thanks for the reviews, guys. i know i suck at replying, the family emergency i mentioned is still going on. luckily, i have a bunch of chapters written so i'll post them instead.
*I don't own Twilight*
~*~
Chapter Eleven
Edward Cullen
I opened my eyes and squinted at the light, briefly wondering where I was. I hear a soft little voice and turned my head in its direction. Charlotte was singing softly to Bella's stomach and Bella was still sleeping soundly. Her cheeks were rosy and I briefly wondered if she was too warm.
"Hey, Charlotte," I whispered. She turned toward me and her face lit up when she realized that I was awake. I got out of bed and motioned for her to come over to me. She stood and carefully walked over, mindful not to trip over the blankets. She held her arms out and I picked her up, carrying her into the kitchen, "how about we make Aunt Bella some breakfast?"
"Ooh!" she squealed and I told her we had to be quiet because the baby made Aunt Bella very tired. I looked at the clock and saw it was after ten. I was surprised Charlotte had let us sleep that long. After the stressful conversation last night, I knew she could use the rest.
I got out eggs and had Charlotte assist me in cracking them into the bowl. I kept her away from the stove, sitting her in her booster seat. The eggs were almost finished cooking when I heard the bathroom door slam and Bella gagging. I winced, glancing over at Charlotte who was staring toward where the noises were coming from with wide blue eyes.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, "Aunt Bewwa is gettin' sick! We got to make some soup, Edward!"
"Let's see how the eggs are first then we'll see about soup." I said as I made sure they were finished then served some with some toast on Charlotte's special plate. I put it in front of her, along with a cup of orange juice, "Be very careful, they're really hot. The toast is fine though. I'm going to go check on Bella."
I walked down the hall and opened the bathroom door in time to see Bella throw up again. I kneeled next to her and rubbed her back as she groaned softly, leaning her head against her arms, "I don't feel good."
"I can tell," her back felt hot even through her shirt and I felt her forehead with the back of my wrist like my dad used to do when I was little, "I think you have a fever."
"It's so hot in here," she whined before throwing up again. I grimaced; the display of people throwing up always made me queasy.
"What time is Alice coming to get Charlotte?" I asked, hoping it was soon. Bella looked awful and I was pretty sure this wasn't morning sickness.
"Eleven," she mumbled. "You have to give her a bath and get her dressed."
"Uh, okay," I said, kind of uncomfortable with the idea. I figured I kind of had no choice, though. Bella seemed weak, not to mention the vomiting. I helped Bella back to bed and got her the basin out of the cabinet in her bathroom. She told me where the bath stuff was for Charlotte, along with what to dress her in before rolling on her side, rubbing her stomach.
I went into the kitchen and Charlotte was still in her booster seat, her plate cleared and cup empty. I tried to smile at her, "Alright, bath time."
She climbed out of her seat and ran to the bathroom, opening the closet door. She pointed to the same shelf Bella had told me the bath stuff was on and I got out half empty bottles of the same kind of shampoo and soap we'd received for our baby, along with a wash cloth and towel. There was also a basket full of bath toys but I decided to do this as quickly as possible. I wondered how often Bella watched Charlotte to have all this stuff here.
I ran the bath and told Charlotte to tell me what felt too hot or too cold or just right. "Like Goldiwocks!"
"Yeah, just like Goldilocks," I grinned at her, letting the bathtub fill a few inches before helping her out of her pajamas and Pull Up, settling her in. I carefully washed her crazy hair and bathed her with the wash cloth. She giggled when I ticked her stomach. Finally, she was clean and soap free and I picked her up out of the tub, wrapping her in a towel.
"You're funny, Edward," she laughed as I flew her around like a plane.
I took her to Bella's extra bedroom and dried her off then dressed her in the outfit Bella had laid out on top of Charlotte's overnight bag. It was a little awkward getting the tights on but when she was finally dressed, I held my hand out for a high five. She laughed and smacked her hand against mine. I grabbed her shoes and put them on, "You wanna see Aunt Bella before your mommy and daddy get here?"
