CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: The Heartbeat44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1QkplDpbI
(Her POV)
They didn’t go to a big hospital.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitvKIRKxwB
No fancy clinic.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHmh7tNjkv
No white walls or high-end machines.
Just a local maternity center tucked in a sleepy town.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hhZWATNfm
Walls painted pale yellow.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttOVNFwM3c
Posters of smiling babies.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oFbMJSNrl
A midwife who greeted them like they were old friends.
“First time, Miss?”
She nodded, clutching Matteo’s hand.
“First heartbeat?”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlHHIjWt2a
“Yes.”
The midwife smiled.
“Then this will be your favorite sound in the world.”
She lay on the small exam bed.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7ZXkv40xO
Matteo sat beside her, his hand gripping hers so tightly their knuckles matched in color.
The gel was cold.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESjauuFMYZ
The probe gentle.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXWsDEum6D
Her nerves, chaotic.
Then—
A sound.
Thump-thump.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumt1ef709U
Thump-thump.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIK4kIYsi2
Thump-thump.
Fast.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq13PYXO4l
Strong.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCkUPzxS8u
Alive.
She gasped.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gJvknqaV9
Eyes instantly watering.
Matteo didn’t move at first.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoTtCrtY4Q
Just stared at the screen.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qDJ6ZEEwF
At the flicker.
Then his shoulders shook.
And a tear slipped down his cheek.
“That’s them?” he whispered.
The midwife smiled again.
“That’s your baby.”
He kissed her hand.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJQqvNmiLQ
Then her temple.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfjEkZjYjx
Then, without thinking, pressed his forehead to her belly again.
“You hear that?” he said softly.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkOnEooZ0B
“You’re not alone anymore.”
Later, they went to the market.
She picked out tiny mittens.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPD3wVUbY1
A white beanie.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoGDdSPuam
One soft yellow onesie with a bear print.
Matteo picked a pacifier that said “heartbreaker.”
“Too soon?” he grinned.
“Way too soon,” she laughed, but kept it.
They walked hand in hand.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeBnyfTxHq
Not running.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuNCLUXOso
Not hiding.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUFCZdkarJ
Just being.
That night, back in their motel room—
He held her belly as they lay in bed.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip1yiKmTWJ
Whispering stories.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx8UxxbRCk
Humming lullabies he barely remembered from childhood.
“Do you think I’ll be a good father?” he asked suddenly.
She didn’t answer right away.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoKCfXdsWk
Just turned and kissed his chest.
“No,” she said.
ns216.73.216.238da2“I know you will be.”
