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nurse draped a sheet across Benny's lap. When Benny scooted down and placed her feet
in the stirrups, Dr. Acevedo plopped down on her rolling stool and picked up the
internal ultrasound wand. Now he really felt weird. The whole experience was nothing
like he had expected.
As if reading his mind, Dr. Acevedo explained, "We do internal ultrasounds
early in the pregnancy because the views are much better. At your next visit, we'll do a
quick peek via her tummy."
Benny squirmed with discomfort. He started to ask the doctor to be gentler with
her but then the nurse pivoted the ultrasound screen and his ability to speak left him.
At first, he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing.
"Here is an ovary," Dr. Acevedo said and touched the screen. "And right over
here& bingo!"
For the longest time, Dimitri simply stared at the grainy image projected on the
screen. It was a baby. It was their baby. His jaw dropped when those miniature hands
started waving and the tiny little feet start to kick. He hadn't been expecting that.
He reached for Benny's hand as Dr. Acevedo measured their baby and assured
them it was right on target. She talked about the changes the baby would undergo in
the next few weeks while continuing to study the screen and print out screen captures.
Stupefied by the sight of their baby kicking and waving, Dimitri slipped into a
dazed state as the doctor finished her exam and talked to Benny about the schedule of
visits and when to expect to discover the gender. He marveled at the realization that his
child was already doing so many amazing things inside of Benny. In a way, he envied
Benny's closeness to their growing baby. He would have to wait until their child was
delivered to feel that intimacy but Benny could already rub her belly and speak gently
to the life growing inside her.
He managed to focus long enough to bid farewell to Dr. Acevedo and the nurse
and to help Benny off the table. Clutching the printed strip of photographs, he traced
the grainy image of their baby. Would the baby have dark hair like Benny or lighter hair
like him? Brown eyes or blue? His height or her petite frame? Suddenly, six months
seemed like an eternity. He wanted to know now.
"That was wild, huh?" Benny said, her voice tinged with awe as she stepped out
from behind the screen. Standing close to him, she snuggled up to his side when he slid
his arm around her shoulders. Together, they gazed at the photos of their baby. "I didn't
expect the baby to be moving so much."
"Neither did I," he admitted. "Honestly, I didn't think it would look so& "
"Baby-like?" She said with a laugh. "I know. The jazz hands and dancing legs
were a nice touch."
He chuckled softly. "Yes. I think you're going to be in for some sleepless nights
once the baby gets big enough for you to feel moving around in there."
Gazing up at him with dark eyes shimmering with emotion, she said, "It's so
worth it."
He swallowed hard as a ball of emotion filled his throat. "I wish I could find a
way to describe how happy I am right now." He ducked down to capture her mouth in
a loving kiss. "I love you, Benny."
She rubbed his chest and rose up on tiptoes to press their lips together again. "I
love you."
Hand in hand, they left the exam room and made a stop at the front desk to
schedule Benny's next three appointments and the lab work she needed to have
completed. They left the building and crossed the street to the parking garage.
"Lunch?" Dimitri asked as he helped her into the front seat of his truck. Even
though he had installed running boards, he worried she might lose her balance and fall.
It was overprotective in the extreme but he couldn't help himself.
"Sure."
He shut the door, walked around the back of the truck and slid into the driver's
seat. As he cranked the engine, he asked, "Are you craving anything?"
Her saucy grin made the corners of his mouth curve upward. "Nothing they
serve in a restaurant."
Heat streaked through his stomach and made his groin tighten. "I see."
"I say we hit up one of our favorite places for some takeout "
"And take a long lunch at home?" He easily finished her thought.
"If you want," she said with a little shrug and pretended not to care one way or
the other.
"As if you even have to ask!" He laughed and backed out of his parking space.
She giggled and reached for the strip of ultrasound pictures again. "We should
probably start thinking about some names."
"Probably," he agreed.
"I know some people like to name their kids after the grandparents but I'd rather
not."
"Fine by me." Dimitri considered some names as they sat at a red light. "What
about Zoya? Or Sofia? Lilya?"
"I like them. They should definitely go on the list but they're all girl names."
"It's a waste of time arguing about boy names."
"And why is that?"
"Because we're having a girl, of course."
"Oh, we are, huh?" Her dark brows arched skeptically. "And you know this
how?"
She snorted with amusement and glanced at the pictures again. "The baby is like
the size of your thumb. You can't possibly tell what it is!"
"I know."
"How?"
Dimitri offered her a knowing smile. "A father just knows these things..."
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