She nodded vigorously. "I hafta say bye to the baaaay-beeee," she sang, jumping up and down on her toes. I held her hand and took her into Bella's bedroom. Bella was awake, staring blankly at the television mounted on her wall.
"Aunt Bewwa!" Charlotte ran over, trying to climb onto the bed but I stopped her, knowing Bella was probably contagious. I held her up for Bella's inspection, "How'd I do?"
"Perfect. You look very pretty, Charlotte," she said, her voice raspy from throwing up. Charlotte beamed at her as I held her under her arms, swinging her back and forth, like a clock.
"Say bye to Aunt Bella and the baby, Goldilocks. We'll go play in the living room until your parents get here."
"Bye Aunt Bewwa! Bye baby in Aunt Bewwa's stummy!" Charlotte squealed as I threw her over my shoulder. I winked at Bella, "I'll be back in a little bit. You want anything?"
She shook her head and I headed to the living room with Charlotte, playing a game of Candy Land with her. Just when I started to get irritated with her cheating ways and her with my unrelenting rule following, someone rang the bell. I made sure it was Alice before I buzzed her up, letting Charlotte open the door when Alice knocked.
"Mommy!" Charlotte squealed, throwing her arms around Alice's legs. Alice scooped her up and kissed all over her face before looking at me, "Where's Bella?"
"Sick. She has a fever and she's been throwing up," I ran my hand through my hair, "can she take anything?"
Alice nodded, "Tylenol. No Motrin, just Tylenol, regular strength. Actually…" Alice set her daughter down, reaching into her purse and pulling out a bottle, handing it to me, "I doubt she has any. She's a beast to try to get to take medicine."
"Mommy!" Charlotte said again, wrapping her arms and legs around Alice's legs to get her attention, "Guess what?!"
"What?!" Alice un-wrapped her daughter from her legs before picking her back up. She inspected what she was wearing with a slight frown on her face and I wondered if I'd dressed her wrong. Maybe Bella was trying not to hurt my feelings. What did I know about dressing three year old girls, anyway?
"Edward put-ed a baby in Aunt Bewwa's stummy!" Charlotte whispered loudly to her mother.
"Oh, did he?" Alice raised her eyebrows at me and I shrugged, holding my hands up, "Did Edward also dress you?"
Charlotte nodded, "I had a baf but he didn't gimme any toys but we played Candy Land, Mommy! I think he wasn't playin' fair, though."
"That sounds like fun. Where did Edward happen to find this outfit?" Alice was clearly directing the question at me as she bounced her daughter on her hip, making her laugh.
"Uh, on the top of her bag? Bella told me to dress her in it," I frowned, wondering why Alice would send her with an outfit that she didn't want Charlotte to wear. Alice picked up the bag and looked through it, her eyes widening.
"I'm going to kill your girlfriend," Alice laughed softly.
"I'm sure she'd like that right now, with as bad as she seems."
"She always does this… spoils Charlotte with clothes," Alice zipped up the bag, "she cuts off the tags so I can't make her return them."
I laughed, "Sneaky."
"Very. Alright, honey. Say bye to Edward, Daddy's waiting downstairs. He wanted to keep the car nice and warm for you," Alice told Charlotte. Charlotte held her arms out to me and I took her, surprised. She hugged me and kissed my cheek.
"Bye Edward!"
"Bye Charlotte," I put her down and she took Alice's hand. Alice waved with her free hand then grabbed Charlotte's bag, walking out. I shut and locked the door, grabbing a bottle of water before walking back to Bella's room with the Tylenol in hand. I shook the bottle of medicine at her and she groaned softly.
"Is Charlotte gone?" she asked, sitting up a little. I nodded.
"Alice said she's going to kill you for the clothes, by the way," I said as I poured two Tylenol into my hand, handing it to her along with opened bottle of water. She winced as she swallowed. She kind of blanched, looking like she was going to lose it so I held out the basin but she shook her head, "I'm good, I'm fine."
