Page 105 of Catcher

RUBY

When the cold gel hits my belly, I suck in a breath.

Garrett stands beside me, one hand braced on the table near my hip as if he’s anchoring me in place, the other resting on the back of my shoulder. He’s been quiet since we parked and took the elevator up to the third floor, where my doctor’s office is located. He’s like this with every appointment, holding his breath until he can see and hear for himself that our baby is fine.

The ultrasound tech, Ashley, according to her badge, moves the wand slowly and carefully, her eyes flicking between my stomach and the monitor. The room smells faintly of sanitizer, and the only sound is the low hum of the machine and Garrett’s heavy boot tapping on the tiled floor. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Okay,” Ashley says softly. “Before I turn the screen toward you, are you two still Team Surprise?”

My mouth goes dry. This is our last ultrasound, and our last chance to cave in. The last time anyone will ask me if I want to know the one thing I don’t know yet. I’m dying to know, but we’ve made it this far.

Garrett’s hand slides down to my fingers, threading through them. He squeezes once, a silent question.

“We’re still Team Surprise,” I say, and the words come out firmer than I feel.

Garrett lets out a soft chuckle. “Yep,” he adds, voice rough. “Team Surprise.”

“Got it,” Ashley says with a smile, and she swivels the monitor toward us. The screen blooms into grainy black-and-white shapes, and then there it is, our baby.

Ashley points out a curve and a flicker. “That’s the spine. There’s the heart, strong and steady.”

The sound of the heartbeat fills the room, and I see Garrett visibly relax. He leans closer, his eyes glued to the screen.

Ashley takes measurements, clicking and dragging lines across the image while she announces how the baby is measuring as expected for thirty-six weeks. “Everything is measuring right where we want it. Baby looks perfect.”

She glances at the chart. “Due date is still on track. One month, give or take.”

Just four weeks to go. I’m terrified yet excited.

Ashley prints a few pictures for us, carefully cropping anything that might spoil our little plan, and hands them over to Garrett. After I wipe the gel off with a paper towel, I slowly sit up, and Garrett’s hands are instantly there, steadying me.

Outside, the day hits me the way New Orleans always does. The scorching sun shines bright, and the early afternoon air is thick with the kind of humidity that makes your skin feel sticky.

Garrett guides me through the parking lot with his palm at my lower back. “You okay?” he asks once he gets me buckled in. “You’ve gone quiet.”

“I’m good, just tired.” I rest a hand on the curve of my stomach. The baby kicks, making me smile. “I keep thinking how this is getting real. I mean, I know it’s always been real, but with my due date approaching…” I shrug, letting my sentence hang.

Garrett nods as he understands exactly. “Good real but scary real at the same time.”

I blow out a breath, relieved that he gets it. “Exactly. I’m ready for him or her to be here and to be a mom, but I’m scared too.”

Garrett twists in the driver’s seat to face me. “You know I’m not goin’ anywhere, right, baby?”

“I know,” I quickly tell him because I do know. Garrett has been nothing short of perfect these past several months. He has proven time and time again that we are in this together. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it, baby? What exactly has you worried?”

“I guess I’m just scared that something is going to swoop in and take my happiness away from me. I mean, I’m so incredibly happy. I have a baby on the way, I have you, I have my parents, and my friends. I have everything I could ever want. The thought of losing any of that scares me,” I tell him honestly.

Garrett’s face goes soft as he places his hand on top of our growing baby. “Nothin’ is going to take your happiness away, Ruby. As long as there is a breath in me, you and our baby will want for nothin’, and I’ll spend the rest of my life makin’ you happy.”

I throw myself in his arms. “I love you.”

He cups my face in the palms of his hands. “I fuckin’ love you too, baby.”

A few minutes later, we pull out of the lot, and the city slides by. The closer we get to Pop’s, the more my nerves turn into something bubbly. It’s not just a baby shower, it’s a celebration with family that reminds us we’re doing this, and we’re not doing it alone.

When we turn onto Pop’s street, I know before I see the backyard that everyone is already here. The sound reaches us first—voices, laughter, the distant sound of music, and a familiar lineup of motorcycles angled along the edge of the yard. Tucked in among the bikes is a white rental car. Garrett’s parents are in town. His mom and dad flew in for us, and his brother came with them. His family has been over the moon ever since we told them about the baby.