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“Your office?” I look at her. “We’ve done it there before.”
“Yeah, when I was ovulating.”
“What’s the difference? Last time I was trying to get you pregnant. Now you are.”
She doesn’t have time to answer since I’m pulling up to the curb to get Mack and the pooch. Once they’re in, I meander our way through the downtown traffic until we reach the hospital.
“Will we have time to go to the zoo?” Mack asks.
“If it’s something you want to do,” Peyton tells him.
“I want to take some pictures. I signed up for photography class for next year.”
“Are you still using the camera my dad gave you?” I ask him.
“I am. It’s been great. Liam taught me how to develop film. He let me do it in the basement and even though I’m not there every day, if he’s home I can go into the dark room.”
“That’s awesome, Mack.”
I park and leave him the keys in case he wants to get out and walk the ground. The hospital where Peyton’s doctor is, is expansive with lots of open space. The elevator ride is quick. She checks in and barely sits before the nurse comes out and calls her name.
“Peyton, I was so happy to hear you’re pregnant,” Dr. Chan says when we enter the exam room. “I’ve been in touch with Dr. Ringman. She seems nice.”
“She is.”
“Hello, Noah. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Dr. Chan.”
Peyton sits on the exam table, has her blood pressure and temperature taken, and then is told to pull her yoga pants down.
“Dad, you’ll want to get your phone out for this and record.”
I do as Dr. Chan says without question. Peyton reaches for my hand and shivers when some gel type stuff lands on her bare stomach.
“What’s that?” Peyton asks.
“Gel. Nothing harmful,” the nurse says.
Dr. Chan presses a wand to Peyton’s stomach. “We may or may not be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It’s still early, but sometimes . . .” She pauses and nods to me. I hit the red record button. “Yes, there it is.”
“What? That’s the baby’s heartbeat?” Peyton cries out and looks at me. I’m sure my smile is as wide as it can get right now. “Do you hear this?”
“I do.” I crouch so I can be next to her. “This is the most amazing sound I’ve ever heard.” It’s up there with Peyton screaming my name while we’re having sex, but I can’t say that in here.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, fills the room.
Tears fill our eyes as we listen to the sound of our child’s heartbeat. I choke back a sob as I take it all in and wipe at Peyton’s streaming tears. We did this (with the help of modern-day science) but we still created a life together.
I nuzzle Peyton’s nose. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” she says right back as she kisses me quickly. “That’s our baby.”
“Yeah, it is.”
I’ve never been more thankful Dr. Chan told me to record this because now I’ll have it forever.
Dr. Chan makes some notes on the computer and then takes the wand from Peyton’s stomach, and then wipes the gel off. “Baby’s heartbeat is strong, Peyton. Everything looks great. I’m going to send my notes to Dr. Ringman.”
