Page 50 of Unpredictable

I close my eyes a moment before turning to the doctor. “The baby is okay?”

“The baby is healthy and developing as expected. You two take a minute, and I will print an ultrasound photo out for you.”

I turn back to Victoria before he leaves the room.

“I didn’t expect you to get so emotional,” Victoria admits quietly.

“Neither did I. Hearing our baby’s heartbeat and seeing it for the first time hit me harder than I expected.”

She pulls me closer by the hand still clasped in hers. I lean into her.

“It’s okay to show your feelings, Sterling. I’m glad I brought you. I think you needed this.”

“I think I did too, babe.”

???

I sit straight up as a loud noise wakes me. My eyes adjust to the dark as I realize the noise is my phone.

Picking it up, I see a picture of Victoria with her nickname, Baby Girl, on the screen.

“What’s wrong?” I bark out as I jump out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweats.

“Sterling, our little avocado is keeping me awake.”

“What’s it doing?”

“Sterling,” she chastises.

She’s sixteen weeks now. She has been tracking this pregnancy on her phone, but it’s still too early to find out if it’s a boy or girl. She prefers to call it a fruit based on size, but I prefer to call it an it until we find out. She hates it.

“Sorry, babe. What’s the avocado doing?” I run my hand through my hair, sitting back on my bed.

The panic from being woken up settles as she rattles on.

“Avi wants some ice cream.”

That’s right. She’s calling our baby Avi short for avocado. Shaking my head, I pull my shoes on.

“Don’t you have ice cream in the freezer?” I ask the question, but I already know the answer.

Whatever she wants, she doesn’t have in the house. For the past week, she has called me every night for a similar run.

“Yes, but not caramel swirl with pretzels to dip into it.”

“Jesus, woman. I’m on my way. Is the door unlocked?”

“Of course. Hurry, please.”

She kisses into the phone before hanging up.

I grab a shirt to throw over my head before grabbing my keys and wallet.

Thirty minutes later, I’m sneaking through the halls of her house. Finding myself at her door, I gently knock. When she doesn’t answer, I open the door slowly to find Victoria asleep on her bed. Going over to the mini fridge I bought her last week, I place the ice cream in the freezer, hoping it stays frozen. I place the bag of pretzels on top of the fridge then make my way over to the bed.

I cover her back up with the disarray of covers before kissing her softly on her forehead. She sighs before blinking her eyes open.

“Sterling. What are you doing here?”

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