Page 128 of Finding Forever

“My dad loves those old comic books,” he informed absently, eyes still riveted on the monitor. “He collects them.”

The fetus moved, lifting an arm and Cade gasped, before wrenching his gaze down to Fern, who was staring at the image with wide, tear-filled eyes.

“Did you feel that, Fern?” he asked breathlessly and she dragged her eyes away from the screen to stare at him in confusion.

“Feel what?”

“That movement, the little arm jerk?”

“Not at all.”

“You won’t feel every little movement. Not at this stage,” Dr. Khan said. She was measuring the fetus and quietly conferring with Lee-Anne as they fed the data into Fern’s patient file.

She set aside her tablet and picked up the wand again.

“I think it’s time we see if we have a Casper or a Wendy here,” the doctor said, smiling at Cade. She watched the monitor as she moved the wand in increments. Her smile widened and she pointed at the image.

“Aah, here we go, see the upward angle of that nub? Congratulations, you have yourselves a little man here.”

A boy.

Cade’s grip tightened around Fern’s hand as he watched her expression run the gamut from disbelief, to wonder, to excitement and then joy. He knew he was grinning like an idiot. He wasn’t even sure why, when he was absolutely terrified.

“A boy,” Fern breathed in awe. Her eyes met Cade’s and she smiled, a dazed, beautiful smile. “A boy, Cade. Can you believe that?”

Cade, whose heart had lodged somewhere in his throat,making speaking a physical impossibility, simply lifted her hand and stroked the back of it down the side of his face before placing a reverent kiss on her soft skin.

A boy. Their son.

Hisson.

“He’s beautiful,” Cade said, eyes fixed on the image of that perfect little profile. Little Casper wasn’t wriggling anymore, but his rapid, strong heartbeat never faltered.

Cade diverted his attention to Fern, who was still smiling broadly, her eyes never leaving the screen. His eyes lingered on her lovely features in awe. This moment felt sacred and he was so fucking happy and grateful to share it with her.

“He’s absolutely perfect,” he whispered, his voice too low to be heard over the sound of their baby’s heartbeat. “Just like his mother.”

Fern kickedoff her shoes the second they entered the apartment. She’d been doing things like that more and more over the last month or so. It was clear she was feeling more at home in this place. Seeing it as her space too. She no longer felt the need to keep her clutter confined to only her room.

And Cade loved it. He loved coming home from the office to find random hair clips lodged between the sofa cushions, or various pairs of shoes piled up beside the front door. He’d once found a lacy, lilac bra draped over the back of the sofa. His room, where she’d been sleeping since the evening they’d decorated the Christmas tree together, smelled like her, her toiletries and cosmetics dominated her side of the double basin vanity but also encroached into his more spartan side.

More and more of her clothes had found their way into his closet, and he got a possessive kick out of seeing her colorfuldresses and jumpsuits mixed in with his austere suits and shirts.

She was still bubbling over with excitement after the ultrasound.

“Oh my God,” she suddenly said, eyes bright, as dragged out her phone. “I should tell Beth. And Iris, of course. And Kenny, I’m sure Kenny will want to know.”

She hesitated—suddenly awkward—and looked at him uncertainly, reminding him that they still had a lot to resolve.

“That is... if it’s okay with you?”

He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets to prevent himself from taking her into his arms and nodded.

“It’s fine with me. Only, I figured you’d want to do one of those gender reveal things?”

Her eyes widened and she laughed.

“Oh no, parents usually find out the baby’s sex at the actual reveal party and that ship has sailed.”

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