Hope, Light and Key Lime Pie: Chapter Four
Dr. McKnight looked up at the digital readout above the scale as the numbers started stabilizing. "Hmmm…" he hummed, eyebrows arching.
TK, Kari and the twins waited with baited breath as they watched the doctor compare his chart notes with the numbers on the scale, his dark brown eyes scanning the chart and the display.
"I'm gonna be honest with you." Dr. McKnight began, breaking the silence. "I'm concerned."
Kari sighed, the feeling of rejection washing over her. It has been a long two weeks of eating and lying around the house.
"I'm worried that when you give birth, you won't be able to concentrate with all those cameras in the room." He continued a small grin on his face.
"You mean, she did it?" TK asked, his eyes brightening. "She put on the weight?"
"The goal was for five, she put on seven." Dr. McKnight said, nodding. "Congratulations, you two!"
"Yes!" Kari cheered, throwing her hands up in triumph as Tamago and Karashi ran up and hugged their mother around her middle. TK wrapped his big arms around all of them in a big hug. "We did it guys! We did it!"
"Ok, ok guys. Lets finish up here, I gotta do an ultrasound, and then we can get some of the details down for the birth." Dr. McKnight said, wheeling over the ultrasound machine.
Kari unbuttoned her blouse and lay down on the table. She gave a shudder as Dr. McKnight applied the cool gel to her bare skin.
"Sorry bout that," Dr. McKnight said, sighing. "I'm working with the lab downstairs to create a solution that warms on contact with skin, like that thermal face cream stuff that's out now."
"I appreciate it." Kari said, as he rubbed the paddle device through the gel. "You would be considered a high priest of obstetrics."
"I'll settle for a substantial pay raise and vacation time." The doctor said, as he studied the screen. "Whoop! There we go! You see him?" he asked, pointing to the screen.
Kari gushed at the little form on the screen. "Oh…is that him?" Kari sighed happily.
"Yep, you got it. Can you kids see him? Dad, can you see?"
"I can't really see him." Tamago said, squinting at the screen.
"Me neither." Karashi sighed, studying the screen intently. "All I see is a gray blob."
"Well, I'll tell you a little trick that I do." Dr. McKnight said, moving the device to get a better shot of the fetus. "I look for a little fluttering heart, then I just work outwards from there."
"Is that the heart?" Karashi said, pointing to a dark pulsing spot on the screen.
"That's it! That's the heart." Dr. McKnight said, smiling. "If you start from that point and work your way out, you can see the head, arms and legs."
"Ooooh! I see it now!" Tamago said, jumping up and down. "It looks like it's squished in there."
"Well, I have you two to thank for that." Kari said, shaking her head playfully at the three grinning people on the side of the bed.
"Ok, I'm in a good enough position, do we want to know if it's a boy or a girl?" the doctor asked, looking over at the family.
Kari looked up into her husband's azure blue eyes. TK returned the glance, a small grin forming on his face. "No, I think we'll continue the tradition and keep it a secret." Kari replied, sighing contently.
"I wanna know! I wanna know!" Tamago cheered. "I wanna know!"
"Me too! Me too! Is it a boy or a girl?" Karashi added.
"Ok, here's what I'm going to do." Dr. McKnight said, moving the paddle on Kari's stomach. "I'll whisper it to both of you, and from here on out, it's going to be a secret."
"Yay! A secret!" Karashi cheered, clapping her hands. "We can keep a secret, can't we Tamago?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Tamago eagerly agreed. "We can keep a secret!"
"Okay, then!" the doctor said finally, oblivious to the panicked looks on TK and Kari's faces. "I am positive that the baby that is swimming around in your mommy's tummy is a…"
He leaned down and whispered into each of the kids' ears.
TK looked down at Kari with a nervous look on his face. "This is going to be…interesting." He muttered, as the kids covered their mouths in a fit of giggles.
"Remember, this is a secret." Dr. McKnight said, resuming his scan. "Mommy and daddy don't want to know."
"Okay!" the two kids said, grinning like a pair of monkeys.
"In the meantime, everything looks all right, the baby looks great and is in a good position for delivery." Dr. McKnight said, tapping a button on the machine twice and handing Kari a towel. "De-goo yourself and let's have a little talk. By the way, and what's that white stuff behind your ear TK?"
"Oh! That!' TK said, wiping behind his ear with Kari's towel. "We had some family time with a key lime pie the other day." He said, laughing, his face now turning bright red.
"Key lime pie?" Dr. McKnight asked curiously.
"Yeah. It's kinda a long story" Kari began.
"Never mind, never mind. Forget I asked…note to self: you guys are nuts." Dr. McKnight said, scribbling notes in the chart. "Well, lets get to my office and get some things sorted out. Oh, and before I forget, I do enjoy key lime pie hint, hint."
"It's hard not knowing, isn't it?" Kari asked, noticing how hard TK was gripping the steering wheel.
"Huh? What were you saying?"
"Having the kids know something we don't." Kari added, motioning to the back seat where Tamago and Karashi sat whispering in each other's ears, erupting into fits of giggles every few seconds.
"We were keeping an even bigger secret from our parents at their age." TK reminded. "I am perfectly happy not knowing. How about you?"
"Oh, I'm happy too…" Kari said setting a hand on her stomach. "Boy or girl, it doesn't really matter to me. We have one of each already."
"Same here, as long as he or she is healthy, it really doesn't matter to me."
"Then lets make a promise," Kari said, turning to TK. "No matter what, neither of us is going to find out before the other does. We're both going to wait. Agreed?"
"Agreed, my angel." TK said, as another fit of giggles erupted from the back seat.
"Tamago, can you come here for a minute, please?"
The young boy pressed pause on the keyboard and padded into the living room, where Kari laid on the couch.
"Hi, mommy!" Tamago said, grinning. "You wanted something?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." Kari said, slowly pulling herself to a sitting position on the couch. "Come sit next to me, little man." She said, patting the spot next to her on the couch.
Tamago hopped up on the couch. Kari gave him a hug. "How are you mommy?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you about the new baby." Kari said, taking his hand and setting it on her round stomach. "Daddy is out with Karashi in the park talking to her, and I thought we could just take the time to talk a little."
"You know, when the baby is born, I'm counting on you and Karashi to help out with things around the house for a while." Kari began. "Things are going to be pretty hectic the first couple of months when the baby's born; me and daddy may have to change some things around, but one thing will never change: we will always love you two."
"I know, mommy, I know." Tamago said, resting his head on his mommy's shoulder as she pulled him into a hug. "I love you too. Karashi and me are going to help you with the new baby. I promise."
"Oh, my little man." Kari cooed, playing with the strands of hair on his head. "You know, you were a big surprise when you popped out of my tummy." Kari said, smiling. "My favorite little surprise."
"Tell me again about what happened when I came out of your tummy, mommy." Tamago said, his eyes now halfway open.
"I already told you this story." Kari complained, playfully.
"Tell it again, mommy! It's funny!"
"Oh, alright. Well, it happened right after Karashi was born…"
To Be Continued…
(A/N – I'm burning on all 8 cylinders today, boys and girls! I'm actually ahead of schedule with my writing! The sap is flowing like maple syrup, and I can't wait until I'm done and can start on the directors cut and include my commentary! Until then, REVIEW or else I'll sick my muses on you!)