Page 58 of Love is Grand
“Yep,” Shell said, walking toward the door in black leggings and a long white off-the-shoulder sweater, both hugging her ass.
Other than kissing, we hadn’t been intimate since I’d arrived this time, and I was wondering when that might happen. Again, though, smart enough not to ask.
Outside, she said, “Did Jack bring you?”
“Got my car,” I said with a wink.
“Let me guess? A two-seater Jeep?”
“Have a little more confidence in me.” I took her hand and walked her over to my silver Audi crossover wagon. Beeping the locks and opening the passenger door, I said, “Safety first.”
Shell’s mouth opened, but then she snapped it shut and slid into the car.
“Everything looks good,” the technician said, rolling a jelly-covered wand over Shell’s small belly.
We’d seen the heart beating on the screen and what looked like our baby sucking its thumb. Shell swiped at her eye twice, and I could tell she was fighting tears.
Me? I was fighting an anxiety attack. At least I knew that type of thing did nobody good in this moment. Back to deep breathing, I sat next to Shell, holding her hand as we watched our little alien on the screen.
“Would you like to know the sex?” the tech asked.
Shell looked over to me. Like I said, I was seated next to her, holding her hand like this was normal for me, but it wasn’t.
“Do you?” I asked.
She nodded. “I didn’t know with Weez, and it made it seem so long until the birth.”
“Let’s have it,” I said to the tech, flashing a smile like I thought I should. What the fuck did I know?
“It’s a boy!” the munchkin of a technician exclaimed.
Sure enough, the little arrow on the screen was pointing toward his tiny dick. I stared at it, knowing it was going to be a great one, but even more so, he was going to be a wonderful boy and then man.
“Told you,” I said to Shell.
Twisting her lips, she gently smacked my arm. “Beginner’s luck.”
“Ha. My son. Our son.”
Suddenly, my cheeks hurt, and I realized they hadn’t felt that way since I settled my first divorce case. I was smiling for real.
“Okay, that’s all for me,” the tech whispered, sensing Shell and I were having a moment. On her way out, she took a few snapshots out of the printer and left them on the counter by the door.
“You good?” I asked when Shell and I were alone.
She nodded. “I am, are you? Can you believe it ... a boy?”
“A boy,” I said reverently, repeating her words.
“I was hoping we could name our baby for your sister.” Shell spoke quietly, looking away from me. “I didn’t know her, and we don’t talk much about it, but I also know a little from Rylan. She was the B to Adam’s A and your C.”
Emotion clogged my throat in a way I didn’t know possible. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever wanted to do for me. Her name was Becca. She was the B in the middle of us, and the best of all three of us. I’d like that very much ... for her to have a namesake.”
“Do we use the first initial?” Shell asked.
“That’s the tradition. There are a lot of B names for boys. We can look up some together.”
It occurred to me how happy this would make my mom, but I didn’t voice the thought. I knew better than to take away from this moment between just the two of us.