Chapter 61
Chapter Sixty-One
Foster
Having the weight off my shoulders now that Callie knows everything I’ve been trying to hide feels indescribable. I feel like a fucking idiot for avoiding this for so long.
Her hand is in mine as we walk into the doctor’s office.
No more worrying about someone taking our picture.
No more pretending we’re something we’re not.
Although I’m still wrapping my head around the fact I fell in love with someone, and they love me back, even after unpacking all my trauma for her to lay eyes on.
Callie checks in with the receptionist, then we go sit down.
This time not behind the plant.
Not shoved in a corner.
I pick a spot right in the middle of the damn room.
Callie smirks at me as I wait for her to sit first because we’re on the same page.
“Want a magazine?” She picks one up off the table and holds it out to me.
“Yes, I do.” I accept it, but I’d really rather talk to her. “Look where my reading got us the first time.”
“I think it would’ve been inevitable even without the magazine article.” She knocks her shoulder into mine. “I was hanging on by a very, very frayed thread.”
“You?” I balk. “You were prancing around in those tiny pajama shorts and threadbare T-shirts.”
“You were shirtless the majority of the time. You purposely broke the rules.”
I shrug, and her eyes widen.
“You did it on purpose? Tried to get me to break the rule?”
I smile and wrap my arm around her, kissing her temple. “I just really wanted you.”
She lays her head on my chest. “Me too.”
“Callie,” the nurse calls.
As we head toward the door, I catch a woman smiling at us.
Yeah, we’re lucky as hell. If you want to report that to the internet, go ahead.
I hold Callie’s purse while she gets weighed, then she sits on the table.
“You know, it’s a little disappointing that the first time I’d be free to help you undress, you don’t have to put on one of those paper gowns.”
She shakes her head and lifts her shirt, palming her belly.
I stand and walk over, placing my hands over hers and kissing her stomach. Then I place a chaste kiss on her lips. “Do you think we should leave the sex of the baby a surprise?”
I’ve been going back and forth on whether we should find out or not.
“We could rock, paper, scissors for it?” A competitive gleam enters her big brown eyes.
“You do know the odds are in my favor to win eventually, right?” I take a seat.
She puts her fist in her palm. “Want to test your fate?”
“No. I want to know what we’re having. It was just a thought.” I shrug.
A knock lands on the door, and I stand when Dr. Amato comes in.
She stops and smiles. “You guys are my favorite couple. But don’t tell the others, okay?” She washes her hands.
I slide to the side of the table to hold Callie’s hand, and Callie looks up at me. “We’re our favorite too.”
Dr. Amato laughs and comes over with the stethoscope to listen to the baby. “It all sounds good.”
She moves the ultrasound machine over and squirts some gel on Callie’s stomach.
My heart races because this is such a pivotal moment for us. We finally figured our shit out. Well, I figured out my shit. Now we’re about to find out if we’ll be raising a girl or a boy.
The screen flicks on with an image that looks so different from the first time Dr. Amato did this.
I can actually see the shape of the baby. There’s a head, a body, and are those feet?
“Shit,” I murmur, emotions swelling in my chest.
Callie turns to me, squeezing my hand.
“There you are,” she says to the screen. I realize she’s probably been talking to the baby more than I have.
“It’s so real.”
Callie laughs. “That’s because you’re not lugging it around everywhere, but this does put a whole new perspective on it.”
Dr. Amato points out the feet and the hands. The baby moves, and I have to swallow past the lump in my throat.
“They’re being a little stubborn. Let me see if I can get a better view.” Dr. Amato shifts the probe a bit on Callie’s abdomen.
Callie and I share a knowing look. Our child was bound to be stubborn.
“There you are.” The doctor points at the screen, and I tilt my head to see what she does. “Nothing between those legs.”
“Nothing?” I panic, and Callie laughs.
“It’s a girl.” Callie turns to look up at me. “A baby girl.”
“Yep. And she’s very healthy, strong heartbeat, but there she goes moving around again. She’s very active.”
“Oh.” Callie stares down at her belly. “I felt that.” She smiles up at me. “It was like a little flutter.”
“That will happen more and more.” Dr. Amato pulls the wand back, cleaning it and Callie’s belly, then washes her hands again. “Everything looks great. Keep up everything you’ve been doing, and I’ll see you in a month.”
She leaves, and the nurse comes in and gives us pictures to take with us. I fold one up and slide it into my wallet.
Callie gets ready, but before we leave the room, I stop her.
“You’re happy?” I ask her.
“Of course. I didn’t care.”
“A girl.”
Callie tilts her head as though she can hear it in my voice. How a daughter scares me. What will I do with a girl?
She laughs and puts her hand on my cheek. “You’re going to be an amazing girl dad.” I blow out a breath, and she raises her other hand, cradling both my cheeks. “I know it’s scary, but we’re in this together.”
I nod. “I hope she has your fighting spirit. And I hope like hell she gets your ability to read a room, but most of all I hope she has your heart because it’s so pure, Callie.”
Tears glisten in her eyes.
“I hope the exact same. I hope she has her daddy’s heart.” She places her lips to mine.
“Let’s go home.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Sounds perfect.”