Cara is waiting alone in her obstetrician's office examining room, perched in a sitting position, on the examining table. She is wearing a hospital gown and loose fitting pants. David comes through the door and asks, "Am I too late?"
Cara responds, "No. You're just in time."
The couple kiss a greeting to each other. David rests his hand on her rapidly growing belly and says, "How is our little one doing?"
"Just fine. I'm sure everything is just fine." Cara responds.
David still standing next to her, rests his head on her shoulder and says, "Oh, God, I pray you're right."
Cara raising her hand to the back of his neck gives a reassuring touch and says, "We'll find out in a few minutes. The doctor is running a bit late, but she'll be here in a minute. Don't worry so much. I'm sure it is fine."
"Cara, you and I are both doctors. We know very well what it means when you've not felt the baby move in several days."
"Yes, David, but we both know that it can also mean nothing as well."
"Where is that doctor? How can she leave us waiting here like this?" David frustrated moves to the door and looking out into the hallway and seeing Dr. JoAnn Mendelson coming he says, "Running late, doc?"
Dr. Mendelson comes in the door as David holds the door for her and says, "I am so sorry, but you both know how it can get sometimes."
"We understand." Cara says, "Don't worry about it, JoAnn. You're not that late."
David comes to Cara's side and says, "I don't mean to be rude, but we are very anxious to get on with this."
Dr. Mendelson looking surprised at David's tone says, "Okay, Dr. Hayward. Let's get to it then." As she drags the ultrasound machine from across the room up to Cara's bedside. "Okay, Cara, if you will lay back and expose your belly, we'll get started then."
Cara does as she is instructed as the doctor turns on the machine and then begins to apply large amounts of KY-Jelly to the outside of her stomach.
"Do you two want to know the sex of the baby?" JoAnn asks, "That is if baby cooperates?"
David and Cara surprised by the question as they'd never discussed it, both look at each other with questioning eyes. David nervously speaks, "I don't care. What I mean is, it's up to you, Cara. I just want to know that the baby is okay." As he pulls a stool over close to Cara's side.
Cara reaching over and holding David's hand says, "I think I'd like to know."
"Okay, then." JoAnn says, as she begins the procedure. Pointing to the TV monitor she says, "I know you both know what your looking at, let's see what is going on with this little one."
David and Cara both look up to the monitor as they tightly hold each other's hand. Each holding their breath as they search the blurry monitor picture for any movement of their baby.
David can hold his tongue no longer and, in a tense and demanding voice, says, "Well? Why isn't the baby moving?"
JoAnn watching the monitor carefully while pushing the ultrasound knob over the surface of Cara's belly quietly says, "Just hang on a minute. Patience, Dr. Hayward. We'll see what is happening in just a second." She goes back in deep thought as she intently stares at the monitor. Looking over to the ultrasound machine for a moment she turns a few knobs and pushing the hand piece deeper into Cara's skin she continues to study what she sees on the TV monitor.
David is in near panic as he is holding Cara's hand. Cara in a pleading voice says, "David? You're breaking my hand."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." David while quickly releasing her hand says. "Are you okay?" His frustration building, "I can't see a damn thing on that monitor."
JoAnn stops the procedure. She removes the hand piece from Cara's stomach and looking directly at both David and Cara says with much seriousness, "Okay, there's a problem."
"What?" David comes full to his feet with a pleading voice and near tears in his eyes.
JoAnn surprised by his quick movement says, "Its okay, David. This monitor is just not functioning properly."
"So you couldn't see anything either." Cara asks.
"No." JoAnn says, "Let's all walk across the hall to the other examining room and use the ultrasound and monitor in that room."
Cara sitting up and preparing to take the move from the table says, "Okay. Well, let's go then."
Looking at David she says, "David? Are you okay?"
David speaks, "I'm fine. Why?"
JoAnn looking intently at him says, "Dr. Hayward? You look like you might faint."
David exhales a deep breath and says, "I'm fine. Just need to breathe more, I think. And you don't need to call me, Dr. Hayward, Dr. Mendelson. I'm no longer Chief of Staff here and since we are all among friends here."
"Okay, David. Agreed." JoAnn responds.
David's frustration at his boiling point says, "Please, now can we just get this on with. I just want to know why Cara isn't feeling the baby move anymore. Please?"
