Page 65 of Draft Pick

"First baby?" she asked conversationally as I lifted the hem of my dress, and she spread a thin layer of cold goo on my stomach.

I shivered at the sensation as I nodded, anxiously ready to see our little bean, as Cason called them.

"Well, this is the fun part," she said, adjusting her sensitivities on the screen. "Ahhh, here we go…"

Cason stood by my side, his eyes fixed on the screen. A blurry image appeared on the screen as the technician moved the wand over my belly.

"There's your little one," the technician said softly.

The sight of the tiny figure on the screen was overwhelming. My baby, our baby, right there in front of us. I could see Cason's eyes widen, a look of wonder and disbelief on his face as the form of a baby appeared on the screen, a tiny rhythmic flutter showing the heart.

"It's so small," he whispered, his voice filled with awe.

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. "Is everything…okay?"

"Looks good so far," she shared, pointing out the baby's head, arms, and legs, each features a miracle to me. "Nice strong heartbeat, and look at those legs go. Have you felt the baby kick yet?"

"I don't think so?" I answered, though watching the little thing twist and turn in that space made me wonder how I could've missed all that commotion.

"You're far enough along, you probably felt the kicks but didn't realize that's what it was. It might feel like bubbles of gas or little flutters."

My gaze widened. "Oh! Yes, I have felt that! But I've also been really gassy," I admitted, embarrassed, hating that Cason had to know that.

But the technician chuckled. "Totally normal. You're growing another human being and it's hard on your entire body, particularly your digestion. As the baby grows, it will really start pushing your organs around until it feels like your stomach is in your throat. Trust me, by that point, you won't care about a little gas."

But Cason was transfixed by the image on the screen, watching his baby move, wiggle, kick, and swing its arms like a cage fighter in a previous life. "Can you…uh, tell if it's a girl or a boy?" He asked his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Maybe, if baby wants to cooperate," she said, moving her wand to a better position. It took a few minutes, but she smiled and nodded. "Would you like to know?"

If I didn't find out, my friends would murder me, but there was something fun about not finding out until the baby was born.

But it was Cason's expression that sealed the deal. He looked like he might pass out right then and there, and I realized it should be a decision we both make.

I looked to Cason. "Do you want to know?"

"I…I really do," he answered, almost apologetically. "But only if you do, too."

I smiled and nodded to the technician. "We want to know."

"Alrighty then, congratulations mom and dad… you're having a girl."

She then printed a couple of pictures for us, the first tangible proof of our baby's existence, and I stared at the pictures with tired eyes, still processing the fact that I was having a daughter. She gave us privacy while I wiped the goo away and readjusted my dress.

But when I looked at Cason, I thought he was about to pass out. "Are you okay?" I murmured, concerned. "Do you need some water or something? You look pale."

"A daughter… I'm having a daughter," he said, looking stricken, which was not the reaction I expected. A sudden queasiness threatened to steal my joy. Was he disappointed? Had he been set on a son?

Cason's eyes were wide, almost unblinking, as he stared at the ultrasound photo in his hand. His expression, a mixture of shock and awe, had me worried. He looked like he'd just been handed a ticking time bomb instead of a picture of his unborn daughter.

"I never... I mean, I didn't think…" Cason's voice trailed off, and he looked up at me. His eyes were vulnerable, exposing a deep emotion I hadn't seen before. "Starlie, I'm going to have a daughter."

I reached out, touching his arm gently. "Is that...okay?" I asked, my voice tentative. The thought that he might not want a daughter after all we'd been through made my heart clench.

Cason blinked as if coming back from a distant place. "Okay? It's incredible. I'm just...overwhelmed. I always imagined if I had a kid, it'd be a boy, you know? Someone to throw a football around with, teach him to fish. But a girl…" His voice softened, "I'm terrified of messing this up."

"Yeah," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "Your little girl."

Cason held my gaze, his eyes shining. "I'm going to have to learn a lot of new stuff, aren't I? Like, how to braid hair and have tea parties and teach her how to protect herself?—"

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