Page 79 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

“Yes, there’s a baby. Look.” He turns the monitor toward me, pointing to a tiny blob on the screen. “Right there.”

My breath catches.

“That's…my baby?” I whisper.

“It sure is.” He smiles. “I’m just going to do a few measurements to determine your due date, and then we can listen for the heartbeat.”

My eyes glass over as I watch the screen, in complete awe of the tiny blob.

How can that little bean turn into a fully-formed human in only a matter of months? It’s both incredible and terrifying at the same time.

“Ok, here’s the heartbeat.” Dr. Wait presses a few buttons on the keyboard, and suddenly I hear a soft thumping noise.

“Oh, my god.” I cover my mouth as I listen.

“A very special moment.” He smiles at me. “I’m just going to print off a picture for you, and then we’ll finish up.

By the time I’m getting dressed, my cheeks are damp with tears.

“I’d like to see you again in four weeks for another scan.” He hands me the ultrasound picture.

“Thank you so much.” I sniffle, smiling, my vision blurry from crying.

“You’re most welcome.”

I wipe my eyes as I walk back toward the waiting room, clutching the picture to my chest the entire time.

After I book another appointment, I head outside and call Cassi.

“How did it go?”

“I heard the heartbeat.” My voice cracks.

“Woah! That’s amazing!”

“It is,” I sob, looking at the picture again. It barely resembles a baby, but I can make out the head and an arm. “It’s so real now.”

“I can’t wait to see the picture.”

“I’m so glad I have you, Cassi.”

“You’ll always have me, Lils,” she says. “I have to go back to work, but I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”

I hang up the phone and start the walk back to the office. I have no idea how I’m meant to act normal for the rest of the day, but I can’t suddenly call in sick. It would only make Andre more suspicious.

Andre.

I heard our child’s heartbeat today, and he has no idea it even exists.

A wave of guilt floods me, and I almost cave and call him.

But I realize it’s because I crave what I witnessed in the waiting room today. A partner, someone to hold my hand through this life-changing process.

I know I have Cassi, and eventually my aunt will come around, but they won’t be sitting up with me at all hours of the night as I feed the baby or help pick out a pre-school or teach it to walk.

I’ll be doing this alone.

And I need to start reminding myself of that.

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