Epilogue
Caden
4 months later
“Are you nervous?”
I look over at Adrienne and give her a fast smile. “Nope, not at all.”
“You sure?” she asks, reaching over and placing a gentle hand on my bouncing leg.
My body relaxes a bit, but my heart is still racing in my chest. Leaning over, I brush my lips against hers, not caring that there are others nearby. She’s all I see, all I care about. Well, she and the baby.
“Adrienne?” We both stand up and turn toward the woman standing in the doorway. She gives us a quick smile before asking Adrienne to verify her name and date of birth. “Come this way,” she says, holding open the door.
We follow her down the hallway, stopping at one of the nurse’s cubicles. I know Adrienne hates this part, but I love it. Every pound she gains is almost prideful to me. She’s growing our baby, and even though she grumbles about gaining weight, I find it beautiful and amazing.
Just like she is.
Watching her body slowly change these last few months has been nothing short of spectacular. Her boobs grew, and I haven’t been able to keep my hands off them. Her hips seem a bit curvier, much to her dismay, but my favorite change came in the last few weeks. Her belly just popped. One morning, I looked down and there was a bump. I’ve never been more excited— and horny—in my life. My love for her grew tremendously and continues to grow every day.
I stay back, keeping my eyes on the ground as they go through the pre-appointment check-in. She hates watching the number on the scale climb, so I respect her boundaries by not making it a big deal—even though that number doesn’t bother me in the least. Her blood pressure is logged, and she’s handed a cup to pee in to check her sugars. I’ve been to each and every appointment and have the process down now.
When she returns from the restroom across the hall, we’re led to the technician’s room. This one is farther down than normal, one used for the ultrasounds. Today we’re going to find out the sex of our baby, and I couldn’t be more excited.
And nervous.
“The tech will be in shortly to do the ultrasound,” the nurse says before closing the door and leaving us alone.
I glance around the room, taking in the machine that’ll tell us if we’re having a boy or a girl. I don’t care either way, but I’m leaning toward a boy. It’s a gut feeling I have, and even though she’s asked me before what I think we’ll have, I’ve kept my prediction to myself.
“You okay?” I ask, standing beside her as she sits on the table.
“More than okay. I can’t believe I’m halfway there already,” she replies, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
“Not much longer now,” I insist, even though there’s roughly twenty-weeks left. “It’ll fly by.”
She snorts. “If you say so,” she grumbles, clearly not believing me, as a knock sounds on the door.
“Hi, Adrienne. I’m Ella. Are you ready for your ultrasound?”
“Yep,” she replies immediately.
“Are you wanting to know the sex of the baby today? Or do I need to keep it a secret for a big reveal?” she asks, looking between myself and the mother of my child.
“We want to know,” Adrienne replies, glancing to me for confirmation.
I nod. “Yep, we want to know. We’re going to tell our friends this weekend, but we’re not doing one of those reveal things.”
She nods in understanding. “All right, let’s get started.” She sits down on a stool, moving the machine beside the table.
My heart hammers in my chest, but I offer Adrienne a gentle, reassuring smile. We’re about to find out if we’re buying pink or blue. Boy or girl. Son or daughter. I can’t wait.
“I’m going to take a few measurements first,” she informs us before placing a blob of goo and the wand against Adrienne’s stomach. Our baby fills the screen. “Look at that,” she says, smiling.
We both watch as our child’s limbs come into view. The tech takes measurements of everything, from arms to head and various organs. It’s fascinating to watch, even if I don’t really know what she’s doing. The fact I get to see our baby move around is all I need.
“Are you sure you want to know the sex of your baby?”
“You can tell?” I ask, hoping we’re not going to be sent away without finding out.
“Oh, yeah,” she replies with a chuckle. “He’s giving quite the peep show right now.” She points to the screen. “See that? That’s your son’s boy parts.”
My son.
It’s a boy.
We’re having a son.
I look up at Adrienne, her eyes leaking tears. “A son.”
I move, pressing my lips to hers. “We’re having a boy,” I say aloud, letting this incredible feeling wash over me. “And by the look on the screen, he’s very well-endowed like his daddy.”
Adrienne barks out a laugh, shaking her head. “Oh my God, stop. You can’t say that here.”
Ella just laughs. “Believe me, it’s not the first time I’ve heard that during an ultrasound. Congratulations, Mom and Dad. Your son looks very healthy. I’ll print out a few images so you can take them home with you and share them when you’re ready to tell your family and friends.”
While she does her thing, I continue to hold Adrienne’s hand, leaning my head against hers. “I love you so much,” I whisper.
“I love you too,” she repeats carefully, batting at fresh tears.
“Move in with me.” It’s a question I’ve asked a handful of times over the last few months, and each time she’s responded with a smile and a “soon,” so I don’t pressure her. I know we’ll get there, and even though we’re not technically living together, we rarely spend a night apart. I’m either at her place or she’s at mine. We both seem to sleep better when we’re together.
“Okay.”
Her answer catches me off guard. “What? Really?”
She nods. “It’s time.”
Smiling, I kiss her briefly, yet deeply, as we wait for the tech to complete her job. “It is time.” I exhale, pressing my forehead gently against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
Impossible, but I don’t argue. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.”
She cups my jaw with her hand and smiles. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Being everything I didn’t realize I was missing and needing.”
I exhale and close my eyes, letting this moment wash over me. “Same, love. Same.”