Page 60 of Bringing Home the Bacon
“I think so?” I take a deep breath and hold it.
I look up at Bacon, standing beside me. He responds by interlacing his fingers with mine and flashing me that beautiful smile.
“We’re ready,” he says.
Melinda places the tool on my belly and swirls it around a few times over the gel. “Just a little pressure…”
And then the most beautiful image I’ve ever seen appears on the screen.
“That’s our baby,” I whisper.
Bacon’s hand squeezes mine tighter.
Melinda points at the screen with one hand as she continues light pressure with the other. “That there is the head. The arms… the legs. Aw, a cute little baby bum. And you see that flicker in the center right there? That’s the heart.”
That rhythmic flutter on the screen literally takes my breath away. Time stops. My own heart flutters like it’s in conversation with the tiny little heart forming inside me. When I finally remember to pull in a lungful of air, I hear a sniffle from the man beside me.
One salty tear rolls down Bacon’s cheek.
The expression on his face can only be described as awe.
The man is in love.
But with our baby this time. It’s beautiful to see.
Melinda’s all business now while she types notes into her computer. “You two were correct. Baby is measuring at around sixteen weeks, which brings your due date to… May twentieth.”
“That was my mom’s birthday,” I say in wonder.
“Aw, what a sweet coincidence!” Melinda says.
But I’m not so sure I believe in coincidences anymore. I didn’t see any of this coming, yet somehow, it all feels meant to be. Suddenly, it’s like every single thing I’ve experienced—the good and the terrible—has led me here to this moment with this beautiful man. As someone who lost her parents when she was ten years old, the whole “everything happens for a reason” mentality has always felt like a slap in the face. But I’m starting to think it might be true. If I hadn’t gone to New York City that day… If I hadn’t missed the bus home... Hell, if I hadn’t had that awkward run-in with my student at the Quick Lick and been forced to buy a pack of primary-colored washable markers… none of this would be happening right now.
I lock eyes with Bacon and squeeze his hand. “I’m so happy,” I say, my voice breaking on the last word.
“Never been happier in my whole life,” he responds, eyes still glistening. He leans over me on the table, places his warm hand on my cheek, and kisses me. I get lost in the kiss. It’s probably too intimate a kiss to be sharing with another person in the room, but honestly, I forget Melinda’s even there until I hear her say…
“Oop!”
Bacon pulls back from the kiss. “Oop?” he says. “What does oop mean?”
“It means someone was hiding in there.”
My adrenaline spikes. “Who was hiding where?” I prop myself on my elbows and crane my neck past Bacon to see the screen.
Melinda points at one image on the monitor and says, “This is Baby A.” She points at another and says, “And this is Baby B. Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy. You’re having twins.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re both still in shock.
After Melinda dropped the news that we’re having twins—two whole babies!—she left, and I met my new OB. He examined me, told me all about prenatal vitamins, and confirmed that I should come back next month for my twenty-week scan. This is the “fun” anatomy scan where the ultrasound tech studies the various systems. We’ll get a front-row seat to study the babies’ hearts, brains, spines, stomachs, and lungs. We can even find out the sex of the babies if we want.
We’re alone now in the exam room but I haven’t moved yet to get dressed.
“Do you, uh—do you want to know if they’re boys or girls?” I say softly. “Or one of each maybe?”
“Totally up to you. I’ll be thrilled however things line up, and it’ll be an awesome surprise whenever we find out, whether at the twenty-week scan or at the birth itself.”
“Really? You’ll be thrilled no matter what?”
