Trish smiled as Chance squeezed her hand from beside her. They were in a darkened room at the obstetrician’s office, getting a routine ultrasound done – though this time they would find out the gender of the baby. While Chance didn’t know exactly what it was like for Trish to go through the process, he understood it was uncomfortable – largely due to needing a full bladder so they could get better pictures, but also because sometimes they pressed hard.
She was in the twenty-sixth week of the pregnancy – the tail end of the second trimester, heading into the third in just a couple of days. They were quiet while the doctor took measurements of the various vital organs and body parts, as well as the amount of amniotic fluid to gauge the health of the fetus. While both were waiting patiently on the outside, on the inside they were anxious for the gender to be determined. Finally, the doctor turned the ultrasound monitor to face them, and pointed out the different places he’d taken measurement – where the head was, etc.
“What about gender?” she asked timidly.
“I was just getting to that.” the doctor said with a smile, then indicated on the screen. “Looks like you’re going to have a healthy baby girl.”
“No pink.” Trish said immediately, looking at Chance.
“No pink, I promise.” he said with a laugh, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.
“Unless something happens, you’re still on track to give birth the first week of April.” the doctor continued, putting the wands for the ultrasound machine away and handed her a cloth to clean the goop off her belly.
“Thanks.” she said with a smile, sitting up with Chance’s help.
“I’ll leave you to get dressed, then you can set up your next appointment.”
After he left, Chance got her clothes and handed them to her, helping her off the exam table so she could dress herself. She made her follow up appointment after a stop to the bathroom, then headed back to their vehicle, and got in on the passenger side. Since she wasn’t supposed to be doing anything strenuous activity, Chance had been doing the driving as of late. She looked over at him once they got on the road.
“You’ve got an idiot grin on your face.” she teased.
“Well, maybe.” he admitted. “I can’t help it – I just picture her looking like you, only smaller.”
“She might not look like me at all.” Trish reminded him. “She could have some of Vince’s features too, you know.”
“True enough, true enough.” he admitted.
“You sure you’re okay with me having a girl?” she asked after a few minute, expressing her unwarranted concern.
“Of course I’m okay with it. Looking forward to it, in fact.” he admitted.
“Good.” she said. After a minute though, she expressed another concern. “Do you think we’ll be good parents?”
“I think we’ll make a great effort to be so. At the very least, we’re going to try and not repeat our parents’ mistakes.”
She nodded, then laughed. “I just realized something…”
“I was wondering what was so funny.”
“If she’s born on time, she’s going to be an Aries.”
“Why is that funny?”
“Grandpa.”
“Ah. Now I get it.” he said, grinning back at her, then swerving to avoid an idiot on the road.
“Damned winter roads.” he mumbled, getting the vehicle back under control.
“Stupid driver is more like it.”
“Maybe I should stay home with you today.”
“No, I’ll be fine. Jasper’s around if something happens. Go to work – Charles depends on you to take care of things during the day for him. Moreover, didn’t you say you were kind of in charge of his other ghouls?”
“Technically, I suppose – though it’s just seniority.”
“Still. Charles has done a lot for us; I wouldn’t want you to disappoint him.”
“Alright, I’ll go in. But you work from home for the next couple of days, ok?”
“Fair enough.”
A little while later, he parked in front of their house. She was helped out of the car and into the house, where he made sure she had anything she wanted before leaving.
“Before I leave…should I tell anyone?”
“About the baby?”
“Yea.”
“Go ahead. Just wait until after I text you – I feel like Vince should be the first person to know, then I’ll call Grandpa. Is that okay?”
“Anything you want.” he said, leaning over to give her a kiss. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way home, and I’ll be safe driving out there, okay?
“See you later.” she said after returning his kiss.
She pulled out her phone, and looked at the time, trying to determine if it was too early to call Vince – even if it was around lunchtime. But it was Vince, and he kept weird hours. Rather than calling and possibly disturbing him with a ringing phone, she texted instead: Call me later? Nothing dire – just baby news. She set her phone down within reach, then started in on her lunch.