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“Okay, Emma. You can sit up. Everything feels okay, so let’s get the tech in here and get the ultrasound done. I’ll see you in four weeks, unless you have any concerns.” She takes off her gloves, tosses them in a bin, and smiles at us both.

Emma clears her throat. “So, about that family history. I do need to know what to be prepared for since my sister died from complications of pulmonary atresia.”

“I did see that on your form, and I understand your concerns. We will be monitoring your pregnancy closely, and if we see anything that we need to look at further, I promise you, we will do so immediately. But there have been so many advances in pediatric cardiology in the last ten years, so I’m confident that if there are any issues, we can keep you and the baby safe.

Okay?” She smiles gently. “Now let’s get that ultrasound so we can get some measurements and the baby’s heart rate. ”

I turn my gaze to Emma, a little shocked by the fact that she hasn’t told me she lost a sibling. I can’t imagine losing any of my brothers, so that must have been horrible for her and her family.

Emma nods. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Dr. Landy smiles and leaves the room with the nurse.

“So, Emma, can you tell me about your sister?” I ask quietly.

She sighs. “I will. It’s just not something that’s easy for me to talk about. I remember the day she died. I was nine, so while I didn’t understand a lot of the medical jargon then, I knew something was wrong. It happened so fast, and then she was gone. She’s why I want to be a doctor.”

“I’m so sorry, darlin’. I can’t imagine. But, Em, look at me.”

She looks at me, and our eyes meet.

“Our baby is going to be healthy, happy, and smothered in love.”

She smiles and nods. “You’re right. This is a lucky baby, huh?”

“The luckiest.” I lean forward and kiss her.

Another knock on the door interrupts our kiss.

“Emma, I’m here to do your ultrasound.” A woman in scrubs comes into the room, pushing a cart with a screen and … a dildo?

My eyes shoot to Emma’s. I’m trying to keep my mouth shut, but I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face. I pull in a deep breath through my nose to keep from laughing .

Emma closes her eyes and shakes her head. “You are a child, Archie.”

That just makes me grin wider. “Now, darlin’, you know that’s not true.”

“Okay, Emma, I’m going to have you lie back. I’m going to insert the wand into your vagina, and we’ll be able to get some pictures of your baby. You might feel some pressure, but don’t worry; it won’t hurt the baby,” she says as she rolls a condom over the wand, then squirts some lube over it.

I can’t stop the words before they fly out of my mouth. “Um, ma’am, is that a condom and lube?”

“Archie!” Emma screeches. “I’m sorry about him. Just carry on and ignore anything he says.” She turns to me and shakes her head once.

“It’s all good. I’ve heard it and seen it all,” the technician says with a laugh. “First baby?”

Emma and I look at each other.

“Yes, ma’am, it is,” I answer for us.

She stands between Emma’s legs and pulls her cart closer. After she taps some buttons on the computer keyboard, the screen lights up on the monitor. “Okay, let’s get started. Again, Emma, you’ll feel a little bit of pressure.”

I can’t watch her put the wand into Emma, even though I can’t see anything under the gown she’s wearing. So, I squeeze her hand, and she looks over at me. I smile and pull her hand up and kiss it.

“Okay, here we go.”

We hear a swooshing sound come over the speaker.

“Do you see this dot right here?” she asks.

We both nod.

“That’s your baby. I’m just going to take some measurements of the embryo and the uterus. That should confirm your due date.” She holds the wand in place, then takes the mouse and drags it across different points on the screen. Kind of looks like geometry .

Emma’s eyes are glued on the screen. A faint smile on her lips. “Is the swooshing noise the heartbeat?” she asks.

I didn’t even realize that’s what it could be, so my head turns to the technician to hear her reply.

She smiles. “It sure is. Nice and steady, too, at one hundred fifty-three beats per minute. I’ll get some pictures for you to take home too.”

The reality of this whole experience hits me like a truck. I’m going to be a dad. Emma is carrying my baby.

The sense of pride and this need to protect her rush over me. I never in a million years expected I would be sitting in a room with this hot-as-fuck girl I was lucky enough to hook up with, hearing and seeing our baby. It’s wild, to say the least.

I lean in and kiss the side of her head. “You doing okay?”

She turns to look at me, and tears pool in her eyes. “I’m good. This is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” She smiles, then wipes a tear that ran down her cheek.

I return her smile, feeling my own eyes getting glassy. “Yeah, darlin’, it’s fucking incredible.”

Emma puckers her lips for a kiss, and I oblige.

The technician taps a few more buttons on the keyboard, then pulls the wand out. She pulls off the condom and wipes down the wand with a towel, then hands Emma a clean one for herself.

