As the weeks progressed, Helen's belly grew rounder, and the reality of impending motherhood became more tangible with each passing day. The more tangible that reality became, however, the more daunting the future seemed. She had no idea what she or Bitsy were going to do once people put two and two together and realized that her unborn baby was a product of scandal. She hoped that the worst that could happen was just public shaming, but it was hard to predict anything anymore.

Now here she was, just twenty-three weeks along and approaching the end of her second trimester. She had already explained everything to Spencer at this point, even making sure to break up with him while she was at it. At the very least, it was better than stringing him along for months and putting him through much unnecessary pain and anguish, especially when it would eventually and inevitably be revealed that the baby wasn't his. There was also the matter of her developing feelings for the sire of her baby. She had no idea if they'd come about solely because she was pregnant or if she'd always had feelings for Bitsy and just had them repressed until now. Either way, it was overwhelming, and she had no idea how she was supposed to manage them without risking ruining her shot at getting Bitsy's inheritance.

In the meantime, she spent hours every day researching baby names, nursery decor ideas, and parenting tips. She was willing to give everything she had and give her unborn daughter the best possible start in life, with or without Bitsy's help. It only seemed right.

Today was Friday, August 12th, the day Helen had to go in for yet another appointment. Unlike the previous appointments she had to go to, this time, Bitsy seemed surprisingly willing to come with. Helen had no idea what could've sparked the change in attitude nor whether it was genuine, but at this point, she didn't care. All that mattered was that now Bitsy wanted to be part of their daughter's life. Whether or not she'd still want to be involved once the baby arrived, however... well, it was hard to predict what would happen there. All Helen wanted right now was support.

In the waiting room, Helen leaned back in her seat, both hands cradling her growing belly. The amount of time she had to spend waiting felt like an eternity, but her patience seemed to be growing stronger with every appointment she'd made thus far. Bitsy, on the other hand, was bored out of her skull. It always seemed like such a chore having to wait at these things. She liked to believe that, at the very least, she wasn't alone in that department. How could anyone possibly sit through something like this?

"God, how long until it's our turn?" Bitsy asked. "I can't stand it!"

"It shouldn't be much longer," Helen assured her. "Just hold on."

"I really hope so. The sooner we can get home, the sooner we can make sure Shampagne is okay."

"I know, I know."

And so they ended up waiting for a while until they eventually heard the nurse calling out Helen's name.

"Okay, that's us." Helen struggled for a bit before finally lifting herself out of her seat. "C'mon, Bitsy, let's go."

Just like before, Bitsy and Helen proceeded to follow the nurse into the doctor's office. As they entered the doctor's office, Helen couldn't help but feel a mix of nerves and excitement coursing through her body. She was eager to see how their baby girl was developing and hoped that everything was progressing smoothly. Bitsy, on the other hand, seemed more focused on getting through the appointment quickly so they could return home. She didn't want to keep herself away from her little Shampagne for too long. For all she knew, the little dog must have been thinking she'd be gone forever. Once inside, Helen climbed up onto the examination table and then lied back and waited for Dr. Meggyesfalvi to arrive.

"Oh God, I can't wait to see how much our baby has grown since the last time we were here," Helen muttered out loud.

"Why?" Bitsy asked. "It can't be any different than last time, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't really say that. For one, she can hear us now. By the way, you should try to tone down the swearing moving forward."

"Seriously? Just because she can hear us now doesn't mean she can understand anything we're saying."

"I know, but I'm just saying." Helen instinctively rested her hands on her bump. "I don't want her taking after you too much."

After a few moments, Dr. Meggyesfalvi entered the room with a warm smile, greeting Helen and Bitsy before getting down to business. The doctor began the ultrasound examination, carefully moving the wand over Helen's belly to get a clear view of their baby girl. As the image of their growing child appeared on the screen, Helen couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion. It was hard to tell what Bitsy was thinking as this was all happening, though. However, as weirded out as Bitsy seemed to be, Helen liked to think that she was also fascinated by seeing their daughter right there. Seeing their baby's tiny features and hearing her heartbeat was enough to fill Helen with joy and anticipation for several lifetimes.

"Hi, baby," Helen practically breathed as she had her eyes fixed on the screen. "I can't wait to meet you."

Dr. Meggyesfalvi chuckled. "I'm willing to bet she can't wait to meet you, either, but you still have a long ways to go. Remember, your due date is December 9th."

"I know, but it seems so far away. I don't know if I can wait that long."

"Well, there's always the possibility that she could arrive before then. It's actually rare for babies to be born on their exact due date."

Helen just nodded. "Good to know."

As the ultrasound continued, Dr. Meggyesfalvi pointed out different parts of the baby's anatomy, explaining what they were seeing on the screen. Helen and Bitsy listened intently, trying to absorb as much information as possible. The doctor then proceeded to reassure them that everything looked healthy and normal, which brought a sense of relief to both soon-to-be parents. Then, as if in the blink of an eye, the ultrasound was over.

"Alright, Helen, I expect to see you back here in two weeks," Dr. Meggyesfalvi said. "You've been doing a good job so far."

Helen just nodded again. "Thank you, doc. You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that."

"I'm always happy to say it." Dr. Meggyesfalvi's face suddenly lit up. "Oh, I almost forgot! I'm sure you'll want more pictures. Do you want me to give you some copies?"

"Yeah, that would be great."

"Okay." Dr. Meggyesfalvi handed Helen a printout of the ultrasound. "Here you go. Now come back here in two weeks, alright?"

"Don't worry. I'll definitely be back."

Dr. Meggyesfalvi smiled. "Good."

After arriving home, the first thing Helen did was make a beeline for the penthouse bathroom. She already knew that this pregnancy would be different from the one she had when she was 17. Even so, it still caught her off guard just how much it was changing her: the frequent bathroom breaks, the round ligament pains, the fatigue, all that jazz. Still, this was all God's will, and she couldn't help but take pride in thinking that He had chosen her to be the little one's mother.

After relieving herself on the toilet, she flushed and washed her hands. Helen then straightened herself and leaned away from the bathroom counter, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hands instinctively went to rest on her growing belly, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her. The reality of impending motherhood was sinking in more and more with each passing day. As happy as she was to have this baby, she was also a little frightened. Would she actually be able to give the baby the life she deserved? She liked to hope so, but it was hard not to doubt herself at times. Besides, anything could go wrong no matter what she did. She didn't like thinking about the worst-case scenario of a stillbirth, and yet it still distressed her just imagining such a scenario. She was willing to do anything to make sure this baby was born alive and healthy.

Suddenly, a knock at the door derailed her train of thought.

"Helen, what the hell is taking you so long?!" Bitsy practically shrieked out.

"I'll be out in a minute," Helen replied.

"Well, hurry up! I need to use the bathroom!"

"Hold on!"

Helen took a moment to cradle her bump and silently hope that the baby would turn out more like her than like Bitsy before leaving and heading for the nearest place to sit down. One Bitsy was enough to handle. She wasn't sure she could handle two of them. Even so, regardless of how her daughter turned out, Helen was determined to love her no matter what. It's what God would have wanted her to do, after all.