The last time Dr. Jones exposed her stomach in front of Carter, Harlem wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. This time, she turned crimson.
He could tell that she was uncomfortable and tried to put her at ease by focusing on the movements of Dr. Jones. It was interesting watching him pour the clear jelly-like substance onto Harlem’s belly. Carter began to study his every move in earnest. “You need that for the ultrasound too?”
“Yes. This time what we are doing is called ultrasound imaging. It’s also called ultrasound scanning or sonography. We are using this small probe called a transducer and placing gel directly onto Harlem’s skin. High-frequency sound waves will travel from the probe through the gel onto her body. The probe collects the sounds that bounce back.” He glanced up at Carter, then down at Harlem. “This is how you will be able to see the baby on the monitor.”
Dr. Jones began to slide the device across Harlem’s stomach. It took a few moments until he found what he was looking for. “There he or she is.”
Carter finally glanced up at the screen. At first, he couldn’t make out a damn thing. Then, Dr. Jones began to point out a leg, an arm, the head, and an image of a baby began to take shape. Until this point, the entire pregnancy had been an abstract idea. Suddenly, everything got real. Carter’s eyes were literally glued to the little television. He didn’t want to even blink for fear he might miss something.
“That’s the heart.”
“It’s beating so fast,” Harlem whispered. She was just as in awe as Carter.
“Did you want to know the sex of the baby?” Dr. Jones asked as he continued to glide the device across her stomach.
Harlem turned to Carter to ask his opinion, and her face softened. It was clear seeing the baby on screen had caused him to levitate somewhere else. Most likely, it was the same place she had been. Harlem knew this was the moment that Carter realized she was having a baby. It was written all over him. “Hey . . .” She tried to bring him back into her orbit.
Carter tore his eyes away from the screen to look at her. Harlem’s mom was right. She was glowing. Carter suddenly felt different about Harlem. It was a feeling he had no right to feel.
Harlem repeated herself. “Do you want to know?”
Carter had to get a grip. He pretended the wind hadn’t been knocked clean out of him by both the baby and Harlem. He cleared his throat. “Um . . . Yeah, I do. I definitely want to know the sex, but I’ll leave it up to you.”
Harlem’s smile lit up the room. His chest expanded as he wondered how he could make her smile like that all the time. This is crazy. What the fuck is happening?
Gleefully, she nodded. “I definitely want to know.”
“Great! Then, let’s see if we can find out.” Dr. Jones’ booming voice broke up whatever was happening between them.
Carter tried to refocus. Again, he turned his attention to the little tv. The monitor was small, and to get a better look, Carter leaned down low. That movement brought him even closer to Harlem’s face. So close that Carter could feel the heat from her body. Their cheeks were almost touching. For the briefest of moments, he was caught off guard by how the coconut scent of her hair made him feel. You’re watching the beginnings of life–one you helped to create. Of course, you’d be emotional. That must be the reason behind . . . Carter fought to put the right words to his emotions. Don’t lie to yourself. It’s attraction. Plain and simple.
His closeness caused Harlem to quietly suck in a breath.
Dr. Jones seemed to be oblivious as he continued to run the ultrasound wand across Harlem’s stomach. “He or she is playing a game of hide-n-seek with us.” He massaged Harlem’s belly for a second before returning the gadget back to her stomach.
Harlem turned slightly toward Carter to ask him something. She forgot he was so close and whatever she was going to say floated right out of her head. They were almost lip-to-lip. Harlem felt a slight quiver in her stomach, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the baby.
Her eyes met Carter’s and were imprisoned by the intensity of his. They spoke volumes without Carter having to utter a single word.
What is this? You know what this is. The room shrank to just the two of them, and Carter forgot that Dr. Jones was even in the room. It was hard to form words, but Carter managed as his eyes cut away from hers. He cleared his throat.
Harlem immediately missed the connection. She took a steadying breath, hoping to calm her accelerated heartbeat, and turned back to the monitor.
Dr. Jones pretended as if he didn’t feel the electricity flowing between the two of them. Their reaction was pretty normal between couples. However, this case was unique because Carter and Harlem weren’t a couple. Not as far as he knew. Carter was only technically the father. He wondered if maybe in the months since Damian’s death, they had become more. That part wasn’t really his business, so he steered clear and focused on his job. “Ah . . . there we go. It looks like you are having . . .” His words hung in the air.
“A what?” Harlem asked anxiously.
“We can’t be one hundred percent certain,
