Page 73 of Storm

“You’re welcome. So, have you picked out a name for your little boy?”

“I fuckingknewit!” Ezra shouts, but all I can do is blink in shock.

I glance at Richard and find him watching me unblinkingly. Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I croak out,“Yeah. I-I have a couple of ideas.” That grabs the rest of their attention, aside from Tatum, since we already discussed this.

“You named our boy, petal?” Ezra asks at the same time Richard blurts out, “What name are you thinking?”

I’m not sure why, but now that I know my baby is definitely a boy, it just feels as if I know my choice is the right one. “Gabriel.”

Kevin’s hand is heavy on my shoulder when he squeezes it in approval. I keep my eyes locked on Richard who seems frozen from all of the extra information today. He keeps swallowing hard over and over again. The tech distracts all of us by handing out photos from today.

We each receive a strip with three pictures, the last two with typed words that say, “It’s a boy!” and “Baby Gabriel.”

Handing me a towel, she instructs me to wipe off the last of the gel and head back to the OBGYN clinic for my appointment and stress test. Ezra is chattering away while Kevin helps me right my clothes and to sit up from the table.

I blink against the bright lights in the hallway, then notice Richard isn’t moving. “Are you coming?” I ask him softly, but he’s busy staring at the photos.

Waiting a moment without an answer, I move to leave the room when he says, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.” He sounds numb, shocked, and maybe overwhelmed.

Deciding to give him the time he needs, we all leave him as we head back. Multiple heads turn in our direction as I walk through the hospital with a group of men following behind, but I do my best to pay no mind to their curious looks. It doesn’t work. The longer we weave through the halls, the more I’m noticing it.

Growing aggravated, I’m about to snap at one of them who literally leans over to whisper something to her husband with her finger pointed at us. Kevin moves in next to me and wraps an arm around my waist, then gently guides me to the other side of him to place himself between me and the onlookers.

“Thanks,” I whisper, pushing a strand of hair out of my face.

He squeezes my hip gently. “Don’t worry about them. There are a million reasons people could be looking.”

“Maybe they’re awed by how spectacularly gorgeous we all are,” Ezra pipes in. I laugh and give him a smile over my shoulder.

“Maybe by you all. I’m turning into a waddling, chubby, obviously pregnant woman.” I’m lighthearted when I say it, but Ezra’s face turns immediately into a scowl.

He turns around and walks backwards so the gossiping woman can clearly hear him. “Well, I think you’re drop dead gorgeous, petal. Sexier now than ever before.”

“Hush!” I hiss at him, but there’s no anger in my tone. It’s sweet that he jumped to my defense.

“Never,” he calls back, then jogs to catch up to us. “So, what are we doing once we’re out of here? A movie and some snuggles?” His eyebrows are wagging, hinting at something more than snuggles.

I laugh quickly and shake my head. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m going back to work.” I check my watch, then pick up my pace. “Shoot, the ultrasound took longer than I thought it would. The girl covering my shift while I’m here is going to kill me.”

After checking in, the receptionist sends me back almost immediately to one of the quiet rooms where they perform the stress tests. In these rooms they keep the lights dimmed and have a nice, comfortable recliner chair I get to relax in after I’m hooked up to a fetal monitor.

Ezra walks around the room as the nurse gets me strapped up, picking up objects before immediately setting them back down. “So, what’s all this for?”

Glancing at the nurse, I shake my head to let her know I’ll answer him. “It’s a monthly test my doctor wants me to do. It’ssort of like a test they’ll do later on in pregnancy where they simulate contractions to see how the baby and I will handle them, but this is less intensive. I’m pretty much going to lie here and the monitor is going to check my blood pressure regularly along with a longer monitor for the baby’s heart rate.”

“Gabriel,” Ezra says, turning to me.

I smile at the use of his name. “Yes, Gabriel.”

“Little Gabe,” he murmurs. Kevin and Tatum each find a chair and get comfortable. Ezra looks around the room as we all start getting comfortable, then avoids the other chair and stretches out on the floor.

At least he’s not going to be pacing for the next hour.

After some easy instructions, the nurse leaves the door cracked and I close my eyes in an attempt to relax. I can feel myself already wanting to drift after less than ten minutes, but the door creaks.

Cracking an eye, I watch Richard slip into the room and step over Ezra’s legs to sit next to Tatum in the corner. Once he’s settled, he gives me a quick nod. I want to ask if he’s alright, but Kevin softly mutters, “Sleep, Miriam.”

I yawn, probably unattractively, but I don’t give a shit, then close my eyes again. I drift off to the sounds of their steady breathing and not one of them says a word.

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