Page 83 of Harper

“Hello, baby,” I whisper.

The wand is pulled gently out of my body. “Harper, I’m going to let you get dressed, and then we’ll meet in my office for a chat. Are you comfortable with Joe joining us?”

I wiggle my feet out of the stirrups and sit up, keeping my lap covered with a white paper sheet as I slide my eyes to Joe. I’m positive he doesn’t like it that he could be sidelined at my will, but he has the good sense not to strong-arm me, which is exactly why I decide to include him.

“Joe can be there.”

Dr. Kim gives us instructions on how to find her office, then leaves us alone.

“Thanks,” says Joe, “for saying yes.”

“Can you turn around, please?”

“I’ve already seen it all, Harp.”

“Turn around. Now.”

He rolls his eyes, but gives me his back as I wipe the ultrasound goop off my privates, then pull on my panties and jeans.

“That was cool,” he says softly, staring at a photo of a mother and baby on the wall.

“Yeah. Really cool,” I agree, buttoning my pants. The contempt I saw on his face a minute ago is still rattling me.

“I was sorta hoping we’d hear a heartbeat today, but I guess it’s too early.”

“Next time,” I tell him. “You can turn around now.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah. We’ll hear it next time.” I slip my feet into tennis shoes. “The heart beats at eight weeks.”

His eyes narrow. He clenches his jaw. His tone edges toward nasty when he speaks to me.

“Remembering that from last time?”

“No,” I say honestly. “I read it somewhere recently.”

“But you did hear it last time. Her heartbeat.”

“Of course,” I say, remembering the racing ‘whoosh whoosh whoosh’ of Raven’s tiny heart. “Hearing her heartbeat is what changed my mind. It’s what made me decide to have her.”

“Why?” he demands, his face contorting with anger. “Why’d you have her if you didn’t want to keep her?”

“Because she deserved to live,” I say simply.

“But not to have a father who loved her.”

I lift my chin. “She does have a father who loves her.”

Then, before Joe can get another snarky comment in, I open the door and leave.

***

Joe

On the drive to Dyea that Saturday evening, I go over the details of our appointment with Dr. Kim, assimilating everything I know about Harper’s first pregnancy into what to expect with this one.

Harper had a very dangerous condition with Moriah Raven called placenta percreta, which may have been prevented, or at least better managed, with regular ultrasounds and a planned c-section…which is exactly what Dr. Kim suggested for this pregnancy. Based on an April 1stdue date, we’ve tentatively scheduled the baby’s birth for March 24th, but that date could change based on Harper’s and the baby’s health.

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