A baby. Those two words had been ringing in his ears for the past three months, ever since he and Jessie had seen those two pink lines. He still couldn't decide if he was more excited or afraid of their impending child, given their history, but Jessie appeared perfectly calm. She was showing now, her small frame giving her the appearance of being further along. But the one thing they had yet to discuss was the baby's sex.
He didn't know how she felt about the subject, as it wasn't something they had discussed before or even after they were married. As a child, he had spared the occasional thought about future children, but never long enough to properly decide if he wanted a son or a daughter. Jessie, he suspected, wanted a daughter, and in a way he did as well. A little girl with her hair and his eyes. Yes, that he could clearly imagine.
...
Jessie was pregnant, something she was extremely anxious about, though she hid her fears from James. Her stomach grew larger every day, and with it thoughts of whether their unborn child was a boy or girl. She didn't know about James, but she wanted a little boy. A little boy with her eyes and James' hair.
She stroked her stomach lovingly as she pictured their child. She could see herself fussing over him, James teaching him to cook, and Meowth regailing him with stories of their days in Team Rocket. It was wonderful, and though she knew she could just as easily have a girl, she held onto the hope it was a boy, resolving to talk to James about it later.
...
"Jessie?" James whispered as they lay in bed, surrounded by darkness.
"Hmm?"
"I was just thinking..."
"About what?" she asked, turning so that her bump pressed into his side.
"The baby, you know, what it'll be." She was silent, which he took as his cue to go on. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll love it as long as I live, but have you ever considered having a little girl? A daughter that looks like you but with my eyes?"
"...I've considered it," she finally responded. "But have you ever thought about a little boy? A son that looks like you with my eyes?"
"I've thought about it," he answered.
They lay in silence for a few minutes, each thinking about what the other said.
"So you want a son?" James asked after a bit, turning to face her.
"And you want a little girl?"
They started to laugh, amazed that they had guessed wrong about what their partner wanted. James held her as their laughter subsided, kissing her gently.
"Does it really matter?" he asked.
"No, not as long as it's healthy," Jessie responded. "Besides, it's a part of us regardless, right? What's not to love?"
"Not a thing."
...
At the next ultrasoud when the nurse asked if they wished to know their child's gender, they both smiled and shook their heads. The nurse looked puzzled, and the expectant parents were only too glad to enlighten her.
"It's a part of us regardless, so there's no need to know before the birth," Jessie said, looking from her husband to the nurse.
"Gender doesn't matter," James said with a shrug.
The nurse smiled, nodding in understanding. They were an unusual couple, but they could teach the other patients a thing or two. She glanced back at the image pulsing on the screen, smiling at it. Oh yes, they would be pleased indeed to learn their baby's gender.