“What’s this?” I’m confused and kind of nervous to open it.
“Go on,” Courtney says, her face all lit up. She’s on the edge of the couch waiting. When I open the box, I immediately gasp. It’s a set of heart-shaped diamond earrings, similar to the necklace he gave me for my thirteenth birthday.
“Oh my God, Travis. They’re beautiful,” I gush. “But it’s too much.” I watch them glimmer in the light.
“I’d buy you the world if I could, princess,” he says, dismissing my reluctance to accept them. “Go ahead, put them on.”
After I put them in, I tightly wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face in his neck. “Thank you so much.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and presses a kiss under my ear. “Happy Birthday, princess. I love you.” He then presses his palm to my stomach. “I love you too, little one.”
Travis flashes me an overjoyed smile, but before he can walk away, I grab his hand and pull him back to me. “I love you, too, Travis.”
Saying it feels so right, and when the words finally leave my mouth, I mean them. I love him. I’ve always loved him, and it’s time he knows. Travis leans in and gives me the sweetest, softest kiss on the lips.
He tells me he’ll call me later before walking out, and I’m left reeling. The only thing that brings me back to reality is Courtney’s high-pitched aww. I forgot she was still here because when his lips touched mine, the only two people who existed at the moment were us.
Chapter 17
Travis
It’s hard not to doubt my ability to be a dad. Considering I didn’t have a positive male role model in my life, I question it, but each day, I remind myself that I am not my father. No matter what, I’ll be there for my son or daughter, and make sure to give all the love I missed out on. I’ll try every day to set the example, to show love while being a parent. This kid isn’t here yet, but my life is already drastically changing. I don’t want to fail.
Even if I’m scared shitless that I will mess this whole dad thing up, I feel like I’m the luckiest man on the planet. At least that’s what I keep thinking when I glance over at Viola as I drive to our appointment. It’s no longer her appointments. I’ve made sure to take ownership of each and every one of them from now until the delivery date. Our appointments, our baby, our future.
I’m going to be a dad. It’s a scary thought, but knowing that Viola is the one, and she’s carrying our baby, brings such a sense of joy to me that it’s almost unexplainable. Since she’s been home, we’ve quickly fallen back into our old routine, but without all the wild sex. It feels great knowing there are no more secrets, and we can be as open as we wish.
For the past few days, she’s stopped by to visit Gryff and me, and I stop by Courtney’s every day before I head home. Each time I leave her, it sucks. I want her to move in with me or for us to get our own place, but I’m trying to keep her stress free.
We pull into the parking lot of the doctor's office, and once we’re parked, I grab her hand and kiss her knuckles. “Are you ready for this?”
She gives me a small smirk. “Somehow, I don’t think you’re referring to the doctor's visit.”
Arching an eyebrow up at her, I reply, “Definitely not.”
“Then take me, Travis King. Give me your babies,” she says with a laugh.
“Consider it done.”
We get out of the car and walk inside. It’s the first time I’ve stepped foot inside a gynecologist’s office, and it feels like all the heads turn and stare at me. Viola smiles at all the women in the waiting area, but her body tenses with nerves.
Once she’s checked in and they call her back, she steps on the scale and tells me to turn around so I can’t see. As much as I want to remind her that I don’t care what the number on that scale says, I want to respect her privacy as well. After that, they take her blood pressure and ask her if anything has changed since the last time she’s been there. Considering she’s pregnant now, she had a lot to update.
When the doctor arrives, they talk about a little of everything. It’s overwhelming at first, but I try to keep up. I want to know all our options and birth plans and whatever the hell an epidural is. I want to be here for Viola as much as possible.
The doctor motions for Viola to lie down and lift her shirt. She measures her belly from underneath her breasts all the way down to her pelvis. She tells us she measures right on time for a late February due date.
She then presses her hands into her belly, and I watch as Viola cringes. I’m not sure if that’s normal, so I’m tempted to say something, but it doesn’t last but a moment. Soon the doctor is pulling her upright and reminding her to take her prenatal vitamins.
Once the doctor leaves, I stand between Viola’s legs and cup her chin. “You are beautiful,” I remind her.
She gives me a forced smile, but it’s not believable.
“You are carrying my baby, and if that’s not the sexiest and most beautiful thing in the world, then I don’t know what is.”
She finally smiles wide and kisses me.
The nurse startles us as she knocks on the door and pushes it open. “I believe you scheduled your ultrasound for after the checkup? Wendy is expecting you in the radiology department whenever you two are ready to head down.”
We take the elevators down to the lower level and follow the signs to another receptionist’s desk. The woman’s name tag reads Wendy, and I know we’re in the right place.
Once Viola’s registered, we only have to wait a few moments before they call us back. An ultrasound tech, who later tells us her name is Kelly, greets us at the door and leads us down a hallway to a vacant room with a large flat-screen TV hung on the wall and an ultrasound machine. Everything looks so foreign to me, and I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m excited to be here with her.
Kelly instructs Viola to sit on the table and lean all the way back. Once she does, she looks over at me and smiles.
“What?” I ask.
“Are you ready to see our baby?”
I grab her hand and squeeze. “Yes, I can’t wait.”
Once Viola is settled on the table with her jeans unbuttoned and her shirt pulled up, Kelly turns down the lights and settles into the chair next to us.
“I saw in your chart that you don’t know the sex of the baby yet. Do you want to find out today?”
Viola looks over at me, and she’s beaming. “Do you want to know?”
“It’s up to you, princess.” Not knowing is somewhat killing me, but it wouldn’t matter if it was a little girl or boy. I’d love him or her just the same.
“Can we wait? Make it a big surprise?” she asks, and I can’t deny her excitement.
The tech smiles, and I nod.
Viola turns to the tech and smiles with an idea. “Could you write it down and seal it in an envelope for us?” Viola asks, and I want to know what she’s up to. Of course, she notices.
“I thought we could open it on New Year’s.” She’s enjoying torturing me way too much. “As soon as the clock strikes midnight.”