Chapter Five #3
Yet, here he is. Sitting in a chair too small for him, holding my hand, wiping away my tears, and looking at my baby on the screen with pure wonder and more care than the baby’s biological father will likely ever show.
“Brody, I know I keep saying this, but thank you,” I say softly, my voice trembling.
“For what?” he asks, tilting his head, his thumb tracing circles over the back of my hand.
“Just for being here,” I say, looking down at our joint hands. “For driving in from Jersey at seven in the morning. For making sure I don’t have to sit here by myself.”
Brody stands slowly. He’s so tall he towers over me, but there’s not a single intimidating thing about him. He leans over me, placing his hand on my shoulder, his palm radiating comforting heat through the fabric of my silk blouse.
“I told you from day one,” he says, his voice dropping into a low, fiercely loyal murmur that vibrates straight to my core. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I’m in your corner. Period.”
Some kind of magnetic tension settles between us that’s electric and completely undeniable.
His thumb brushes lightly against the column of my neck, his gaze dropping to my lips for a second before rising back up to hold my eyes. My breath hitches in my throat.
We’re standing right on the edge of something that might be completely out of my control. But before either of us moves, the door handle clicks, breaking whatever was happening between us.
Brody steps back an inch, lowering his hand from my shoulder, though his fingers brush gently against mine one last time before dropping to his side.
Dr. Chen steps back into the room holding a folder.
“Here are some information packets for you to start reviewing stages of development and to start helping you think about a birth plan. I know it seems early, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about how you visualize the birth,” she says, handing me the light purple folder.
“With everything looking right on track, we’ll go ahead and schedule your sixteen-week check for weeks from today.
I’m also including an order for blood work.
This is what we call a double-marker test, which lets us measure specific proteins to determine whether there are any chromosomal or genetic issues.
We also get the sex of the baby, so if you’d like to keep that a surprise, make sure you let us know so we don’t spoil it for you. ”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about any of that. Thank you for telling me,” I say, looking up at Brody. “And as far as knowing the sex of the baby, I think yes. Right?” I’m still looking at Brody, like he really is part of this decision.
“Up to you, Princess,” he says, chuckling. “I think you’ll feel better knowing so you can plan all the baby things.”
“Very true,” I say, nodding. “So then, yes, we want to know.”
We?
Well, that just slipped out.
“Okay then, you’re all set. You can pick up the blood work order at the desk when you check out. See you soon,” she says with a wave and walks to the door.
“Thank you, Dr. Chen,” I say with a steady smile, though my heart feels like it’s flapping around my chest. So many things spinning through my mind.
After I check out, collect my blood work order, and make a pit stop in the restroom, we finally step out of the building into the hazy morning light, trying to burn through the clouds.
Brody walks beside me, his strides matching my pace, his jacket slung over his shoulder instead of on, despite the cold. And I hold the medical folder against my chest, feeling a little lighter than I did walking into the office earlier.
“You hungry?” Brody asks when we reach his truck. He turns to face me, resting one forearm on the top of the passenger door frame, and looks down at me with a playful smirk. “Did you get to eat breakfast?”
“Actually, I’m starving,” I admit, looking into his eyes. “Where are you taking me?”
“I know a quiet little diner about three blocks over,” he says, his smile widening and his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Best blueberry pancakes in Manhattan. Huge portions and more of a locals-only place. So we shouldn’t have too many people bothering us.”
“You sold me on blueberry pancakes.” I smile, stepping up onto the truck runner to climb in.
He closes my door, then walks around the front of the hood while I buckle my seatbelt and pull out the ultrasound photos I’d put in the folder.
I trace a finger over the image, staring down at the perfect outline of my baby.
This motherhood journey of mine hasn’t started the way I had ever imagined.
It’s a little messy, complicated, and filled with potential chaos.
But when Brody opens the driver’s door, climbs into the seat beside me, and turns on the ignition, while giving me a crooked smile, the butterflies go crazy in my belly.
And I realize something with absolute clarity, and maybe a little fear.
I don’t want to take a single step of this wild ride without him. Because this friendship of ours is starting to feel a little less worklike and casual and more like something else I can’t quite name yet.