She lay back down but tossed and turned whining, "Edward, I can't get comfortable. It's so hot."
"How about I run you a bath? It'll help you cool off and maybe break the fever," I murmured as I stroked her hair. She nodded and I headed to the bathroom, running the bath water again but cooler this time. I let it fill up higher before I went and got her. She let me help her strip and help her into the bath.
I sat with her as she laid back and closed her eyes, seeming to finally be comfortable. I grabbed her loofah and her strawberry body wash from the side of the tub after a few minutes, worried about her getting too cold, and silently helped her bathe. Then I washed her long hair and rinsed it.
"Mmm, thank you, Edward," she murmured as my fingers massaged her scalp, trying to make sure all the shampoo was gone. Once I was done, I helped her stand and she shivered slightly. I grabbed the robe that was hanging from a hook on the wall and held it out for her. She wrapped it tightly around herself and I rubbed her back as I guided her back to her bedroom.
"What do you wanna wear?"
"Just… the t-shirt of yours that's in my top drawer and a pair of panties," she said quietly, sitting on the edge of her bed. I nodded, grabbing the gray t-shirt and a pair of cotton boy short panties because I figured they'd be most comfortable. She gathered her hair on top of her head then shrugged out of the robe, dressing in the shirt and panties before climbing back into bed.
"I understand if you don't want to stay… I don't want to get you sick."
"I'm definitely not leaving you like this, I don't give a fuck if I get sick," I stripped down to my boxers and lay next to her, pulling her against me. I briefly wondered if she wanted me to leave after our conversation last night but pushed the thought away. There was no way she could be alone in this state.
We spent the rest of the day like that, mostly silent with cheesy Lifetime movies on in the background. She kept getting sick well into the night but her fever had broken. I made her promise that we would call the doctor in the morning since she was throwing up so much. She finally fell asleep at around three in the morning and I decided to run home to get clothes. I threw on the only clothes I had with me, I hadn't planned on spending even last night at her place and hadn't packed anything.
I drove as quickly as I could, thankful the streets were empty at this hour. I got up to my apartment, showered and threw clothes in a bag in record time. I packed enough for a few days then sped back over. It's a good thing there were no cops and our apartments were fairly close. When I got back, a little after four, I walked into her apartment using her keys I'd taken from her purse and I could hear her crying softly.
"Baby?"
She was sitting up against her pillows, her face bright red and puffy.
"What's wrong, baby?"
"You left," she whispered, "I thought you left. After our conversation last night, I thought you left because I was upset. I'm sorry, I'm not upset anymore, I promise, Edward."
"I just ran home, I had to get clothes. I figured I'd go while you were sleeping…" I walked over and sat next to her, pulling her into my arms. She sobbed softly as I rocked her gently, knowing she was overtired. Hell, I was overtired and I wasn't sick or pregnant. I scooted us down so we were lying down. She laid halfway on me, her head on my chest. Eventually her breathing evened out and I sighed in relief, turning off the television and closing my own eyes.
~*~
I woke up and groaned softly, drenched in sweat. It felt like I had one of those heated blankets on top of me, which I soon realized was Bella. We were in the exact same position that we'd fallen asleep in and she was burning up again. I slid out from under her and she stirred slightly but settled back down. I knew I needed to get some more Tylenol in her. I went and got some apple juice from the fridge, calling my dad's cell phone as I poured her a glass.
"Edward."
"Hey, Dad."
"How are you doing, son? Things looking up yet?"
"Actually I'm not sure yet. Dad, Bella's got some sort of stomach thing. She threw up all day yesterday. She had a fever but I got it down with Tylenol. I just woke up and she was sweating all over me, she's burning up," I said quickly as I poured out the Tylenol. I also grabbed some Saltines from the cabinet, hoping I could get her to eat a few.
"I'm a cardiologist, Edward, not an obstetrician. I can only say to make sure you're giving her Tylenol as often as her doctor recommends it. She might need something to help with the vomiting. Does she normally have morning sickness?"
