Page 116 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“That’d be great.”
“Any prenatal vitamins?”
“No.”
“I’ll prescribe some gummies then. No pills, don’t want to make the nausea worse.”
“Thank you.”
Then she looked at both of us. “Any questions?”
“Can we find out what we’re having today?” I asked, way too fast. I was praying for another boy. I needed one more little man I could raise right. A daughter who looked like Stormi? I’d be a mess. Couldn’t have no little motherfuckers sniffin’ around.
“Still too early,” she said with a chuckle. “But between 16–20 weeks we’ll be able to.”
I nodded and looked at Stormi, who gave me a sideways smirk like she knew I was already planning matching fits and football camps.
“Is this your first?” the doc asked.
“No,” Stormi said, and the way she said it without even glancing at me hit different. “We have a son.”
“How old?”
“Six.”
“Is he excited?”
“We’re gonna tell him at Disney next week.”
“Oh, fun!” the doc smiled. “Make sure Mommy stays off the wild rides, stays hydrated, and keeps her feet up when she can.”
“I got her,” I said.She’s mine. I got all of her.All thought to myself
Dr. Simpkins rolled the ultrasound machine over and lifted Stormi’s hoodie. She squirted cold gel across her stomach and pressed the wand down.
“So,” she said casually, “what are we hoping for this time?”
“A boy,” I said quickly.
“A girl,” Stormi said at the same exact moment.
We both looked at each other and laughed. I shook my head. “I’m not ready for no baby Stormi runnin’ around, eye rollin’ and slammin’ doors.”
Dr. Simpkins chuckled. “Daddies never are.”
And then there it was.The image popped up on the screen. Tiny, perfect, real. Our baby. I couldn’t breathe for a second. My whole body just froze. I pulled out my phone and started recording. Not just for memories but because I wanted proof that this moment existed. That I wasn’t dreaming. And of course, I had to send it to Rich.
“That’s baby right there,” the doctor said softly.
Stormi gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. And then the tears came.
Big, quiet ones. I didn’t say nothing. Just leaned over and kissed her tears, one by one. Her skin was warm, and trembling just a little.
“I love you,” I whispered, for maybe the hundredth time.
And then, for the first time, she said it back. “I love you too.”
I almost forgot where I was. My heart skipped so loud I swore the monitor picked it up. Stormi never said that before, not once. Not even when I tried to drag it out of her.
