Diana nodded, nervous. She’d told the receptionist that she’d wanted to hold off on account of David actually showing up. Yeah, the man had already been all up in there, but she didn’t need the humiliation of him seeing her in such a cold, clinical setting. It all hinged, however, on David not coming to the next appointment. As shocked as she was that he’d actually come to this one, she’d be knocked the fuck out if he actually deigned to attend another appointment. He’d get his confirmation from this appointment and then probably throw money at her like she was a stripper in a Vegas club and not the mother of his child.
“That isn’t something we usually encourage, but there is no harm in waiting, especially since your records from Dr. Mellon’s office show that you are otherwise healthy.”
David remained silent as Dr. Monroe intently filled in the information as Diana supplied it until finally he reported, “I would say you are eight weeks along, which puts the time of conception on or around April 7th.”
From the corner of her eye, Diana watched David stiffen. Obviously, that wasn’t what he’d been expecting to hear. April 7th was the night they’d shared at the Incantata.
“Are you certain?” David inquired, his voice tight.
“Well, the only way to be certain is to perform an ultrasound and measure the fetus.”
“Let’s do that, then,” David demanded.
Dr. Monroe pinched his lips together, obviously not keen on David giving him orders.
“I had already ordered one for the appointment, young man. Believe me when I say that this isn’t my first rodeo.”
Diana turned to glare at David who refused to meet her gaze. He was even stiffer, his shoulders like a broad, flat plank that could hold the weight of an elephant.
Dr. Monroe stood up, left the examination room, but returned moments later with an ultrasound machine trailing him.
“Alright, Miss Bluth. Lie on your back.”
Swallowing, Diana did as bid.
Dr. Monroe stood and then turned out the lights, leaving the only illumination coming from the black, white, and gray ultrasound screen. “Now, I need you to pull up your shirt to just below your breasts and pull your waistband down to just above your pubis bone.”
She did, and she couldn’t help but notice that David was watching her movements most intently. What was he thinking? Was he staring at the pale expanse of rounded flesh that was her untoned stomach? Feeling a blush burn her cheeks she looked away, watching the doctor as he set up the machine, inputted her information, and lifted the white bottle of lubricant from the warmer. He turned to her.
“Now, this has been in the warmer, but it will still feel somewhat cold and wet on your skin.” He squeezed a heaping amount of the clear gel onto the area just below her belly button.
She hissed, tensing.
Used to those sounds, no doubt, the doctor proceeded with the exam by squeezing some gel on the ultrasound wand and placing it right where he’d squeezed the gel on her belly.
“Alright, let’s have a look,” Dr. Monroe murmured, his gaze focused on the screen before him. Nervous, Diana flicked her gaze to the foot of the exam table where David had been standing before. He wasn’t there; he was standing just behind the doctor, his eyes glued to the screen.
The doctor moved the wand with one hand and with the other, he adjusted some of the knobs on the dashboard. There were some clicks, some strange buzzing, and then silence.
Neither she nor David moved or seemed to even breathe as the doctor moved the wand, clicking and labeling images.
Finally, Diana asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. So far, so good.”
David grumbled something under his breath but his gaze was still on what the doctor was doing. There was a haunted look about him, in the light from the screen, his eyes looked sunken, his cheekbones were more pronounced.
The doctor hmmed, drawing Diana’s gaze back to the screen.
“What?” she blurted, suddenly extremely anxious.
“Let’s have a listen,” Dr. Monroe said by way of an answer. He clicked another button and then the room was filled with rapid whooshing sounds, like pulses of water rushing through a tiny pipe.
A smile broke over her face, her heart thundering in joy.
“That’s the heartbeat?” she nearly squealed.
David gasped, his gaze finally drifting to her. She couldn’t miss it—the awe that brightened his features.
“That it is,” the doctor murmured. “Listen closely, though.”
For what? What should she—
She heard it. Right after the pulse of the first whooshing, overlapping with it, was the sound of another whooshing.
“What is that?” she asked, her skin pulling tight over her chest.
The doctor smiled at her then turned back to click another button. An image appeared on the screen. It looked like a black void, pulsing, and in the middle…
“There are two of them?” David rasped, leaning down to place a hand on the table, his weight pressing down beside her legs.
“Two?” Diana exclaimed.
Dr. Monroe chuckled then clicked another button, making bright blues and reds appear on the screen. “There are two babies, two umbilical cords, and two amniotic sacs.”
David sucked in air. “What does that mean?”
“It means that these two beans are fraternal twins. Two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm.”
David blinked once. Twice. Then shook his head.
He couldn’t seem to believe it either.
After printing out several ultrasound images and making an appointment for the following month, Dr. Monroe escorted Diana and David into the waiting room.
With a parting, “congratulations” from the doctor, Diana stumbled out into the afternoon sun, blinking up into it before closing her eyes. She felt him before she heard him, his presence a heady thrumming against her back.
“There is much to discuss,” David asserted. “Do you live near here?”
Curious about what he intended to do, she nodded.
“I will follow you home and then we will discuss in private.”
Discuss what? Swallowing, she nodded again. What else was she supposed to do? He’d actually come to the appointment, he’d