"Uh, not as often as she did at first but sometimes she'll just randomly get sick." I walked back toward the bedroom and sighed when I heard her throwing up. I could hear my mom asking what was wrong in the background, "She's puking right now, Dad. Let me call you back," I said and hung up, dropping my phone onto the nightstand. She looked up from the basin with teary eyes and held her hand out for the Tylenol. I handed it to her and she swallowed it with the juice silently.
She sat still for a few minutes before wiping her eyes, "What did your dad say?"
"Nothing, it was a useless conversation," I frowned and took the basin, cleaning it out before I brought it back to her. She opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out an appointment reminder card and handed it to me, along with my phone, before lying back down and pushing the blankets almost all the way off the bed with her feet.
I realized this must be her obstetrician and dialed the number. I told the receptionist her name and symptoms and was promised a nurse would call back shortly to tell us what to do.
"Do you want to try these crackers?" I asked her, holding out the box. She made a face but took it from me. She took out one and nibbled on it slowly. It took nearly ten minutes for her to eat the whole thing. I offered her a sip of juice and jumped slightly when my phone rang.
It was a nurse from the office, who advised us that it was probably just a virus but that her doctor wanted to see her and the only opening they had was in an hour. I told her we'd be there.
"Alright, the doctor wants to see you, it's probably just a virus but because you've been throwing up so much…"
She nodded, taking a few tiny sips of juice before getting out of bed. She insisted on showering and shaving. I was worried about her slipping so I joined her. I was disappointed, our first shower together and she was too sick to do anything but actually shower. Not to mention the sex ban. I helped her shave her legs and underarms and she sat on the edge of the sink and watched as I shaved my face after we'd gotten out of the shower.
As she was gathering her clothes, she blushed as she pulled a bag marked Isabella Fine Lingerie out of her closet. I raised my eyebrows… lingerie, at a time like this?
"Um, my bras didn't fit anymore so I got new ones," she was clearly embarrassed as she took a matching set out of the bag. It was a simple, light blue set and I stood in my boxers and watched as she pulled the panties on then the bra. I grinned in approval and she shook her head, pulling on tight, black yoga pants and a Cubs hoodie.
I grabbed jeans and black long sleeved shirt out of my bag, pulling them on. I ran my hand through my damp hair, glad she hadn't washed hers because it would take far too long to dry. She grabbed her Uggs from her closet and walked to the living room. Our Christmas presents were still scattered over the couch and coffee table and I knew she was probably itching to clean it up but instead, she just pulled on her boots as I tied my sneakers and we headed to my car.
I had brought the basin with me and I was fucking glad because she threw up twice on the drive over. I cringed at the thought of vomit in the interior of my car. She kept rubbing her stomach, as though she was trying to calm it. She gave me directions to the office and I signed her in when we got there.
A few minutes later, a nurse opened the door and called her name. I followed her back, holding her hand. I helped her up onto the table then sat in one of the chairs next to it, jiggling my leg nervously.
"So, what are you in for today, Isabella?" the nurse asked, taking her blood pressure. Bella bit her lip and looked at me, clearly wanting me to explain. Apparently, Bella reverted to little kid mode when she was sick.
"Bella's been throwing up for the past twenty-four hours, she's been running a fever. Really high. Uh, Tylenol kind of helps but we weren't sure how often she could take it and didn't want to over do it. She's been drinking water so she doesn't get dehydrated but it mostly comes back up," I explained, watching Bella. The nurse finished taking her vitals then had her take off her shoes and step onto the scale.
"Well, you've lost five pounds since your last visit and that's not good, seeing as it was just a week ago," the nurse informed Bella before continuing, "but the doctor will talk more about that with you shortly, alright?"
Bella nodded and stepped off the scale, sitting back on the table. The nurse left the room, telling Bella she hoped she felt better soon. As soon as she left, Bella started crying. I stood and rubbed her back silently, wondering if she was just scared. We waited another twenty minutes for the doctor and I was pacing by the time and older woman finally entered the room.
