That’s how the ice is damaged. I can take it as an sincere thank-you or that she thought I wouldn’t present up. “I need to be right here, Hannah. You’re used to this. I’m nonetheless figuring it out.”

“I do know. Look, we’ll make it not awkward, okay?”

“That’s what I would like. I do know it sounds egocentric. We haven’t talked about every little thing. I believe we have to. Are you up for dinner after this? I imply, do it’s a must to return to work?”

“I’m off the remainder of the day. I need to speak in non-public. Are you okay with us going again to my place so we are able to order in? I must get these footwear off before later.”

“I’ve no plans.”

“Will your girlfriend be okay with it?”

“It received’t be a difficulty.”

I open the door for her, and we enter a brand new section of our relationship. The experience on the elevator is scorching, practically too scorching. Hannah has to shed her coat. I provide to assist. She lets me. It’s the primary time we’ve been this shut because the final time we had been collectively.

Eli’s phrases hold tumbling over in my head. Be current. You’ll need to bear in mind it. Hannah put my title in her file as an emergency contact. That’s one factor I’ve by no means been earlier than. I comply with her down a protracted hallway to one of many again suites. She sits down on the examination desk like she’s completed it a thousand instances. I don’t fairly know what to do with myself.

I sit down for a minute or two, tempo for an additional few, then virtually leap out of my pores and skin when the door opens, and the physician enters. He extends his hand to me; I shake it prefer it’s the primary time I’ve ever shaken anybody’s hand ever. Lastly, I sit down and keep there. I can really feel my coronary heart racing in my chest like I’m ready within the penalty field, itching to get again on the ice.

The physician makes small speak with Hannah. He desires to know if she’s been feeling nicely and if there are any adjustments he wants to pay attention to. She talks about having to drop from her three-mile walks day-after-day to 2 miles. He chuckles and praises her for nonetheless doing that however to watch out and take heed to her physique, in case she would wish to cut back once more or cease altogether.

He lastly turns his consideration to me. He asks what I do for a residing and if that is my first baby as nicely. I by no means thought of myself to be somebody who that query was for. My first baby. I can really feel the nervousness give method to ache whereas answering sure. This needs to be Hayley. This could have been one thing we obtained to do collectively.

My ideas take over because the physician approaches Hannah. He listens to her coronary heart, feels over her bump, then takes a number of measurements. She’s proper on for her due date he says. What occurs subsequent is what Eli warned me about.

The physician takes a tool from his pocket and cues it up. He rolls it over her stomach till a sound comes by means of loud and clear. I can solely describe it as what the whoosh of a siren can be on the backside of a physique of water. It’s robust, muffled… and exquisite.

That’s my child.

That’s the heartbeat of my son or daughter.

“Wow. I’ve no phrases. Wow.” I stare at Hannah’s ivory pores and skin linked to the wand earlier than I discover her face. She is smiling from ear to ear. “Are we allowed to document this?”

My want is granted. I maintain my cellphone up and shut my eyes. Eli was proper. I need to bear in mind this second eternally. I’ve by no means fallen in love instantly earlier than right now.

Hannah’s cravings, she tells me, contain Mexican. The spicier the higher, in order that’s what we find yourself ordering in. We sit subsequent to one another on the sofa consuming, speaking, and attending to know one another another way. I truly giggle somewhat bit. I didn’t assume it was doable, however possibly this will work. It seems like the correct time to sort out the elephant within the room.

“I don’t actually know tips on how to put this all on the market. It must be completed, so I’m simply going to say what’s in my head.”

“Yeah, I agree. I believe I do know the place that is going.”

“We have to discuss how issues are going to work for the remainder of the being pregnant and past. I do know I haven’t been totally plugged in with you and I’m sorry. This could have been one of many first conversations we had so we may have been on the identical web page the entire time.”

“It’s not simply on you. I may have dealt with issues higher. I ought to have referred to as you sooner. I ought to have completed a thousand issues in a different way.”

“Hannah, it’s on each of us. I didn’t know what to say or do both. Each time I attempted, it simply made it worse. Okay, it did worsen.”

“I need to repair it, Wes, I do. I would like the assist. I believe you do too. We have to make this work for the newborn.”

“How do you need to try this? Do we have to get attorneys concerned? Belief one another and simply do what’s greatest?”

“If it could make you are feeling snug to have a authorized doc with issues in it, I’m okay with that. I’d desire to be adults and deal with it on our personal, not less than for now.”

“Issues are sophisticated sufficient with out the fits. Admittedly, I do know subsequent to nothing about infants. Don’t giggle, however I’ve been doing a little studying on-line and sure, I’m a kind of guys who picked up a guide.”

Hannah giggles in a method I’ve solely heard her do in mattress. “That’s actually cute and candy. Yeah, I’m scared too. My mom is coming for a few weeks across the supply. I’d such as you two to fulfill for apparent causes.”

“My people stated the identical factor. My mother would have been right here day one if I’d let her. We are able to work that out so neither one in every of us is overwhelmed. Simply so that you’re conscious, I’m transferring this weekend. I’m getting an even bigger rental so I can have a devoted room for the newborn. I discovered one a few blocks from my greatest good friend and his spouse. That was a giant factor off the record.”

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