Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
He leans down, brushing a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sure I will.” He smiles. “Even though we’re definitely having a girl.”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I’ve been having serious boy vibes since my first ultrasound.”
“I bet you two million dollars that it’s a girl,” he jokes.
“No fair,” I pout. “You know I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Everything I have is yours,” he says, earnest now. “So when you’re wrong and it’s a girl, I’ll cover it.”
The door swings open, and the ultrasound tech strolls in, all bright eyes and easy smiles.
“Welcome back, Nicole,” she greets me warmly. “Dad, are you ready to meet your little one?”
Sergei straightens in his chair, and I swear he sits up like he’s reporting for duty. “Absolutely.”
I let out a soft laugh and recline while the tech spreads cold gel across my belly. I still flinch, but Sergei’s grip tightens around mine.
“All right,” she says, moving the wand across my belly. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.”
The room falls silent except for the sound of soft static, and then, there it is. The rhythmic, galloping sound of our baby’s heartbeat fills the room. Sergei’s hand clamps around mine, and I turn to him. His eyes are wide, shining. His lips are parted slightly in awe.
“That’s our baby?” he breathes, reverent.
“That’s your baby,” the tech confirms, beaming. “Healthy heartbeat. Perfect size. Nicole, based on your measurements, you’re right around eighteen weeks.”
Eighteen weeks. It feels like everything is happening so fast and also crawling by. On the monitor, a little head, curved spine, and tiny arms come into view. The baby’s bigger than last time. The little one has grown so much since I was here a few weeks ago. The next few months are just going to fly by. I blink hard against the tears burning my eyes.
“Would you like to know the gender?” the tech asks, smiling as she looks between us.
“Yes,” I blurt out, just as Sergei says, “Absolutely.”
We both laugh. The tech grins and tilts the wand a little. “Well, it looks like you’re having a little girl.”
The words punch straight through my chest in the very best way.
A little girl. A daughter. A rush of emotions swirls inside me so fast I can’t keep up. Joy, fear, excitement, and sheer panic collide inside me. I’m going to have a daughter. I’m going to be responsible for a little girl’s entire world. How am I supposed to keep her safe? How do I teach her to be strong and kind and everything she’ll need to be in a world like this?
I blink again, and the tears finally spill.
“I—” I begin, but no words come. “I guess I owe you two million dollars,” I finally manage weakly as I look at Sergei.
“I told you I’d spot you.” He laughs, but his expression softens when he sees the panic on my face. “Hey, look at me.”
I do, even though my vision blurs and my lower lip trembles.
He lifts a hand and cups my face, wiping away the tears with the pad of his thumb.
“You’re going to be the best mother to our little girl, Nicole,” he says, voice low and steady and so full of certainty it roots me in place. “You’re going to love her so much she won’t know what it’s like not to feel it. You’ll kiss every scraped knee, and you’ll teach her everything that matters. You’ll be the heart of her world.”
More tears fall, and I can’t help the sob that slips out. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I whisper.
“Neither do I,” he says, brushing his forehead against mine. “But we’re going to figure it out together.”
I throw my arms around his neck, and he holds me tightly, even with my belly slightly in the way.
When I finally pull back, he presses a kiss to my lips, then another to my stomach.
“I already love you so much, little one,” he murmurs against my skin. “Your papa’s got you. Always.”
The door clicks softly shut behind the ultrasound tech, leaving just the two of us in the dimly lit room. The monitor beside me still glows with the faint outline of our baby girl. Sergei’s hand is still wrapped tightly around mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles like he’s afraid to let go.
I turn to look at him, and the expression on his face is something I’ll never forget. He’s not just smiling, he’s lit from the inside, his eyes glassy with emotion.
“She’s perfect,” he murmurs, voice thick with awe. “I can’t believe she’s ours.”
A soft laugh escapes me, half joy, half disbelief. “I can’t either. It still doesn’t feel real sometimes.”
He leans closer, his hand moving from mine to cup my cheek, warm and steady. “It’s real,” he says more calmly. “She’s real. And you’ve been incredible through all of this, Nic. I don’t think you even realize how strong you’ve been.”