"Isabella, I didn't expect to see you again so soon," she smiled warmly at Bella before turning to me and extending her hand, "I'm Dr. Morgan. You must be…"
"Edward Cullen. I'm the kid's father," I gestured to Bella's stomach, as if to clarify which kid I was talking about. Thankfully, the doctor laughed and turned to Bella.
"Not feeling too well, are you?" she asked, reading over what the nurse had written.
"No… better than yesterday, but not very well," Bella agreed.
"There's a virus going around so I'm fairly certain that's what you have," she began as she wrote in the chart, "You're doing the right thing by trying to keep hydrated, though I'd recommend Gatorade to help restore your electrolytes. And the Tylenol is good as well. I would try not to exceed twice a day. Most doctors say you can take it as directed on the label but I like to err on the side of caution."
Bella and I both nodded and I was glad I hadn't given her too much Tylenol. I made a mental note to stop at the store on the way home and get some Gatorade.
"Now," the doctor continued, "what I'm concerned about is your weight loss. You were already down three pounds from your first to second visit and now, with the virus, you've lost an additional five pounds. You already were starting out on the lower side of normal range for your height, just above underweight. Now you're underweight but pregnant, which isn't good. What I'd like to do is have an ultrasound done later this afternoon, Isabella. I'm sure everything is just fine but we're just going to make sure that the baby is growing and developing," she stated then went over to the machine next to Bella, "for now, we'll listen to the heartbeat and make sure it's nice and strong. That'll give you both some peace of mind. And dad, this will be your first time hearing it, correct?"
I nodded, holding Bella's hand and squeezing softly. I had no idea she had lost weight. I knew she was small and skinny but no idea she was barely was in a normal weight range. And now she wasn't. I felt like shit for making fun of her eating habits. Clearly, she needed to eat even more. No wonder she was always aggravated with me. She laid back and the doctor instructed her to lift her sweatshirt. She did as she was told then grabbed hold of my hand again. I took my iPhone out of my pocket, going to the Voice Memo app, "Is it alright if I record it? I know my mom would kill to hear it."
Dr. Morgan nodded and probed Bella's stomach with the Doppler. It took a few minutes but suddenly, a loud whooshing sound filled the room. I hit record on my phone and grinned at Bella, who was smiling widely for the first time today. It was fucking amazing. That was our baby's heart beating in her stomach. We listened for a few minutes before Dr. Morgan was satisfied. Part of me wanted to keep listening, keep the reassurance that everything was good. I stopped the recording and gently rubbed Bella's stomach in the spot where Dr. Morgan had found the heartbeat.
"Is the heart rate good?" Bella asked.
"It's perfect, Bella. It's actually the exact same as last week, 155 beats per minute," Dr. Morgan said as she made more notes in Bella's chart, "So what I'm doing is writing you a prescription for Zofran, it's safe to take and will help with the nausea. I know you're not a fan of swallowing pills so I'll give you the orally disintegrating tablets. It dissolves quickly then you'll feel better. You can also take this if the morning sickness gets bad again. It's unlikely but it's safer to take the medication if you feel nauseous instead of losing anymore weight."
Bella nodded, listening silently. She put her hand over mine on her stomach and squeezed it gently.
"I'm going to call and make you an appointment for an ultrasound for this afternoon. You'll have to try to keep down the water, though," Dr. Morgan told her seriously, "I'll be right back and let you know what time."
I let out a deep breath when she left the room, "Holy fuck, that's a lot to take in."
"At least you don't have to drink all that water," she mumbled, playing with my hand.
"I'd do it if I could, baby," I kissed her forehead softly, "we'll go get the medicine filled now and maybe you'll feel better and it'll be easier. B, hearing that heart beat was… amazing. I can't wait to see the ultrasound."
"Mhmm, me either. It's so amazing to see it moving… I can't wait for you to see our baby live," she smiled broadly at me at me before sitting up and pulling her sweatshirt down. I messed around on my phone, e-mailing the recording of the heartbeat to my parents.
