Chapter 33
I can't believe... I'm already in my sixth month of pregnancy.
It went by so fast. When I think about how long I've been away from Alex—almost seven months now—it feels like just yesterday that I found out.
My belly, which used to show nothing, is now impossible to miss; everyone who looks at me knows I'm pregnant.
I'm in a really good place in my life: happy about my baby, Elena responding well to cancer treatment, and best of all, the hope of finding a compatible donor.
Everything is going perfectly. I haven't seen Vladimir; the two times I needed to go out, one of the club's security guards always came with me. I'm being careful.
Today is the big day! I'm going to my appointment to finally find out my baby's sex.
Well, that's what I'm hoping for, anyway!
The last two times, he had his little legs closed and was facing away.
So I'm hoping that today, after all my conversations with my belly, it'll work out.
I want to know what to call him, because up until now it's just been “my baby.”
We've already chosen the names: if it's a girl, she'll be Scarlett, in honor of my mother.
If it's a boy, he'll be called Alexei—very similar to his father's name.
I decided on this name as a way to remember Alex.
Even though I love him and hate him in equal measure, at least I can give the baby a name similar to his.
I still haven't decided when or how to tell him about our son.
I want to save that worry for after my baby is born.
I arrived at the hospital, gave my name, and sat down to wait.
Minutes later, the nurse opens the door and calls my name.
I get up quickly and walk toward her. Just as she's about to close the door, I spot Alex coming through the main entrance.
What is he doing here? But I snap back to reality when I enter Dr. Monica's office—my obstetrician, who will also deliver the baby.
“Hello, doctor. So good to see you.”
“Ah, I know exactly why you like seeing me, Chloe.”
We laugh at her comment, because every month, the moment I walk in, I ask when we'll do the ultrasound and listen to my baby's heartbeat.
“I can't resist my baby, doctor. That's all.”
“I'm glad you're doing so well, Chloe. How have you been feeling?”
Our appointment begins, and I tell her everything, but since I'm doing so well, it doesn't take long before I'm heading to the ultrasound.
The nurse who accompanied me enters the room and helps me lie down on the table.
This is my favorite part. Dr. Monica spreads the gel on my belly—which is surprisingly warm—and positions the transducer on top.
I look at the huge monitor in front of me, and then I see him.
Even though my belly isn't very big yet, it's already completely occupied by my baby, and I'm sure I'll find out his sex today.
We're in the middle of the exam when we hear a knock at the door. Dr. Jullian, now a great friend, pokes his head into the room.
“Oh, sorry, Monica. I didn't know you were in the middle of an exam. But this patient doesn't mind if I come in, right?”
“Come on in, Jullian. Come see how big my baby is. And today he's going to cooperate with mommy, right, son?”
“It's a boy?”
Dr. Monica smiles and says:
“We don't know the sex yet, but I think we'll find out today.”
She presses the transducer against my belly and moves it around. That's when she says:
“Even though this baby is huge, today we'll be able to give 'him' a name.”
“Wait, did I hear that right? It's a boy?”
“Yes, my friend, it's a big, beautiful boy. Now we can finally call him by his name.”
Everyone in the room smiles while tears run down my face. At the same time, I whisper to myself: “my Alexei.”
“And what's this little guy's name, Chloe?”
“Alexei... my Alexei.”
“Beautiful name. Well, Monica, I'll wait outside until you finish. And Chloe, unfortunately, I don't have any news for you at the moment, but I'm working on it, as I promised.”
I know he's talking about the liver donation for my sister, so I just reply:
“I know you're doing everything you can. I trust you.”
He leaves, closing the door behind him, and I'm left alone with my thoughts of my two loves: my son and my Ele, my little one.
As soon as we finished the exam, the doctor asked me to wait for her in the office because she needed to talk to me. I felt a wave of worry. The moment she appeared at the door, I was already asking:
“What is it, doctor? Is something wrong with my baby?”
“Calm down,” she says with a smile, sitting down in her chair across from me.
“There's nothing wrong with Alexei. I just want to tell you that you're already seven months along.
The other doctor who was seeing you made a calculation error.
It happens, okay? Don't worry. So when you come back, you'll already be at eight months. Basically, I need you to schedule an appointment for a month from now, and then every week after that.”
“I already suspected as much, Monica. After everything that happened, I did the math based on my last period. According to my app and my own calculations, there was about a week's difference.”
“Yes, that's right. But anyway, Alexei is very big, so he could come early—a few days or even weeks. If you feel any discomfort, you have my number, so just give me a call.”
“Thank you so much, Monica. I really do worry about everything. Taking care of my sick sister and now a baby on my own isn't easy.”
“I know, my friend. That's why I'm here if you need anything. You can call me anytime.”
She gets up from her chair, comes around, and hugs me.
I'm so grateful to have wonderful people by my side.
I return the tight hug, and when she lets go, she hands me an envelope.
I open it and look inside: it's a photo from the ultrasound I just had.
I study it carefully and see my beautiful Alexei.
“I picked out the best moments because he was really showing off today.
So we have his profile, with that beautiful nose, that adorable little mouth—there's even one of him sucking his thumb—and of course, the one we had to have: his little penis.” She smiles.
“Everything's set for a natural birth, and don't worry, I'll be with you and do everything I can to make sure it goes smoothly.”
“I loved this photo shoot,” I joke, smiling, happy with the ultrasound photos. “And thank you so much, again, for everything.”
I leave the room clutching my folder, admiring the photos of my son. Now I finally know what I'm having, and I'm dying to tell Elena. I know she wanted a girl to keep us company, but Alexei will take care of both of us—I'm sure of it.