“Okay, Emma, you’re all set. I’m just going to submit the results to the doctor to review, and then we’ll call you with the report.

Once you get dressed, go ahead to the checkout counter, and don’t forget to schedule your next appointment.

” She looks at the paperwork in front of her.

“Looks like she wants to see you again in four weeks. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call. ”

“Thank you so much.” Emma places the towel between her legs.

Once the technician leaves the room, Emma sits up. “Turn around, Archie.”

“What, why?” I sit up straighter .

“Because I need to wipe down the lady business and I don’t want you to watch me do it.” She looks at me incredulously.

I bark out a laugh. “Okay, fair.” I stand and move to the other side of the small room and turn my back to her.

She must be done when I hear the paper crunch on the table.

I take a look over my shoulder and see her drop the gown from her body.

She hasn’t looked back at me, so I keep looking.

Her perfect ass is right there, begging for me to grab on.

And I’m just about to do it when she pulls up her panties and grabs her bra off the counter I set it on.

She finishes dressing, then turns around to face me.

“Archie, you totally watched me get dressed, didn’t you?” she asks, but she’s smiling.

“Darlin’, I couldn’t help it. I was about two seconds away from taking hold of that juicy ass and bending you over the table.” I wink and smirk at her.

Her smile hits me right in the gut. This girl is doing something to me that I might not be ready for, but I want it all at the same time.

She walks over to me and lifts up on her toes and kisses me. “Come on, Daddy. Let’s go.”

“Oh ho ho, baby. I like the sound of that. You can call me Daddy anytime.” I laugh.

“Archie, don’t be gross,” she says, laughing.

I take her hand and start to lead her out of the room.

“Oh, wait! Let me grab the pictures.” She walks over to the countertop, where the technician left the ultrasound photos.

When she reaches me again, I open the door and place my hand on her lower back. We walk to the checkout and make her next appointment, which falls just before our Thanksgiving break.

After we leave the office, I walk her to her car.

“So, do you want to come over and hang out for a bit?” she asks with a smile .

I nod. “Yeah, for sure. Do you want me to pick up some food on my way?”

“That would be good. I seem to be tolerating pasta pretty well. Do you want to stop at that pizza place on Campus Corner and pick some up there? I can call in the order.” She pulls out her cell from her bag.

“Whatever sounds good to you is fine with me. I’ll take a pizza. Cheese is good.”

“What size pizza?”

“The biggest one they have, I guess. I’m pretty hungry.”

I rub my stomach, and it pulls my shirt up a little.

She looks at my hand. Biting her lip, she keeps watching until I stop.

I can’t help but smile. I think I might just be getting to her like she’s getting to me.

Although I don’t think either of us would deny our chemistry.

It’s just a matter of time before we cave in to each other.

I reach out and cup her face. “Em, do you need help ordering?”

“Huh? What? No, of course not,” she stammers, looking back down at her phone. “Okay, done. I’ll meet you at my place?”

“Sounds good.”

I lean in and kiss her. When she pulls away, I reach down and open her door. She turns and bends down to get into the car. Once she’s buckled, she looks up at me.

“See you in a few.”

She starts the car, and I close the door. Once she’s gone, I walk to my car.

I pull my phone out while I walk and see a missed call from Pitz. I hit Call, and after a few rings, he answers.

“Yo. Have you eaten yet?” he asks.

“I’m about to go grab something with a friend. Not sure when I’ll be back.” I reach my car and push the key fob to unlock it.

“Friend, as in Emma?” he asks .

“Maybe. Why do you want to know, you nosy fucker?” I chuckle.

“All good, man. You’ve been gone a lot since the surprise . I was just curious. You know, the guys are gonna start to notice you aren’t here.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be home tomorrow night for family dinner.” I step up into the driver’s seat, then close the door and start the ignition.

Charlie created a schedule for meals in the house. It’s been fun, having a day each of us has to cook dinner for the house. My turn was last week, so all I have to do is show up this week. It’s a good way for us to catch up and bond and shit. I love it.

“All right, man. Later.” He hangs up the call before I can reply.

Today was a big day. Not that I hadn’t believed her when she told me she was pregnant, but seeing my baby on that little screen made this for real.

We’re going to be parents. Emma and I will be tied together forever.

Or at least until our baby becomes an adult.

It’s so wild to think about now with the baby the size of, like, a peach pit or something.

Not telling my friends and family is going to be hard. I’m so close with my family, and I’ve never not told them anything. But I’ll honor Emma’s wishes and wait to tell them until she’s ready.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep working on getting to know her and showing her that she can trust me to be there for her.