Page 66 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer

I strode to the front door and hurried inside to get away from the December chill. I needed to get a warmer coat. Inside the room was decorated for the holidays with a small tree in the corner, and twinkle lights strung throughout the room. A handful of people sat scattered around the bench-like seating area that extended along two walls. Harper was waiting for me at the check-in desk.

Her face lit up, and her lips curved into a brilliant smile. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it as soon as I got close enough for her to do so. “Ready?”

I nodded. Now that we were here, it was hitting me. I was about to see my baby. My heart raced, and my palms grew damp.

The receptionist’s eyes widened the moment she saw me. She looked at Harper, then me, and smiled. “Hello, Dad. Our ultrasound tech, Evie, is going to be working with you today.”

My thoughts screeched to a halt. She’d called me Dad.

I tried to smile back but my lips were barely working. Evie motioned for us to follow her down the hall. My breathing grew choppy, and our footsteps seemed to echo as we made our way to the room.

Harper tugged on my hand, pulling me to a stop. “You okay?” she asked.

I swallowed. “Yeah.”

She nodded. “I was nervous the first time, too. Seeing the ultrasound makes it all real. Are you sure you want to do this?”

I tugged her closer to me and leaned down to lay a gentle kiss on her lips. “Of course I am. But thanks.”

She leaned back and cupped my cheek. “Anytime.”

Evie, who’d opened the door to the room for us, lay a hand on her chest, directly over her heart, as she let out a little sigh. “You two are so cute together.”

Harper pulled me forward. Once we entered the room, she dropped my hand, climbed up on the bed, and got herself situated. I moved to her side and sat on the nearby tan armchair.

The room was decorated to make us feel like we were in someone’s home. Two couches flanked the entrance to the room, and the bed Harper was lying on had a fluffy blanket and pillows to lean against.

Evie got her machine ready, and the flat-screen TV mounted to the wall across from me flickered on with the Beautiful Bellies logo.

Harper twisted her shirt above her stomach.

She had the cutest bump.I ran my hand over it, lightly trailing my fingers. She drew in a shaky breath and bit her lip before gently removing my hand as Evie turned to face us.

“Okay, Harper. I know you’ve done this before, but the gel will be a little cold.” Evie squeezed a good amount onto Harper’s stomach.

Harper nodded, and her hand tightened around mine.

Evie ran the wand over Harper’s belly. “You two ready?” she asked as the screen came to life.

We nodded.

It didn’t take long before Evie smiled. She ran the wand over a particular section. On the screen, a tiny foot appeared. “It seems like this little one is stretching out across your body.”

Harper groaned. “Yup, and kicking a lot today.” As if the baby was listening, the foot on the screen moved.

Words escaped me as I watched, mesmerized.

Evie scanned across Harper’s belly until she found the profile of the baby’s face.

I sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.”

That was my kid.

Harper chuckled. “It is pretty cool.” Then she made a face. “The 3-D ones are a little weird if you ask me, but you should have the full experience.”

The screen changed from black and white to an amber color. Now I saw a shoulder, neck, and the side of the baby’s face in way more detail.

“I’m going to play the baby’s heartbeat and record it,” Evie said. “When you leave, you can pick out one of the stuffed animals to place it in.”