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Asher reaches over and squeezes my hand. He knows to pick his battles, and I’ve asked him more than a few times not to interfere when it comes to my interactions with Darla. For the most part, he’s been accommodating. He’s gotten to the point where he’ll allow the typical teenage attitude, but he doesn’t hesitate to step in when it crosses the line into blatant disrespect.
And Darla, well, let’s just say she’s pretty darn good at straddling that line when he’s around. When he’s not—the gloves usually come off. But that’s for me to know and deal with on my own.
Inside the waiting room, Asher sits and peruses the baby magazines like the expectant father he is. Bug plays on her phone. When a few more women come in and wait in the chairs across from us, she says, “It’s embarrassing. People probably think I’m pregnant or have an STI or something. There’s no other reason I’d be here with you.”
I clear my throat and say way louder than I need to, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for my ultrasound. Aren’t you excited to see the babies, Darla?”
She rolls her eyes overdramatically and goes back to her phone.
Asher cracks a smile as he turns a page.
I’m called back so a nurse can take my vitals, then Asher and Bug meet me in the exam room. We don’t have to wait too long for Hudson to join us.
“You’re doing the ultrasound?” I ask. “Don’t you have techs to do them?”
“Sometimes.” He rolls the machine over. “I like to do the high risk and twin pregnancies myself.” He notices Bug. “I see you’ve brought an audience.”
“This is my daughter, Darla,” Asher says. “Everyone calls her Bug.”
Hudson nods. “You excited to be a big sister, Bug?”
“I guess. Whatever.”
I guess?I look over at Asher. He heard it too. It’s the closest she’s ever gotten to admitting it out loud.
“Allie, go ahead and lie back and pull your waistband down and your top up so I can measure you.” He gets a measuring tape out of his pocket. “Have you been feeling okay?”
“I’ve been feeling great.”
“Taking your prenatal vitamins?”
“Every day.”
“Any vaginal bleeding or discharge?” He notes the measurement on his iPad.
“Nope.”
“Pelvic pain? Headaches? Swelling?”
“No.”
“Have you felt movement yet?”
My cheeks flame. I look over at Asher and we share a smile. The babies move a lot. Especially when we’re being intimate. Which we are.A lot. “Yes.”
Hudson raises a brow but doesn’t dig in further. “Any concerns?”
I shrug. “Not really.”
“Well, then, let’s get started.” He squirts gel onto my abdomen and works the transducer around.
“What are you looking for exactly?” Asher asks.
“At twenty weeks, we look for proper development of organs and limbs and assess the placenta and amniotic fluid. I’ll measure the size and shape of their heads, look at the four chambers of their hearts, assess the spine, abdomen, and facial features. Even the fingers and toes.”
I rise up on my elbows, suddenly gripped by anxiety. In my head, I’m hearing all the things he’s not saying. That he’s looking for abnormalities. Defects. Horrible things that could affect one or both babies. My heart begins racing and I feel nauseous.
Hudson looks up. “Allie, are you okay?”