Dr. Morgan came back in a few minutes later, "Alright. Your appointment is for four o'clock this afternoon. Here's a prescription for the nausea medication and remember, try your best to keep the water down so we can get a good view of the baby," she said as she handed Bella the prescription and confirmation of the appointment, which Bella handed to me.
We said bye to the doctor then headed out, only stopping to pay her co-pay and confirm that she'd still need her next set appointment. She fell asleep in the car so I parked and ran into the pharmacy, wandering around the store as they filled her prescription. I found something called Tylenol Meltaways in the children's section and picked up a box, calculating that I could give her four of these to equal the same dose. I also grabbed Gatorade, a case of bottled water and gum that was on sale.
When they paged Bella's name over the loud speaker, I headed to the back. They asked me to confirm her date of birth and I realized I had no fucking clue what it was. The pharmacist saw the panicked look on my face and asked for the address instead, which thankfully I knew.
I laughed awkwardly as he rung me up, "Just my pregnant girlfriend, why would I know that detail?"
He laughed awkwardly right along with me and gave me directions on how to have her take the Zofran. I made sure I was right about being able to give her four of the child strength Tylenol and he agreed, confirming it. My phone rang right as I finished paying and I saw that it was my mom.
I slid the bar to answer my phone, "Hey, mom."
"Edward! Your father and I just got the e-mail."
"That was quick, don't you two have lives?" I joked as I pushed the cart out of the store and toward my car. I saw that Bella was still sleeping so I stood outside to finish the conversation with my mom.
"Don't be a smart ass, young man. Almost thirty or not, I'm still your mother. The heartbeat sounds perfect, that's what your father said."
I grinned, feeling better. I knew my dad worked mainly with adults but he had handled a few prenatal cases in his day and I hoped he'd be able to detect if anything was wrong.
"We have to go get an ultrasound done this afternoon because Bella's lost eight pounds since her first appointment. Five since last week, Mom, I'm kind of freaking out but so is she so I'm trying to keep it together. She doesn't weigh enough and they want to make sure the kid is developing right."
"How is she feeling?"
"Like shit, she's sleeping in the car now. I just got her nausea medicine filled. They asked me to verify her date of birth and I had no fucking clue what it is. Not even what month it is."
"So you'll ask her. She doesn't seem like the kind to go around advertising when people should get her gifts. Not like my son."
I laughed because she was right. Ever since I was little, I always made sure everyone knew when my birthday was.
"Now before I let you go tend to her, did she open the present?"
"Oh, yeah, she loved it. She started crying. And she told me the baby's last name would be Cullen but she decided that before she even opened the present, she had it like... sewn into this towel set thing."
I could practically hear my mother beaming through the phone.
"That's wonderful, Edward. Tell her we're thinking of her and call after the ultrasound!"
I hung up, loading the stuff I'd just bought into the trunk before getting into the driver's seat. I sat for a few minutes, staring at the front of the store. What if, when Bella got better, she didn't want me involved in her life or the baby's life, after what I'd done? What if I'd fucked up everything? I sighed before I shook her awake and gave her both the Zofran and Tylenol. She popped them both into her mouth and I was pretty sure she fell asleep before they even completely dissolved.
The drive to her place was short and I left her in the car while I took everything else in then came back and carried her in. She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed softly, mumbling my name in her sleep. I put her in bed and took off her shoes, figuring she could sleep until about two-thirty then she had to start drinking the thirty-two ounces of water.
I decided to pick up her apartment, putting Charlotte's games away and organizing the Christmas presents so they didn't look like they were unwrapped then tossed around like they really were. I threw out the wrapping paper then cleaned the kitchen. At some point, I realized I was doing more housework here than I'd done in the entire time I'd lived in my place. I had a cleaning crew come twice a week.
Finally, it was time to wake her up. She resisted, whining softly as I nudged her shoulder. I put my hand to her forehead and noticed she was nice and cool. Her face also wasn't as pale.
