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“If I go to the car, then so are you, and then we will find a new doctor's office.” I shook my head because he was really going through it. He had always carried himself like still water, a man with patience to spare- well, at least when it came to me- but now he was turning into a ball of nerves.

Chance had been obsessed with talking to, touching, and kissing my stomach. It was the end of my first trimester, and I could only hope that I didn’t have morning sickness anymore. I was over it, but Chance, being Chance, was right there beside me. He had not left my side since he brought me home.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him. He looked especially handsome today, perhaps too handsome for a regular doctor’s appointment. He wore fitted Black jeans and a black T-shirt. He had a fresh haircut, and his favorite chain was tucked under his shirt, occasionally playing peekaboo. His scent was so inviting that the woman sitting across from us couldn’t help but glance over at him several times since we had sat down. I wasn’t concerned about her, because all of Chance’s attention was clearly on me.

He had me up at his grandparents’ lake house every Sunday, where we enjoyed a well-cooked dinner. I often tried to help in the kitchen, but his grandparents were probably worse than he was. They treated me like some fragile glass doll. For the most part, I soaked it up, but sometimes I wanted to do things for myself.

“Justice Kingsley,” a nurse called me from the door in the far corner of the room.

“Justice Legend is right here.” Chance responded before I could say present. He stood and reached down for my hand.

“Chance, you can barely see my stomach. I can manage on my own.” I took his hand anyway.

“Girl, come on.” He practically dragged me to the room the nurse had told us to wait in.

The nurse smiled when we approached her. “Dad’s excited?”

“Too excited, if you asked,” I replied.

“Ain’t no such thing,” she said thoughtfully.

Chance had questions listed in the notes section of his phone. Over the past six weeks, he had been jotting down his thoughts anytime something came up. He had questions for the nurse, doctor, and whoever was operating the ultrasound machine. My man was not playing about us, and I loved it. I loved him.

This man kept updating me about my pregnancy as if I wasn’t the one carrying the baby. Our baby was the size of a Tamagotchi. He was so excited when he realized that our baby had started growing nails. I started calling him FLO, like my app that tracks the baby’s growth, which uses fruits and vegetables to describe sizes. I wasn’t sure where he got his comparisons from, but behind my jokes, I was carrying feelings I couldn’t always express. Seeing his excitement made everything feel incredibly real, in the best way.

After the nurse took my vitals and asked her usual questions, she led us into an exam room. Chance immediately started inspecting the space, looking around curiously. When the doctor entered, she sat down, and Chance quickly straightened up, causing me to resist a laugh. She greeted us, reviewed my chart, and explained what she would check.

Thankfully, all results came back normal. My blood pressure was good, my weight was within the target range, and my symptoms were pretty typical. Chance asked about my morning sickness, and she reassured him that it should start to ease now that I was in my second trimester.

Chance still had more questions, and they were rapid-fire.

“Can she eat seafood?”

“As long as it’s fully cooked and not raw.”

“Bet. When do we have to stop fucking?”

“Oh my god, Chance!” I said in surprise.

“Shhh… Woman. I’m trying to learn something.”

“Ummm.” The nurse giggled softly. “You can have sexual intercourse throughout the entire pregnancy. Of course, as long as she is comfortable.”

“Duhh…” He paused to look at his notes on his phone. “Are baths safe?”

“Yes, as long as the temperature isn’t too hot and as long as someone is home with her, in case she has trouble getting out on her own.”

I interrupted them before Chance could continue. “Thank you, Chance, baby, but let’s give her a break so we can see Justice the third.” I joked.

“The third, my ass.” He kissed his teeth.

There was a knock on the door, and the Doctor entered the room this time. She and the nurse switched roles. We thanked the nurse, and I lay on the examination chair. Once everything was in place, she applied the cold, clear gel to my stomach and told us to watch the monitor while she pointed out what we were seeing.

The second the monitor turned on, Chance moved so close to it that his nose was damn near inside the screen. My throat tightened with emotion, and when I looked at Chance, tears rested on the brim of his beautiful eyes. When we saw the baby flutter, Chance quickly grabbed my hand as if he needed something to hold on to or he might just fall. Nothing compared to hearing the heartbeat.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, barely audible.

Chance couldn’t hold back the tears. He let them fall freely. Not caring about anything else in this moment.