Page 38 of Loving Josy
I immediately look at Noah. His posture straightens, and a wide, genuine smile lights up his face. He looks so proud, and for a second, my heart does a little flip.
Dr. Willis continues, “I see here you’ve been experiencing nausea and vomiting?”
I nod. “Yeah, it's been rough.”
“That’s completely normal, especially in the first trimester. It can last until your second, or it might stop earlier. Every pregnancy is different. Just make sure you’re staying hydrated, and I’ll prescribe some prenatal vitamins to help you along.”
She goes over the basics—what I should eat, what I should avoid, the importance of rest—and we both listen intently. It feels surreal, hearing all of this while Noah sits quietly.
“Now, let’s do a checkup and take a look at the baby. We’ll be doing a vaginal sonogram today, as it’s the best way to see the baby this early on. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I answer, my heart racing with excitement and a little bit of anxiety. This is it. Noah stands next to me, his hand warm and reassuring in mine. Dr. Willis moves the machine closer and asks me to place my feet on the stirrups for easier access. I nod, following her instructions, and then I see her grab the wand-like device—something that looks uncomfortably similar to a dildo. She places a condom over it and applies some gel on top.
Noah’s eyes widen, and I can't help but chuckle at his expression. “It’s totally normal,” I say, amused.
“This is the device that’ll help us see your little one.” Dr. Willis smiles gently. “Just take a deep breath and relax, Josy.”
I nod again and shift my focus back to Noah, feeling his steady presence beside me. I squeeze his hand, and he looks at me with soft eyes, giving me a wink that melts some of the tension in my body. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to calm my nerves, then the machine lets out a soft whir as the screen flickers to life.
I don’t understand what I’m seeing on the screen at first, but I’m glued to it, waiting for some sign of our baby.
“You see this circle here?” Dr. Willis points to the screen, and I nod. “That’s where your baby is currently growing. And this tiny dot right here.” She pauses and points to the screen. “That’s your baby.”
I stare at the screen, trying to process the magnitude of what I’m seeing. Then, as if she has magic in her hands, Dr. Willis adjusts something, and suddenly the room is filled with the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat—our baby’s heartbeat. It’s steady, strong, and overwhelmingly real.
Noah squeezes my hand harder, and I look up at him with tears already filling my eyes. His face is pure wonder, his gaze fixed on the screen before he leans down and whispers, “That’s our baby.”
The way he says it, filled with so much awe and tenderness, nearly undoes me. Then he presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and I let out a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the moment.
I turn back to the screen, watching as Dr. Willis takes measurements, talking us through the process. “The baby’s heartbeat is strong,” she says, and relief washes over me. “From the information you’ve given me, it looks like you’re around eight weeks along. Your due date is July 16th, so you’ll be expecting a summer baby.”
A summer baby. It’s all becoming more real by the second.
Dr. Willis smiles as she finishes up, printing three pictures of the sonogram. She hands them to us. “Here are some pictures to take home, and I’ll see you next month for a follow-up.”
I take the pictures from her, my hands shaking slightly. After she leaves the room, I stare at them, feeling both amazed and terrified at the same time. Our baby is so tiny, but already, this little dot has changed everything.
Noah lets go of my hand so I can clean up and get dressed, but he stands there, his eyes still glued to the pictures, a small, proud smile playing on his lips. I can’t help but smile too, even as a thousand thoughts race through my mind.
Chapter Twenty
Noah
“I’m telling you, it was surreal listening to the baby’s heartbeat.” Leaning back in my chair, I shake my head in disbelief. Even days later, I can still feel that moment vibrating inside me like an echo that won’t fade. “I had tears in my eyes,” I admit with a chuckle, feeling a little self-conscious about it but not caring.
Austin and Esteban are listening intently, which is rare for these guys. Usually, they’re the ones talking nonstop, but tonight they’re letting me have the floor since I am telling them the amazing news. We’re sitting at our usual booth at the Tavern, the dim lights and smell of fried food giving the place that familiar, laid-back feel. I take a sip of my beer and pull out my wallet, retrieving the small ultrasound picture I’ve been carrying with me everywhere.
I lay it flat on the table, and both of them lean in closer. "Here," I say, my voice softening without meaning to. "This is our baby."
Austin is the first to grab it, a smile spreading across his face. “Man, I’m so happy for you both,” he says, passing the picture to Esteban.
Esteban studies it for a moment, then gives me a sideways grin. “Dude, the baby’s not even here yet, and you already look like a proud dad,” he says, handing the picture back to me.
I shrug, pocketing the photo again, but the truth is, he’s right. I’ve been walking around feeling this weird mix of pride and protectiveness since that appointment. It’s like everything shifted the moment I heard that heartbeat, and now there’s this tiny person in the world that’s mine. Ours.
“Does this mean you and Josy are gonna start dating or what?” Esteban asks, giving me a knowing look. I am glad that they have not asked about how this came to happen since I won’t tell them, but I understand their curiosity.
I can’t help the dry laugh that escapes me. “I wish, man,” I say, shaking my head. “But Josy’s still in denial. She keeps saying we’re just friends and that we’ll co-parent, but that’s it.” I pause, feeling a twinge of frustration creep into my voice. “But I see it in her eyes, you know? She feels something, even if she won’t admit it.”
