Trent held her hand through the whole appointment, and she squeezed him hard when the nurse put the gel down on her belly.
“What if there isn’t a heartbeat?” she asked nervously.
“You’ve been feeling the baby kick like a soccer star all week,” Trent teased. “The baby is fine.”
“Let’s just see, shall we?” the nurse asked with a bright smile as she moved the transducer around Grace’s swollen stomach.
Right away, the sound of a strong heartbeat began to thump through the room.
Trent’s face lit up, and Grace wanted to cry with the satisfaction of hearing the little life.
“Baby is looking healthy and happy,” the nurse said when they were finished with the appointment. Then she smiled and asked, “So? Do you want to know the gender?”
Grace looked to Trent with expectant eyes. They had many conversations about this over the months. Trent thought it would be fun to keep it a surprise, but Grace knew that she had to find out.
Not only because she was excited about picking a name.
Not only because she couldn’t wait to buy baby clothes or start decorating the nursery.
But because she hadn’t the first time around, and she regretted it ever since.
She knew this baby in the soul of her. She knew when the baby was tired, when they were excited, what music they liked, what noises made them jump. She knew the teeny tiny personality that was developing in-utero.
Trent looked at her with a knowing smile.
“We would like to know,” he said to the technician.
The nurse put the transducer back onto Grace’s belly and looked around until she found the right spot. She pointed to the screen and asked both Grace and Trent if they could see the baby, and both said yes.
“Take a good look,” the nurse said with a wide smile. “That’s your little girl!”
“A girl!” Grace began to cry, pressing her face into Trent’s shoulder. “We’re having a girl; can you believe it?”
“That’s amazing,” he said softly as he stared into the screen. “Hi there, little girl. We can’t wait to meet you.”