Another

The door opened, and a woman with short dark hair and glasses came in with a warm smile. “How are we doing today?” she asked Carina before her gaze turned to me. “And who is this? Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Ian. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Dad.” She shook my hand and looked me up and down before returning to her iPad. “Okay, your stats look normal. I’m going to do a quick exam, and then the tech will be in with the ultrasound. I hear we’re getting to see baby today.”

“Yeah,” I breathed.

“Then let’s get started. Is it okay that Dad stays in the room?”

I gave Carina my most pleading eyes, mouthing please as I scooted my chair back to be up by her head.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“Yes,” I hissed victoriously.

“Just stay up here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I agreed with a salute. Before the doctor disappeared between Carina’s spread legs, hidden under the sheet, she looked at me. “She’s always bossing me around.”

The doctor just shook her head and was gone.

“Shut up, Ian.”

“Remember what happened the last time you told me to shut up?” I asked, a slow grin spreading. I wish I could have filmed her reaction so I could watch it forever. Red bloomed on her cheeks even though she tried to hide it with a laser stare. You do, I mouthed, bobbing my eyebrows.

The doctor must have hit a spot or something—I really had no idea what happened down there—because Carina winced and hissed, reaching out to grasp something. Thankfully, my hand was there at the ready and damn did she have a firm grip.

“Almost done, Carina,” the doctor explained.

Carina nodded and bit her lip, her eyes scrunched closed. I covered our clasped hands with my free one and gently stroked back and forth, doing my best to soothe her.

“All done.” Carina exhaled a huge sigh and finally relaxed. “Now, I just need to examine your abdomen, and it’ll be over. Can I lift your top?”

Carina nodded and pointedly didn’t look my way as her round stomach was bared. I stared in awe at the firm skin pulled tight around my baby. Her belly button protruded a little, and it was adorable. She winced and squeezed my hand again when the doctor pushed on a tender spot.

“Okay. We’re all done. Everything looks great. The tech should be in in a bit, and I’ll see you next week.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sawyer.”

When the doctor left, I couldn’t keep my awe inside anymore. “Look at you,” I breathed.

“I look like a whale.” Carina went to cover her stomach, but I held her hands in place.

“You look like a goddess.” I smiled in wonder up at her and then back to her stomach. “That’s our baby you’re carrying. You’re amazing, Carina.”

She held my stare as her eyes glazed over. I didn’t comment on her reaction because a muscle jumped in her jaw, and I knew she was clenching her teeth like she could will the emotion away. This woman didn’t show emotion lightly.

Her hand jerked over her stomach, and she winced. “I guess Peanut didn’t like being pushed on. He’s kicking.”

“He?”

“I call the baby by different pronouns to avoid calling it ‘it’ but I change it up.”

“It’s good to be fair. Wouldn’t want to convince it one way or another.”

Carina laughed. “I don’t think that’s the way it works.”

I looked down just in time to catch another thump pushing against the skin. “Wow. Jesus, that’s amazing. Can I…can I feel it?”

“Sure.”

We were making progress; she didn’t even hesitate before giving in. I held my hand against the spot where the last kick happened and waited. When I felt it, a burst of laughter erupted from me. “Holy shit!”

Carina was laughing with me with each kick I felt.

Not thinking about it, just acting on instinct, I leaned forward and kissed her warm skin. She gasped, but I didn’t pull back. Especially when she didn’t protest, she smelled so good, like coconuts and sunshine.

“Hey, baby,” I said right against her skin. “It’s Daddy. I hope everything is going well in there. I know it’s getting tight, but soon you’ll be able to roll around in all the space you want.”

I peeked up at Carina to find her eyes glazed over again, and her lip firmly clasped under her teeth.

Another kick brought my attention back to her stomach. “That’s a hell of a kick. Are you going to be a soccer player? Or maybe that’s your arm, and you’ll play baseball just like Daddy.” Another kick and I was so excited; I just got lost in the moment. The next thing I knew, Carina was laughing—her whole body shaking—as I started doing baby-talk. “Who’s gonna be the best baseball player ever? You will. Yeah. You will. You’re gonna kick all their asses. Yes, you will.”

“Ian,” Carina reprimanded around her laughs. “Stop swearing at the baby.”