Page 46 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Serenity Women’s Care

One week later…

“I’m so nervous,” I whispered to Pressure while laying on the bed, waiting for the doctor to show up.

My gown was folded just below my belly, and my hands were resting over the small round bump that seemed to grow more every day.

Pressure was sitting close beside me, rubbing slow circles on my stomach with his palm.

His touch was warm and reassuring, and even though I was nervous, I couldn’t help but smile.

He leaned down and kissed my stomach, then looked up at me. “You ready?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

He grinned, the corner of his mouth pulling up the way it always did when he was in a good mood. “You excited?”

“I am,” I said with a smile. “Aren’t you?”

He nodded like I had just asked a dumb question. “Hell yeah, I’m excited. You know I been waitin’ on this.”

We both laughed softly. Everything about this clinic felt peaceful.

It was private, clean, and calm. Everything was top tier.

There was soft music playing from the speakers, and the scent of lavender filled the room.

Out in the waiting area, I could faintly hear Zurie’s laughter.

She was playing with the toys the nurses had brought out for her, and I was thankful they were kind enough to keep an eye on her while I was back here.

It was just us in the building. There wasn’t a crowd, extra noise or waiting rooms full of strangers. It was just me, Pressure, and our baby.

When the door opened, a tall woman with kind eyes and curly brown hair stepped in. Her name tag read Dr. Ellis, and she smiled the moment she saw us.

“Good morning, Pluto,” she said warmly. “I understand this is your third visit overall but your first here with us, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. “I filled out the registration forms online.”

“Perfect. I’ve already reviewed your file,” she said, glancing down at the chart on her tablet before looking back up. “Everything looks good so far. We’re just going to check on the baby and see how he or she is developing.”

Pressure straightened up, rubbing his palms together. “Let’s get it.”

The doctor smiled and turned toward me. “Go ahead and lie back, sweetheart. We’re going to use a little gel and take a look.”

She rolled her stool closer, then squeezed a small amount of cool gel on my stomach. I flinched, and Pressure chuckled quietly under his breath.

“Cold?” he teased.

“Freezing,” I said, giving him a look.

The doctor placed the ultrasound wand on my stomach and began moving it around slowly.

The sound of soft static filled the room, followed by a faint rhythmic pulsing that made my heart race.

Pressure reached over and grabbed my hand, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.

I hadn’t even realized how tightly I was squeezing his fingers until that moment.

“Here we go,” the doctor said softly. “There’s your baby. Everything looks great. You’re measuring at about sixteen weeks and four days.”

The screen lit up with a little image that looked like a miracle in motion. My eyes immediately filled with tears. I could see the tiny heartbeat flashing, the small movements, and the perfect little shape.

Pressure leaned forward, his eyes locked on the screen. “Damn,” he whispered, a smile spreading across his face. “That’s really my baby right there.”

The doctor smiled. “Would you like to know the sex?”

I nodded quickly, my voice shaky. “Yes, please.”

She moved the wand slightly, clicking a few buttons before looking up at us with a bright smile. “Congratulations,” she said softly. “You’re having a boy.”

For a second, I couldn’t breathe. Then Pressure released my hand and laughed loud enough to fill the whole room. “I knew it! I fuckin’ knew it!” he said, clapping his hands together. “That’s my boy right there!”

His excitement was contagious. I started laughing through my tears, feeling every bit of the joy he was radiating.

The doctor smiled at both of us. “Congratulations again, you two,” she said, handing me a few tissues before turning off the monitor. “You can wipe the gel off, and I’ll give you both a minute.”

I nodded and took the tissues, gently wiping my stomach as Pressure helped me clean the rest. His touch was warm and careful.

Once the gel was gone, the doctor gave us another smile and quietly slipped out the room.

I wiped my eyes and looked over at Pressure. He was still smiling, shaking his head in disbelief. “A boy,” he said softly. “That’s wild.”

He bent down, placing another kiss on my stomach. “I told you it was gon’ be a boy. I could feel it.”

“You did say that,” I said, my voice trembling from emotion.

When I sat up to grab my clothes, Pressure’s hand caught mine. He pulled me close, his arms wrapping around my waist as he pressed his forehead against mine. I could feel the way his chest rose and fell, slower now, like the weight of everything was sinking in.

“You givin’ me another son,” he said.

I froze for a second. “Another?”

He nodded and slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed. “Yeah. I never told you this, but me and Ka’mari lost our baby. He was a boy too.”

My heart dropped. I had never known that.

“She was seven months,” he said, his voice low.

“We was almost there. We had the name picked out, the room ready, all that. One day the doctor came out to the house for a regular checkup and couldn’t hear the heartbeat.

They told us to go to the hospital. When we got there, they did an ultrasound and said his heart had stopped.

I don’t even know why. They couldn’t tell us.

I held him, though. He was perfect, and looked just like me… but he was gone.”

I sat there, speechless. I could see the pain in his eyes, and I could tell that trauma never really leafy him.

“That shit broke me,” he said, rubbing his hand over his face.

“It made me cold for a long time. That’s why this mean so much to me.

I ain’t say it, but I been scared. Every time you tell me you good or the baby good, I get this knot in my chest like somethin’ could go wrong again. I can’t go through losin’ another one.”

I moved closer to him and took his hand, pressing it against my stomach. “You’re not,” I said softly. “You’re not losin’ him. I’m not losin’ him. Our baby is fine. He’s healthy, and he’s gonna make it.”

He looked at me, his eyes softening. “You promise?”

“I promise,” I said, meaning every word.

He nodded, taking a deep breath before pulling me back into his arms. I could tell that Pressure was letting himself breathe.

After a few minutes, he pulled back and said, “Ma waitin’ on us. She been blowin’ my phone up about this appointment. She wanna know if she got a grandson or granddaughter.”

I smiled. “I already know she’s gonna be happy.”

“She gon’ go crazy,” he said with a smirk. “So come on. You and Zurie ridin’ with me.”

I nodded, slipping out the chair. He held the door open for me, and we went out to get Zurie. She was still in the front playing with her iPad open on the table, laughing at whatever cartoon was on the screen.

Pressure scooped her up with one arm, kissed her cheek, and said, “Come on lil’ mama, we out.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling as he carried her to the car.

The ride to his mother’s house was quiet but comforting.

I looked out the window, watching the palm trees sway and the sun bounce off the water as we crossed the bridge toward Nzuri Hall.

It brought back memories of the first time I had been there for his mother’s birthday.

I could still remember the way she carried herself with such grace and power.

Now we were headed back, not just as guests but as family.

Pressure was quiet as he drove, but his hand stayed on my stomach the entire time. I could tell his mind was somewhere between relief and reflection, but for once, he didn’t look burdened. He looked like a man who was finally getting something back that life had taken from him.