"Right this way." JoAnn says as she opens the door for Cara and points to the room across the hall. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable on the exam table."
Amanda is busy doing dishes in her tiny apartment as Trevor plays on the floor with some blocks, when her phone rings, "Jake, can you get that?" She calls to him in another room. When he doesn't answer, the phone continues to ring. Quickly grabbing a dish towel, she dries her hands as she dashes for the phone.
"Hello?" Amanda says as she answers the phone. "Hi, Liza. How are you?"
Liza speaks, "Hello, Amanda. I'm calling you because I knew that you and Jake were interested in adopting a baby? Are you still interested?"
"Yes, yes, very much so, Liza. Why? What is this about?"
"Well, I have just been contacted by a colleague from Landview. He has a client who will, soon, have a newborn that they would like to put up for a private adoption."
Amanda listens in stunned silence.
Liza continues, "Amanda? Are you still there?"
"Yes. Yes, Liza. I'm listening."
"Do you think you and Jake would be interested in a private only adoption?" Liza asks.
"I don't know what that means, Liza? What do you mean; a private only adoption?"
Amanda's confusion showing as Jake comes into the room and sees her talking on the phone asks, "What is it, Amanda?"
Amanda holding her hand in a stop motion to Jake listens carefully to Liza as she continues, "What that means, Amanda, is that the client doesn't want to put the child up for public adoption and wants their attorney to personally screen and interview the adoptive parents."
"Okay." Amanda says as she looks intently at Jake as she says, "We are interested, Liza. We are very interested."
"Okay, then. I'll let them know that you are interested and then I'll get back to you with the details." Liza finishing the call says, "You're certain right?"
"We are certain, Liza." Amanda says as she reaches to hold Jake's hand, "I'll talk to Jake, of course, but I know we are very interested."
"Okay, then." Liza says, "I'll call you tomorrow with more details and we'll set up an appointment to meet."
"Thank you, Liza. This is wonderful, wonderful news. Good bye, then. I look forward to hearing from you." Amanda says as she hangs up the phone and leaps into Jake's arms with much joy and excitement.
Jake eager to hear what the news is, hugs her and says, "Okay, sweetie, you're going to have to tell me what is so wonderful, wonderful? What did Liza say?"
Amanda wiping tears of joy from her eyes begins to explain the conversation to Jake as the couple moves to the sofa to sit and talk.
As David, Cara and JoAnn once again begin with the ultrasound procedure, their eyes are fixed on the TV monitor as JoAnn gently runs the hand piece over Cara's belly.
"Did you see that?" JoAnn asks.
Cara responds, "I didn't see anything? What?"
David intently watching the screen and beginning to lose his patience says, "JoAnn, I'm a cardiac surgeon, not an obstetrician, please, speak to us in layman's terms and tell us what the heck we are looking at here? Is the baby alive?"
JoAnn stopping the movement over Cara's belly, looks at the couple and says, "I'm sorry. I forget that not all doctors know how to identify a baby under an ultrasound. My error, please, forgive me."
"Forgiven." David says, with much impatience, "Now, what? What is it that you saw that we did not? What? What is wrong with our baby? Why isn't Cara feeling it move?"
"Look." JoAnn restarts the hand piece movements across Cara's belly and points to the monitor and says, "See? Your baby is just fine. It is moving about fine and just look at that heart beat. Surely you recognize that don't you, doctor?"
David exhales a deep breath as tears begin to run down his cheeks. He stands for a long moment and just watches the tiny heart beat on the screen. He then looks to Cara who, also silently crying is intently starring at the monitor also. David reaches to her laying on the table and holding her face in his hands he kisses her with laughter filled tears as he says, "Our baby is okay! Cara, it is okay!"
Cara sobbing, kissing and laughing all at once responds, "Yes, David, it is okay!"
JoAnn intently continuing with her job continues to watch the screen as she continues to move the hand piece over Cara's stomach, taking measurements and pictures. Then with a wide smile she says, "Looks like all is in perfect order. You're little boy looks to be in perfect health!"
Cara and David both simultaneously say with shouts of joy, "A boy?" As they both break into much relieved laughter and crying. They hug each other for a long moment and each quietly says in a hushed whisper, "Thank you, God."