Page 54 of Ghost Of You
I’m on my feet before I can even process it, Laelia right beside me. She leads the way through the door, down the corridor to room five. My heart pounds with every step, the anticipation mounting. She knocks on the door, and a woman’s voice calls from inside, “Come in.”
Laelia pushes the door open, and we step into a room that feels both familiar and foreign. The same pale pastel walls greet us, but this room is filled with more—tools and equipment of a doctor’s office. To the right, there’s a desk cluttered with a computer, stationery, files, and a blood pressure machine. Behind the desk, charts decorate the wall—a BMI chart, a food chart, a list of emergency numbers for other doctors in the building. On the other side of the room is a bed, an ultrasound machine, and a lonely, half-dead potted plant on the windowsill. It’s the kind of plant I’d probably forget to water, much like the one wilting in our kitchen at home.
Next to the ultrasound machine stands Dr. Anderson. She’s dressed in a black pencil skirt and white shirt, a lanyard hanging around her neck. Her presence is professional, yet there’s a warmth in her eyes as she points to the bed, indicating for Laelia to take a seat.
Laelia sits down, and I move to her side, instinctively taking her hand as Dr. Anderson types away on the computer, bringing up Laelia’s records. She turns to us with a smile. “So, I see you’re pregnant. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Laelia nods, her voice tinged with excitement. “I did a pregnancy test to make sure, but they all said positive, estimating between seven to eight weeks. That was nearly a month ago.”
Dr. Anderson nods, “Well, shall we take a look?”
Laelia nods eagerly, her excitement contagious. I feel it too, a swell of emotions that makes my grip on her hand tighten. Dr. Anderson stands and approaches the bed as Laelia lies back, offering me her other hand. I hold it, anchoring myself to her as Dr. Anderson prepares the ultrasound.
“This might be cold,” she warns, slipping on gloves and squeezing a small amount of gel onto Laelia’s stomach. Laelia flinches slightly at the touch, a small laugh escaping her lips as the gel meets her skin.
Dr. Anderson picks up the probe and glances at us, “Are you both ready?”
“Yes,” I reply, the word escaping before I can even think, earning me a smile from Laelia.
The probe touches Laelia’s stomach, and I watch the screen intently. I did some research before we came, trying to understand what we might see, what to expect. But nothing could prepare me for this moment. The black and white screen shows the outline of Laelia’s womb, but it’s hard to make out much more. Then, a sound fills the room, a soft, rhythmic beat that instantly brings tears to my eyes.
I look at Laelia, and she’s already looking at me, her eyes glistening with tears. On the screen, a small, almost indistinct shape appears—a little blob, with not much definition yet, but it’s ours. It’s our baby, and that sound, that steady, beautiful beat, is our baby’s heartbeat.
I can’t hold back. I lean in and kiss Laelia, a tender, loving kiss that she returns with equal emotion. We’re having a baby. This isreal, not just a dream. Our lives are about to change in the most beautiful way possible.
As I pull back, I look at the screen again, my heart swelling with love and pride. Dr. Anderson studies the screen closely. “From the looks of it, you’re around eleven to twelve weeks along. I’d estimate your due date to be around Halloween.”
Laelia and I exchange a glance, both of us grinning like children. Halloween is our favourite holiday, a day when we can let our inner nerds shine. Last year, I dressed up in one of those inflatable dinosaur costumes, while Laelia went all out as Harley Quinn. That costume didn’t last long once we got home—it was off her and on the bedroom floor before she could even complain.
Now, knowing our baby is likely to be born around Halloween, my mind races with ideas. For a boy, maybe Casper, Freddy, Fraser, or Burton. For a girl, Luna, Wednesday, Autumn, Raven, or even Morticia. Though, I’m pretty sure Laelia will veto Morticia, given her distaste for the character fromThe Addams Family. Her favourite Halloween movies are theHalloweentownseries—four films about a family of witches in a magical place filled with talking skeletons, warlocks, werewolves, and more. It’s not my usual type of movie, but every year, we make it a tradition to watch all four films together, surrounded by popcorn, candy apples, and enough candy to last a lifetime.
I glance at Laelia, and I can see it in her eyes—she’s thinking the same thing. This Halloween, we’ll have one more reason to celebrate, one more reason to love this time of year.
Dr. Anderson’s voice pulls me back to the moment. “I’ll get you a few scan copies,” she says, removing her gloves and setting the probe aside. “You can use the tissue to wipe off the gel. Just toss it in the bin when you’re done.”
With that, she clicks a few keys on the computer and leaves the room, giving us a moment alone.
Laelia sits up quickly, wiping the gel from her stomach and handing me the tissue to discard as she buttons up her jeans. I toss the tissue in the bin and return to her side, cupping her face gently in my hands. Our eyes lock, and the world outside this room fades away. It’s just us, in this intimate, sacred moment, realising that our lives are about to be forever intertwined with the life of this little one.
"It’s all becoming so real," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. Her smile is radiant, her tears mirroring my own as we bask in the joy of this moment. "I love you so much, Laelia."
She smiles back at me, her eyes sparkling with tears and love. "And I love you, Killian. With every single piece of my heart and soul." Her voice is soft, but it carries the weight of all the dreams, hopes, and love we’ve shared over the years.
I lean in and kiss her again, this time slowly, savouring the moment. This kiss isn’t just about the excitement of what’s to come—it’s a promise. A promise that no matter what happens, we’ll face it together, hand in hand, heart to heart.
As we pull back, she rests her forehead against mine, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. We’re both crying, but they’re happy tears, tears of pure, unadulterated joy.
“I can’t believe we’re having a Halloween baby,” she murmurs, her voice filled with a mix of wonder and excitement. “It’s like our favourite holiday just got even more special.”
I chuckle softly, running my thumb along her cheek. “I’m already planning the costumes,” I say, my voice light with humour. “Maybe we can dress them as a little pumpkin or a mini Frankenstein.”
She laughs, the sound filling the room with warmth. “Or a baby witch or wizard,” she suggests, her eyes lighting up at thethought. “I can’t wait to start all these new traditions with our little one.”
The door opens, and Dr. Anderson returns with a few scan copies in her hand. She hands them to Laelia, who takes them with trembling fingers, her eyes shining as she looks at the first images of our baby. I lean over her shoulder, my heart swelling with pride and love as I see the tiny, grainy image of the life we’ve created together.
“Here you go,” Dr. Anderson says with a kind smile. “Everything looks great. I’ll set up your next appointment, and we’ll continue monitoring the baby’s growth. But for now, just enjoy this moment.”
Laelia and I both nod, our attention still focused on the scans. It’s surreal, seeing the tiny beginnings of our child, knowing that in just a few short months, we’ll be holding them in our arms.