I leaned in close and said her name loudly in her ear, regretting it when she brought her head up fast and it collided with my jaw. She had a very hard head.
"Oh, fuck!"
"Ouch," she rubbed her head and frowned at me, "what are you doing?"
"Fuck," I rubbed my jaw, "trying to wake you up. You have to start drinking the water now."
She took the huge bottle of Aquafina water from my hands and took a tentative sip, followed by another, less hesitant one.
I lay down next to her and closed my eyes but she nudged me with her foot, "Hey."
"What?"
"Don't go to sleep. I'm bored," she said and I heard her taking big gulps of the water.
"You just woke up, B. You can't be bored."
"Tell me a story," she insisted and I opened my eyes, sitting up.
"What's your birthday?" I asked, remembering my conversation with the pharmacist then my mother.
"September 13, why?" she looked curious, climbing into my lap facing me, careful not to spill her water. I was surprised at the action. I wondered if she'd forgotten our conversation from the night before last.
"Hmm, the pharmacist asked me and I had no idea. I looked like a douche. So right before we met?"
She nodded and smiled at me, "Like, two weeks."
We sat in silence for a few minutes and I closed my eyes again. She squirmed in my lap and my hands shot out to keep her still, "Oops…" she mumbled.
I sighed and told her about my conversation with my mother and how my father had said that the baby's heartbeat sounded perfect. She'd seemed skeptical that he'd know anything about fetal heartbeats until I explained that he had worked on prenatal cases before. About fifteen minutes before we had to leave, she'd finished the water and was wiggling like crazy on my lap, "Bella…" I warned.
"I'm sorry! I'm not… I just… I have to pee!"
I laughed and shrugged, "Let's leave now."
Bella agreed, pulling on her Uggs and I helped her into her jacket before putting on my own, grabbing my car keys and the camcorder from the end table, where I'd set it up to charge when she was napping.
"For the ultrasound," I clarified, "so we can show my parents. And your mom."
"Oh! Good idea." She smiled and I was amazed at how much better she seemed than this morning. She bounced up and down, crossing her legs as I opened the car door. She climbed in, holding her stomach, "my poor bladder."
I laughed and drove to the office where the ultrasound would be taking place. She lead the way inside and they told her they'd be able to take us early right away, as their appointment before us had been a no show. I thought Bella was going to fist pump for a second with how excited she looked.
They led us back to a room that looked similar to her doctor's office but had a machine with a big monitor. She got up on the table and lay back, pulling her sweatshirt up and tucking it under her bra so it would stay up. I got the camcorder out and thankfully, they let me use it. I had heard stories about them being banned. I was secretly planning on uploading this onto the computer and sending it to my Dad so he could take a look.
The technician situated Bella then got down to business, squirting some clear stuff onto her stomach. I pointed the camera at Bella's face and grinned at her before zooming in on her stomach. Then I pointed the camera at the monitor, hoping it would turn out alright. For the next hour, I watched amazed as the technician measured the baby and checked its heart and other organs. Its spine looked like a string of pearls. I asked if she could tell if it was a boy or girl and she said she could guess but it was still early so she might be wrong, leading me to think she thought it was a girl.
She pointed out everything to us and printed out a ton of pictures, "Everything looks great," she said, wiping the goop of Bella's stomach, "you're measuring right on target. Fifteen weeks and one day. You're probably one of those lucky girls who'll be all boobs and belly. You're already showing a good amount."
Bella was beaming and looking at the pictures, like we hadn't just spent an hour watching the kid on the monitor. She'd even forgotten about having to pee until I reminded her and she practically threw the pictures at me and ran for the bathroom. I laughed and thanked the technician before going to wait for Bella outside of the bathroom, holding both our jackets. She finally came out and threw her arms around me.
"Our baby is perfect, Edward."
Maybe things would be okay after all.
~*~
see, things are looking up! i couldn't go too long with them being at ends with each other. what do you think: is edward right about it being a girl?