facing me, but her eyes were downcast when she spoke. “Because I don’t want to hurt my best friend, but I know this will. You’ll smile and say you’re excited, but I know deep down you’re sad. I don’t want to be the one to do that.”
I held her hand and tipped her chin up, so she had to look at me. “Freddie, just because my life is different than yours doesn’t mean I’m not over the moon thrilled that you’re going to have a family with Flynn. I’m so excited! I hardly slept last night thinking about how our lives are going to change because of this baby. I know, if you’ll give me a chance, that I can be the most favorite aunt. I just want a chance to heap on him or her all the love I have to share.”
“Her,” she whispered.
My heart started pounding. “Her?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“Flynn took me to the clinic yesterday and Dr. Alexander wanted an ultrasound right away because of the surgery and the medications I was taking. You know, to be on the safe side.”
I nodded and felt the tears pricking at my eyelids, but I didn’t care.
“He did an ultrasound that showed I’m already thirteen weeks pregnant.”
“Wow, Freddie, that’s even further than you had figured.” I was smiling and she was too, finally.
“Everything was so messed up from the surgery and well, I’ve been in denial for a long time, obviously.”
“They could tell the gender at thirteen weeks?”
She gave me the so-so hand. “She said it’s a good chance it’s a girl, but another ultrasound in a few weeks will be more definitive. She showed us the picture and it looked like a girl to us, too.” Her voice cracked and I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back.
“Was everything else okay?” I asked.
“Yes, the technician said she’s perfect, Kate. All ten fingers and ten toes. We heard her heartbeat and I saw my husband fall in love with his child. It was incredible.” She had been relaxed in my arms, but then she stiffened.
I kept rubbing her back. “Stop worrying and relax. Please. I want you to talk about these things with me. I want to experience this with you and Flynn. Please let me be part of this pregnancy.”
I pulled back and held her face. She was crying, the tears leaving tracks down her face.
“Hey, I know it’s a lot to take in with less than twenty-four hours under your belt of knowing you’re going to be a mommy, but I also know you’re causing yourself more stress because you’re worried about hurting me, right?”
She nodded as I brought a hand up to swipe away a tear.
“So, let’s make a pact right now that no matter what we go through in life, we go through it together. The same way we have the last twelve years. You get to be happy about this baby and I get to be happy for you. I get to hold your babies and love them the way an aunt does. That doesn’t make me sad, that makes me feel so special. I can’t stress that enough.”
“Flynn said that’s how you would feel.” She half-laughed, half-sighed.
I smiled, brushing away another tear. “Again, he was right. Did they send any pictures home with you from the ultrasound?” I asked, trying to move on, so she would stop crying.
She pulled out her phone, handing it to me. “Even better. They can put it on your smartphone now, so you can watch it in real time and see them moving and kicking. You can even hear the heartbeat.”
“Really?” I asked excitedly and she hit the video tab.
The video started in grainy black and white, but there in the middle of it was a baby. I watched the little one sucking her thumb, stretching, and flipping around. It switched to 3D and I gasped at the lifelike view of her. “Oh, Freddie, she’s so precious.” The video finished and the final few seconds were a shot of the baby upside down, an arrow pointing at three prominent white lines between the legs.
I handed her the phone back and hugged her again. “I’m so proud of you. Look how much your life has changed in less
I held her hand and tipped her chin up, so she had to look at me. “Freddie, just because my life is different than yours doesn’t mean I’m not over the moon thrilled that you’re going to have a family with Flynn. I’m so excited! I hardly slept last night thinking about how our lives are going to change because of this baby. I know, if you’ll give me a chance, that I can be the most favorite aunt. I just want a chance to heap on him or her all the love I have to share.”
“Her,” she whispered.
My heart started pounding. “Her?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“Flynn took me to the clinic yesterday and Dr. Alexander wanted an ultrasound right away because of the surgery and the medications I was taking. You know, to be on the safe side.”
I nodded and felt the tears pricking at my eyelids, but I didn’t care.
“He did an ultrasound that showed I’m already thirteen weeks pregnant.”
“Wow, Freddie, that’s even further than you had figured.” I was smiling and she was too, finally.
“Everything was so messed up from the surgery and well, I’ve been in denial for a long time, obviously.”
“They could tell the gender at thirteen weeks?”
She gave me the so-so hand. “She said it’s a good chance it’s a girl, but another ultrasound in a few weeks will be more definitive. She showed us the picture and it looked like a girl to us, too.” Her voice cracked and I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back.
“Was everything else okay?” I asked.
“Yes, the technician said she’s perfect, Kate. All ten fingers and ten toes. We heard her heartbeat and I saw my husband fall in love with his child. It was incredible.” She had been relaxed in my arms, but then she stiffened.
I kept rubbing her back. “Stop worrying and relax. Please. I want you to talk about these things with me. I want to experience this with you and Flynn. Please let me be part of this pregnancy.”
I pulled back and held her face. She was crying, the tears leaving tracks down her face.
“Hey, I know it’s a lot to take in with less than twenty-four hours under your belt of knowing you’re going to be a mommy, but I also know you’re causing yourself more stress because you’re worried about hurting me, right?”
She nodded as I brought a hand up to swipe away a tear.
“So, let’s make a pact right now that no matter what we go through in life, we go through it together. The same way we have the last twelve years. You get to be happy about this baby and I get to be happy for you. I get to hold your babies and love them the way an aunt does. That doesn’t make me sad, that makes me feel so special. I can’t stress that enough.”
“Flynn said that’s how you would feel.” She half-laughed, half-sighed.
I smiled, brushing away another tear. “Again, he was right. Did they send any pictures home with you from the ultrasound?” I asked, trying to move on, so she would stop crying.
She pulled out her phone, handing it to me. “Even better. They can put it on your smartphone now, so you can watch it in real time and see them moving and kicking. You can even hear the heartbeat.”
“Really?” I asked excitedly and she hit the video tab.
The video started in grainy black and white, but there in the middle of it was a baby. I watched the little one sucking her thumb, stretching, and flipping around. It switched to 3D and I gasped at the lifelike view of her. “Oh, Freddie, she’s so precious.” The video finished and the final few seconds were a shot of the baby upside down, an arrow pointing at three prominent white lines between the legs.
I handed her the phone back and hugged her again. “I’m so proud of you. Look how much your life has changed in less
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