. It was more like bubbles than anything, but it was there and had her heart racing with excitement.
“Should we take a bet on the sex?” he asked. “Bode and Drew are.”
“What do they think?” she asked.
“They both think it’s going to be a girl,” he said. “I think Drew just wants his daughter to have someone to play with.”
Amanda was due in a few weeks with Baby Harper Bond.
“I think it’s going to be a boy,” she said. “My mother told me she felt the same way as me as she did with Spencer. The way I’m carrying the baby.”
“How is that?” he asked.
“Boobs and belly, nothing else. It’s all in the front.”
“We do have strong male genes in our family,” he said. “I’m going to be happy either way.”
“Not even going to tell me what you think?” she asked. “I just told you I think it’s a boy, but will be happy either way.”
“I think it’s a boy too,” he said. “Or maybe it’s your brother who keeps saying it and asking if the middle name is going to be Spencer.”
She laughed. “We haven’t even talked names.”
“We can do that after we find out. Did you write any down like we talked about?” he asked.
“I’ve got a few. How about you?”
“I might have a few too,” he said.
“Angel,” a tech said, coming into the room.
“That’s me,” she said, standing up.
Coy stood up with her. They were both in scrubs for work today.
“I’m Brooke,” the tech said. “I’m going to be doing your ultrasound today. First off, do you want to know the sex of your child?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Then we’ll try to see if we can get some cooperation,” Brooke said. “It might result in me pressing on your belly some to get the baby to move if need be.”
“Hope I don’t wet myself,” she said. “This is a horrible feeling.”
“I know,” Brooke said. “But it’s worth it. I’m going to have you lie down on the table and lift your shirt. You can tuck this towel around the waist of your pants.”
She did as instructed, Coy sitting in the chair next to her.
The warm gel was squirted on her belly and the wand started to move around.
“Look at our child,” Coy said.
She turned her head to see the soft smile on his face and his eyes a bit glossy. She’d been paying more attention to the screen than him.
“I see,” she said.
He reached for her hand and held it. “You’re twenty weeks?” Brooke asked.
“Yes,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
It was the frown on Brooke’s face that had her worried. “You’ve got a big baby here if you’re twenty weeks.”
“How big?” Coy asked.
“I’d say the baby is measuring closer to three weeks further along,” Brooke said. She was clicking on the wand and taking pictures and measurements. “A little over seven inches, when normally at twenty weeks it’s under six and a half inches. I’d say the weight is about one pound and one ounce, so about six ounces more than average.”
“I’m a big guy,” he said. “So are my brothers. Their kids were close to ten pounds.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” she said. “Oh my God.”
Brooke laughed. “That would account for this. How big were you?”
“I was twelve weeks premature, so it won’t count.”
“No,” Brooke said.
“How is the baby’s heart?” she asked. “Any issues?”
She turned to look at Coy. They hadn’t talked about this, but it was this fear in her mind that maybe their child could have the same issues she did, though she’d been told it wasn’t hereditary.
Brooke brought the wand over after a few more measurements and showed the heart. “Looks great. Beating strong and steady. I’ll grab a few pictures of all the organs, and oh. Your child wants you to know the sex. I’m going to grab that now with the wiggling going on.”
“Is that what I think it is?” Coy asked.
“It’s a boy,” Brooke said, taking more pictures.
Angel couldn’t think of anything else at that point. Her relief at knowing everything looked well was overshadowed by the sex of their child.
A boy. She’d been right.
Brooke printed off a few pictures for them to take with them and then Angel went into the bathroom. After a few minutes, Coy knocked on the door, “Are you okay?”
“Can I have some privacy? My bladder was super filled. It won’t stop.”
She heard him laughing and finally felt as if she was done. When she went to stand up, she realized she wasn’t and sat back down.
“That was horrible,” she said, walking out. “But definitely worth it.”
“Come here,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Are you as happy as me?”
“I think more,” she said. “I’ve been so nervous.”
“Nervous instead of excited?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“Why haven’t you said anything?” he asked.
“Because I know you were too and we both didn’t need to get the other worked up.”
“Guilty,” he said. “But we could have comforted the other.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” she said. “Or I think it wouldn’t have helped. I needed to see all of this to feel better. I can’t wait to call my mother.”
“We said when we got to the car we were doing it together,” he said.
“We will,” she said. “Let’s go wait for my appointment with the doctor now. You’ll get to hear the baby’s heart in there too.”
When they left the office thirty minutes later, they got in the car and both called their mothers to share the news. She sent Spencer a text, knowing he wasn’t always around to answer, while Coy texted his brothers.
“Well,” he said. “What are the names you’re thinking?”
“You go first,” she said.
He pulled his paper out. She did the same.
He handed over his. “I wrote down two names.”
“I’ve got three,” she said. “Let’s open them together. One, two, three.” She looked down and saw his second name was her first name.
“Holy shit,” he said. “Seriously? We both were thinking the same thing.”
“Close enough,” she said. “To me that is it. No need to talk about it more. I don’t like the first name on your list anyway. Sorry.”
“That’s fine,” he said, “because to me they were about equal in my mind.”
“I guess Zachery, it is,” she said.
“Zachery Spencer,” he said. “We can’t let your brother down.”
“No,” she said. “We can’t.”