Page 165 of Begin Again, Part 2

"I like him," she said as they watched his friend dash out of the lobby."

"He's one of the most genuine people I know," Liam called the elevator again.

"And how do you know him?"

"We grew up together, went to the same boarding schools and varsity. But Levi quit business school after flunking his first year. He switched to computer sciences despite his old man's protests. He's one of the best developers slash programmers in the city. A few years ago, he founded Chassis Studios with his best friend, Mark Turner."

The elevator slid open. Eden stepped inside and asked, "What's up with wealthy people and family feuds?"

"We don't have a family feud," Liam protested behind her.

"Yeah, but you didn't want to take over the company."

"Because I had my own life. It's not easy to step into someone's shoes and take over their legacy. There are too many expectations and too much room to mess it all up. I didn't want to be that Anderson man who brought down a century-old empire. I wanted to carve a new path for myself. In a way, I envy Levi. He managed to do what most heirs don't. He walked away from it all and followed his dreams."

"Makes sense," Eden nodded and squeezed his hand.

Dr Emily Waylon was ready to see them, so they didn't have to linger in the nearly empty waiting room. The poor woman tried to hide her shock when she saw the bruises on Liam's face, but her eyes said everything her mouth couldn't.

"You should see the other guy." He cracked a smile to ease her discomfort.

"I can only imagine what he looks like."

Eden did the introductions, and they went through the motions of a check-up, the usual standard stuff, and then the doctor ushered them to the examination bed for the ultrasound.

The first time Liam heard the echoey sound, he had no idea what he was supposed to be listening to until the doctor turned to Eden and announced with a big smile. "The baby's heartbeat is strong, but he's a little smaller than I want him to be at this stage."

She paused and pointed at the image on the screen, explaining that the smudgy blot on the ultrasound image, supposedly his little warrior, should be the size of a passion fruit.

"How come she's so small?" Liam asked, staring at the blob on the screen. The doctor and Eden were enamoured with the image, though. They clearly had x-ray vision, and he didn't.

"There are several reasons," the doctor said, turning to him. "The most common being the baby not getting enough nutrients and oxygen through the placenta, and it's likely the case with Eden. We have to monitor her closely and ensure she gets enough rest, eats well, and minimises stress."

"If we do all that, the baby will be fine and start growing, right?" Liam asked.

"That's a start. But let's not panic yet. The baby has a healthy heartbeat, and we'll continue to monitor Eden closely."

"Can I hear it again?"

"Sure," the doctor smiled and ran her fancy gadget over Eden's tummy again. This time when Liam heard the sound, louder and stronger than before, he could swear it was a heartbeat.

He looked at Eden, his eyes shimmering with tears, unable to believe his ears. "That's our baby. Our little warrior!"

Eden nodded and smiled tearfully. "There she is."

"I love her and you."

"And we love you," she mouthed right back at him.

"It's still too early to tell the sex," the doctor said.

But Liam was adamant it was a girl. He felt it deep in his gut.

"I know it's a girl," he insisted as he helped Eden clean the gel from her tummy and fix her clothes.

"You could be right." Dr Emily smiled. "They say fathers feel these things."

"See, even the doctor thinks I'm right. Get ready to lose," he said a little while later when they left the doctor's rooms armed with a prescription for all kinds of vitamins.

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