Page 9 of Captiva Book Club

“Probably not. All week long, you’ve been acting like a kid waiting for Santa Claus.”

“I can’t help it,” he said. “As soon as we know, we can start talking about baby names.”

“Do you have a preference?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I’ve been imagining myself as a girl daddy, but then I’ll see a little boy somewhere and I fall in love with the idea of throwing a baseball to my son.”

“I think if your initial instinct is that it’s a girl, I think we go with that.”

“Really? Why do you think that?”

She smiled. “Because I keep dreaming that I’ll give birth to a girl.”

A nurse came through the door. “Rebecca Wheeler?”

Becca nodded. “That’s me.”

“Come this way, please.”

They followed the nurse into a room with a large table and an ultrasound machine.

“It’s a slow morning, so Doctor Madden should be in shortly,” the nurse said as she handed Becca a hospital gown. “After you put this on, climb up on the table.”

“Thank you,” Becca said.

The nurse smiled at them. “Do you have a preference on the baby’s sex?”

They both shook their heads. “Not really,” Becca answered. “All we care about is that our baby is healthy.”

The nurse nodded. “Good luck. I’ll check on you before you leave. I get as excited as the parents every time we do this.”

Her hospital gown in place, Becca climbed onto the table and reached for Christopher’s hand.

“I have no idea why I’m suddenly nervous. “

He rubbed her arm. “It’s nervous excitement. Nothing to worry about.”

Just then, her doctor came into the room.

“Hello, you two,” she said, placing a clipboard next to the sink and washing her hands. “How have you been feeling?”

“Hi Dr. Madden, I’m feeling great. I’ve got a lot more energy and the nausea seems gone for good.”

Dr. Madden nodded. “And how goes medical school?”

“Still plugging along. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle a pregnancy and third year medical school, but I’m doing it.”

Still smiling, but suddenly serious, the doctor walked toward them.

“That’s great, just understand that things will change as you get closer to delivery. You’re in the honeymoon phase. Women tend to get a lot done during this time.”

“That explains why she’s always cleaning the house and fussing at me to stop making a mess,” Christopher added.

The doctor laughed. “I’m not sure that’s exclusive to this phase of the pregnancy. You might have to get used to it until you stop making a mess.”

Becca laughed at that.

“Well, are we ready to find out the sex of this little one?”

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