Wednesday, February 16, 2022- 6 Weeks

I'm finishing lunch when I notice Amy enter the cafeteria out of the corner of my eye and start to excuse myself, "I'll see you later." I'm pushing my chair back as Amy stops next to the table. "I need to get my bag from my office, then we can go."

Amy waves at the guys and turns to exit the cafeteria next to me as Howard calls after us, "Where are you two sneaking off to?"

"We have an appointment," I reply, stepping closer to the table so I'm not shouting our business across the crowded room. I'm not telling them that we have two appointments: Amy's doctor's appointment and a meeting with the bank to talk about what we can afford for a mortgage. Them knowing we have two appointments would raise more questions than we want. As it is, they're going to question me at the comic book store tonight, I just know it. "I'll see you guys later."

Sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office, I suddenly find myself very nervous. What if we're told the test two weeks ago was a false positive or something's wrong with the baby? Amy must sense my anxiousness because she places her hand on my knee, which I didn't realize I'd been bouncing until I felt the gentle pressure she was placing on it. "It's okay," she whispers. "I'm sure Doctor Finn will say everything is fine. Does it make you feel better to know I'm nervous, too?"

I move my hand and cover hers. "Thank you." We sit like that until Amy's name is called and we're led into an exam room.

"Okay, Amy. I'm sure you know the drill by now; remove everything from the waist down. You can cover yourself with the blanket until the doctor comes in." The nurse leaves the room. No matter how many times we're in one of these rooms, I feel awkward watching Amy undress. I stare at the floor until Amy tells me she's covered.

There's a knock on the door and the doctor appears as the door opens. "Hello, Amy, Sheldon." He sits on the rolling stool on the opposite side of the exam table from where I sit. "How are you feeling, Amy?"

"Pretty good," she looks at me, I'm assuming for reassurance. "I haven't felt any morning sickness or cramping or anything that would concern me. Sheldon's been making sure I eat well and has even suggested we start going for walks a few times a week."

"And how about you, Sheldon?"

I wasn't expecting him to question me. He's Amy's doctor. Shouldn't he be focused on her? "I'm a little nervous, but also excited."

"That's perfectly normal." Her turns his attention back to Amy. "We're going to do an internal ultrasound today. Go ahead and put your feet in the stirrups and slide down." I find myself standing to help her adjust the blanket covering her lower half. Doctor Finn folds the blanket back and I notice Amy is wearing the same socks with cats on them that she has worn for every appointment. I wonder if Doctor Finn has noticed? "You're going to feel some pressure as I insert the wand. I'll be as gentle as possible, but let me know if you need me to stop, okay?"

Amy nods, and I can't help but notice the grimace as she reaches for my hand. Doctor Finn flips a switch on the machine and continues to adjust the angle of the wand until he smiles. "There it is." He presses a few keys and turns the screen to face us. "That's your baby."

I find myself pressing a kiss to the top of Amy's head and she's pointing at the screen. "It's really real. We're having a baby."

"How many are there? You said last time you'd be able to tell with the ultrasound." I'm staring at the screen, but don't have a clue what I'm looking at.

"See this here?" He's circling a spot on the screen in the shape of a kidney bean. We nod in response. "There's only one sac. And this right here," he points at the blob near the bottom of the bean shape, "Is your baby. It looks like there's only one. I can print this for you and we'll plan to take another look at him or her at your next appointment in a few weeks. We should be able to hear the heartbeat by then. It's still a little early to try today, but everything looks good."

Doctor Finn collects the images from the printer at the bottom of the cart the machine is on, which Amy happily accepts. She looks up at me, tilting the photos for me to see. "It's our baby, Sheldon."

The doctor gives us a few directions, which I'm sure she didn't hear, and exits the room. I finally tell Amy, "I think you can get dressed and we can go home."

I meet Leonard outside our apartments promptly at seven o'clock to meet Howard and Raj for new comic book night. He tells me about the drawing Ava made at daycare today and complains about Penny needing to work this weekend. He doesn't ask about the appointment Amy and I left early for, nor do I offer any information. Howard and Raj are already there by the time we arrive at the comic book store.

It's a typical night at the comic book store until I hear Howard and Raj whispering behind me. I turn on my heel and snap at them, "That's not why we left early. Unlike you, Amy and I can control ourselves and don't need to have coitus in the middle of the day." I leave them standing there and rush from the store, dumping the comic books in my hands on the counter on my way out.

I'm standing in front of the next store when I hear Leonard approaching. "Hey, you want to go home?"

"No," I shake my head and look at him. It's then that I notice the store across the parking lot for the first time. "You can go inside and get your comic books. I don't want to listen to Howard and Raj harassing me about Amy and me leaving work early today. I'm going to go to one of the other stores while I wait for you." He'll think I'm going to the convenience store at the opposite end of the strip mall. "Please don't leave without me?"

"Okay, buddy. I already told them they need to lay off. I'll be quick, I promise."

I wait until Leonard is inside and the door has closed completely before starting the short walk to the other side of the parking lot. I look up at the large letters over the door as I approach. Buy Buy Baby. For a while, it was feeling like I'd never be going into one of these stores for myself and Amy. I enter and an employee almost immediately approaches, asking if I need help finding anything. I shake my head, unsure what I'm looking for.

Making my way up and down the aisles, I suddenly find what I didn't know I was looking for. A picture frame for ultrasound photos with interchangeable mats with phrases like "Little Miracle" and "Coming Soon" on them. I grab one and head to the front of the store. I slide the frame into my bag after completing the purchase and am crossing the parking lot, almost back to the comic book store when I see my friends emerge.

"Sheldon," Howard calls out, not saying anything else until he's within a few feet of me. "I'm sorry for what we said back there."

"Thank you." I don't want to talk about this any longer. I want to get home to give Amy what I found.

I enter the apartment and Amy is on the phone. I hear her say, "He just got home. Thank you for calling." She watches as I close and lock the door behind me. "That was Howard, calling to apologize for what happened at the comic book store. Are you okay?"

"He apologized at the comic book store. Where are the ultrasound photos? Can I have one of them?" I have one thing on my mind right now, and it's not Howard.

"I put them in my nightstand. Didn't want to leave them out where Penny might see them." Amy scurries into our bedroom and opens the drawer on her side of the bed, producing the images we were given that afternoon. She returns and hands them to me. I notice her face when I close the bedroom door behind me, leaving her standing in the living room.

Pulling the frame I purchased from my bag, I pop the backing off and place one of the mats in the frame. This is the first time I've really looked at the image. It doesn't look like much right now, but it is my favorite picture in the world. This blob of cells is my child. Mine and Amy's child that we have wanted and hoped for, for so very long. I can't wait to meet this baby, see who they look like, if they're tall like me, or love music like Amy. Placing the back on the frame, I turn it over in my hands and hug it to my chest. "Amy," I say, opening the bedroom door, the frame still held close. "I picked something up while I was out tonight."

She accepts it, questioning me when she turns it over. "Did Stuart have this at the comic book store?"

"There's a baby store across the parking lot. I went in while I was waiting for Leonard after I didn't want to be around Howard any longer. This is our baby. That baby we've wanted for so long. Their first picture doesn't deserve to be hidden away in a drawer."

"It's perfect." She softly remarks, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.