Oh, Baby!
Dimitri fidgeted nervously and drew Benny's amused gaze. He shot her an apologetic smile and forced his legs to stop their anxious bouncing. Sweaty palms flat against his jeans, he glanced around the busy waiting room.
He was vastly outnumbered in the estrogen rich environment here. Most of the women surrounding him were heavily pregnant. A few were barely beginning to show the slightest hint of a rounded figure. He caught the eye of another father-to-be who looked equally as uncomfortable here in the upscale waiting room of the obstetrics practice Benny had chosen.
When he shifted again, the sea foam green chair squeaked. He grimaced at the plush cushion and wondered why this place didn't offer a simple chair like the ones he had recently purchased for his new office. Strong. Sturdy. Firm.
And ridiculously uncomfortable for a pregnant woman…
He considered the line of big tummies across from him. No doubt these wide, cushy chairs had been designed with them in mind. Unfortunately, they made it nearly impossible for him to find a comfortable position with his taller than average frame. God help Ivan if he ever needed to come to a place like this with Erin! He would have to bring his own chair or lean against the wall.
A gleeful squeal from the far corner made Dimitri smile. He leaned back for a better look at the designated play area. He watched another father crawling around on the floor with his toddler son while his wife at nearby and thumbed through a magazine while rubbing her belly. Like Benny, she seemed so serene and calm.
Dimitri glanced at Benny who continued answering the many pages of the questionnaire she'd been given after checking in at the main desk. He envied her relaxed demeanor. At first, she had been the one panicking about their unplanned pregnancy. Seeing the positive test that night of their engagement party had sent her into a full-blown tizzy as she listed all the reasons they weren't ready to be parents.
With one kiss and a few gentle words, he had reassured her that they were absolutely ready to be parents. Five years of friendship and the passionate love they now shared were a perfect foundation for building their family. All the material things she had listed would come in time.
After surviving the attack on their lives and the arson at her bakery, there was nothing they couldn't face together. Besides, he believed she would be an amazing mother. She was selfless, nurturing, kind and so incredibly loving. Dimitri thought of the way she had stood by her brother even when he was at his very worst. If she could handle Johnny, she could handle all that motherhood would throw at her.
Only now, when sitting in this waiting room while Benny filled out her medical forms, did it finally hit him that in a few very short months he was going to be a father. It wouldn't simply be Benny counting on him to love and provide and care for her. No, there would also be a tiny little baby— their baby—who would need him.
The idea of having this new and precious life to cherish excited and terrified Dimitri. He had promised Benny that he would be a good father to their child—but he didn't know the first damn thing about being a good father. He considered the role models he'd known at the orphanage and later in the military. None of those men were the kind who inspired him.
As inconspicuously as possible, Dimitri shifted in his seat and retrieved his phone from his back pocket. He opened the app for his favorite online bookstore and started browsing for books on fatherhood. Somewhat embarrassed that he had to seek advice on something so personal from books, he tilted his screen and glanced around nervously. Benny remained focused on her paperwork and the people closest to him were engrossed in their magazines or phone screens.
As he read the reviews for the different books, he added the ones that looked the most promising to his shopping cart. After purchasing them with a tap of his
Dimitri fidgeted nervously and drew Benny's amused gaze. He shot her an apologetic smile and forced his legs to stop their anxious bouncing. Sweaty palms flat against his jeans, he glanced around the busy waiting room.
He was vastly outnumbered in the estrogen rich environment here. Most of the women surrounding him were heavily pregnant. A few were barely beginning to show the slightest hint of a rounded figure. He caught the eye of another father-to-be who looked equally as uncomfortable here in the upscale waiting room of the obstetrics practice Benny had chosen.
When he shifted again, the sea foam green chair squeaked. He grimaced at the plush cushion and wondered why this place didn't offer a simple chair like the ones he had recently purchased for his new office. Strong. Sturdy. Firm.
And ridiculously uncomfortable for a pregnant woman…
He considered the line of big tummies across from him. No doubt these wide, cushy chairs had been designed with them in mind. Unfortunately, they made it nearly impossible for him to find a comfortable position with his taller than average frame. God help Ivan if he ever needed to come to a place like this with Erin! He would have to bring his own chair or lean against the wall.
A gleeful squeal from the far corner made Dimitri smile. He leaned back for a better look at the designated play area. He watched another father crawling around on the floor with his toddler son while his wife at nearby and thumbed through a magazine while rubbing her belly. Like Benny, she seemed so serene and calm.
Dimitri glanced at Benny who continued answering the many pages of the questionnaire she'd been given after checking in at the main desk. He envied her relaxed demeanor. At first, she had been the one panicking about their unplanned pregnancy. Seeing the positive test that night of their engagement party had sent her into a full-blown tizzy as she listed all the reasons they weren't ready to be parents.
With one kiss and a few gentle words, he had reassured her that they were absolutely ready to be parents. Five years of friendship and the passionate love they now shared were a perfect foundation for building their family. All the material things she had listed would come in time.
After surviving the attack on their lives and the arson at her bakery, there was nothing they couldn't face together. Besides, he believed she would be an amazing mother. She was selfless, nurturing, kind and so incredibly loving. Dimitri thought of the way she had stood by her brother even when he was at his very worst. If she could handle Johnny, she could handle all that motherhood would throw at her.
Only now, when sitting in this waiting room while Benny filled out her medical forms, did it finally hit him that in a few very short months he was going to be a father. It wouldn't simply be Benny counting on him to love and provide and care for her. No, there would also be a tiny little baby— their baby—who would need him.
The idea of having this new and precious life to cherish excited and terrified Dimitri. He had promised Benny that he would be a good father to their child—but he didn't know the first damn thing about being a good father. He considered the role models he'd known at the orphanage and later in the military. None of those men were the kind who inspired him.
As inconspicuously as possible, Dimitri shifted in his seat and retrieved his phone from his back pocket. He opened the app for his favorite online bookstore and started browsing for books on fatherhood. Somewhat embarrassed that he had to seek advice on something so personal from books, he tilted his screen and glanced around nervously. Benny remained focused on her paperwork and the people closest to him were engrossed in their magazines or phone screens.
As he read the reviews for the different books, he added the ones that looked the most promising to his shopping cart. After purchasing them with a tap of his
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