Chapter 22 #2
I didn’t tell her we were going to the Mafia clinic, which we arrive at a few minutes later. All the doctors and nurses here are on our payroll, which means that my men and I are always their top priority if something happens, because let’s face it, some shit is always happening.
“What are we doing here?” Aria asks with confusion in her eyes.
“I brought you here so we can get a 3D scan of our little girl. I thought it would be nice to finally get to see our baby together.”
“That’s so sweet. I would love that,” she tells me with tears in her eyes. “I wished so many times for you to be there with me so we could see her together.”
I pull her in and place a kiss on her forehead. My men nod to let me know it’s clear, and we step out of the vehicle. As we step into the clinic, one of the doctors rushes over to us.
“Hello, Mr. Andretti. It’s so good to see you today,” he tells me with a polite smile on his face.
“Good to see you too, Doc,” I reply.
“Everything is all ready for you if you’d follow me,” he says before walking away, and Aria and I follow along.
We step into the room, and I walk Aria over to the exam table that’s already prepped and ready to go.
“Hello, Miss Bellucci. My name is Dr. Wilson, and I’ll be taking care of you today. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing great so far,” she tells the doctor, and I listen intently to the conversation to make sure I don’t miss anything.
“That’s good to hear. Are you feeling the baby move regularly?”
“Yes. She’s quite the kicker,” she says, and both the doctor and I let out a chuckle.
“Have you experienced any cramping, contractions, or tightening in your belly?”
“No.”
“Any kind of bleeding or unusual discharge?”
“No.”
“Any swelling in your hands, feet, or face?”
“Just a bit of swelling in my feet.”
“Okay. I would avoid standing for long periods and make sure you keep your feet elevated. Also, wear comfortable shoes and ensure you’re staying hydrated,” he instructs.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“Have you been having any headaches, dizziness, or vision changes?”
“No. Just some headaches here and there, but it wasn’t too bad,” she tells him, and I make a note to be more on top of things when it comes to her health.
“Okay, that’s a good sign. Any back pain or pelvic pressure?”
“Just some back pain.”
“Is it severe or does it feel like cramping?”
“No, it’s not severe, and I don’t have any cramping.”
“Good. So, this goes back to not standing or sitting for too long, and you can also apply heat or use a warm compress to help relieve some of the pain.”
“Will do.” She nods.
“How are your energy levels?”
“Good as of right now.”
“Are you sleeping, okay? And how’s your appetite?”
“Yes. Sleep has been good, and my appetite is normal,” she tells the doc. Holy hell! I didn’t know pregnancy entailed all of these questions and shit.
“That’s all good to hear. It looks like you’re doing well at this stage of your pregnancy. Now, if you’re both ready, we’ll take a look and see if we can get a good 3D image today.”
“We’re ready, Doc,” I tell him. I’m so fucking excited to see my baby girl.
“Go ahead and lie back,” he tells Aria. She settles back on the table, and I move to stand up beside her to help lift her shirt up.
“You okay, baby?” I'm just checking to make sure she’s doing well.
“Yes! I’m so excited because I didn’t get a 3D scan of her,” she gushes with elation in her voice. She instinctively grabs for my hand, and I wrap my fingers around hers. “Are you excited?”
“You have no idea how much,” I say, looking down at her with a gentle smile. She lets out a cute little shiver when the doctor places the gel on her stomach. “Is it cold?”
“Yes. But it’s not too bad.”
“Sorry. That part is never any fun for anyone,” the doctor says with a smile on his face. If he doesn’t stop smiling at my woman, I’m going to have to kill his ass.
“Stop it,” she whispers to me, giving me a knowing smile.
I watch the man like a hawk as he places the wand on her stomach and begins to move it around. Everything else fades around me. At first, all I see are gray shapes on the screen. It’s blurry, shifting, and I can’t make out what the hell I’m looking at.
“I’m going to switch to 3D now and see if the baby cooperates,” the doc says. He continues to move the wand around until he stops a moment later. “There we go.”
The image looks sharper. It wasn’t exactly a photo, but I could still make out some of her features.
I can see her small face, a nose, lips, and the curve of her cheeks.
My breath catches as I lean in closer to get a better look at the screen, my eyes transfixed.
I don’t want to blink in case I miss anything.
I think I’m about to cry because this is the best thing I’ve ever seen.
“Holy fucking shit!” I whisper in awe. I look down at Aria, and she’s looking at me with tears in her eyes, too. “That’s our little girl. Holy fuck! We made that!”
“Yeah. We did. She already looks perfect,” Aria says, losing the battle with her tears because they’re streaming down her face.
“Yeah. She does,” I murmur. Even though it’s not a photograph, from what I can see I agree she is perfect.
She shifts a little, and the image changes. I see an arm. “This is fucking amazing!” I say with tears now streaming down my face.
This has been an unbelievable experience. It’s something I never thought about, never wanted, but now that it’s happening, I’m so thankful that I’m experiencing it with Aria by my side.
“I haven’t said it enough, but thank you. Thank you for giving me this experience,” I tell her with love in every word.
“Thank your super sperm for knocking me up,” she jokes through the tears. I bring her hand up and place a kiss on it, before bending down to place one on her forehead.
“Look at her little face,” she says with a contented sigh. “It looks so cute.”
“She’s going to be a beauty like her mama,” I tell her. “Which means no dating until she’s fifty.”
“Don’t ruin it,” she grumbles with a roll of her eyes.
Our little girl moves again, and it looks like she’s stretching before her lips look like she just pursed them.
“Oh my God! Did you see that? That has got to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” my woman says with excitement.
“I saw. That was pretty cute,” I murmur, with equal excitement.
“I’m going to print some photos for you,” the doc says a moment later.
“Yes, please. That would be amazing!” Aria murmurs absently, neither one of us paying much attention to him because we’re just focused on each other, sharing this special moment between us.
This moment is one I’ll never forget. The two of them are now the most important people in my life, my whole world, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t wait to love them for the rest of my life.
He then goes to clean the remaining gel from her stomach, but I stop him. “I’ll do it, Doc.” He nods.
He hands us the printed photos and leaves the room. We stare at them for a minute. Right now, it’s the two of us in our own little bubble, staring at the little life we created. Someone who will be and is already loved beyond words.