My daddy bought me this Redsox hat once. He had one just like it and every time I wore it I couldn't help but be happy because I looked like my daddy when I wore the hat. One day my hat "disappeared" I never told anybody but I think Liz stole my hat. I have no proof though. Mommy told me she'd buy me a new one but I didn't want another one because daddy didn't buy it for me. It was around that time I developed a bitterness to the woman who was supposed to be marrying my daddy. A very deep bitterness indeed.
Rainey sighed as she looked at her watch for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. Although part of her wasn't surprised that he hadn't showed up yet another part of her was a little disappointed. They were going to call her into the ultrasound room any second now. She tried to continue reading the baby magazine she was casually flipping through but her annoyance with John wouldn't leave her alone.
"Rainey Bennett" she looked up to see a tech smiling at her from where she stood peeking out from behind a doorway. Rainey smoothed down the front of her cream sweater she happened to be wearing before grabbing her purse and standing up.
"Rainey" a winded voice came from behind her.
"I'm so sorry I'm late" John came to stand next to her "please tell me I didn't miss the ultrasound"
Although she didn't let him see it her was ecstatic that he had showed up. Although her face remained neutral he could see the sparkle emitting from her eyes. He smiled at that.
"No John you just made it" she replied.
He took her hand and they strolled casually into the room. The tech asked her to lay down on the table and pull her shirt up. Rainey did as asked by getting onto the table and pulling her sweater up to where you could almost see the bottom of her bra. Her baby bump was there for the world to see. John stared at it in awe seeing her growing tummy made it all the more real to him that there was a little baby growing inside of her.
"Has the baby been kicking or moving around at all?" the tech asked as she prepared.
"Yeah the baby just started being really active lately and he or she doesn't like when mommy lays down" Rainey replied rubbing a hand lovingly over her bump.
"Is the baby kicking right now?" John asked curious.
"No I think the baby is sleeping" Rainey replied.
John frowned a little bit he was kind of hoping that he would be able to feel the baby kicking. The tech turned out the lights and then placed cool jelly on Rainey's stomach. She placed a wand over the growing bump and turned the monitor on. The moment she did a loud thumping sound could be heard.
"Is that the heartbeat?" John asked amazed at how loud and fast the sound was.
"Yes it is" the tech moved the wand around until she could get a clear picture.
"See that's the baby's profile" she pointed out the baby's face and chest and hands.
"The baby looks like he or she is sucking his or her thumb" Rainey said eyes glued to the monitor.
"That's because he or she is" the tech replied with a smile.
John couldn't help but grin. His baby was safe and sound sleeping inside his warm paradise with his or her thumb in his or her mouth.
"That's the baby's leg" she moved the wand down a little bit "and if you look closely you can almost see the toes"
"Can you tell if the baby is a boy or a girl yet?" John asked "or is it too soon for that"
"Nope the baby is old enough we just need him or her to change positions"
As if on cue the baby turned in it's sleep revealing it's gender to everyone in the room.
"Well there is no doubt he's a boy" he tech said with a laugh.
"Doesn't seem too ashamed to let us see what he is working with huh?" Rainey asked in amusement.
John's grin now stretched across his whole face. Elation filled his soul, he was going to have a little boy. A son to teach how to play baseball and football. A son to carry on his family name. This would be the first boy in his family. His brother Steve had two little girls and now his parents would have a little grandson also.
"Wow … a son" John found himself saying "that's my little guy in there"
They finished up the exam and the tech printed out the ultrasound photos for them. They had asked her for two sets one for each of them. As they walked out of the building into the cool winter air John was still grinning.
Rainey would never tell him this but she liked seeing John like that. There was this almost glow across his handsome features. She felt like she was looking at a little kid whom she had just promised to take to Brighams for ice cream.
"There is so much we need to do" he said. He was rambling on by now which she internally giggled at.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Nothing … it's nothing" he said as they arrived at her car "thank you for letting me be a part of this" he bent down and kissed her cheek. Giving her one last smile he walked to his own car.
She touched her cheek utterly confused by his actions. Shaking her head she decided that she would never understand that man and it wasn't worth her time trying