I’m vaguely aware of Ace’s arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me into his side. He swipes the pad of his thumb across my cheek and I realize he’s drying my tears. He leans over and places a tender kiss on my temple. “I’m here to catch you,” he whispers.
“You’re the adoptive parents?” the doctor asks when she enters the room.
“Yes. I’m Layne Elliott and this is Ace Sharp.”
“It’s good to finally meet you. Zoe has told me a lot of great things about you.” Taking a seat beside Zoe, she looks over the measurements the ultrasound technician has made and turns back to address us. “All the measurements look good. You have a healthy baby…um, do you want to know the sex now?”
“You can already tell?” I ask.
The doctor chuckles. “Yes. This baby is not shy at all.”
“I’d love to know,” I reply. “Zoe, do you want to know?”
She smiles up at me. “If you want to know, then I want to know.”
I grasp her hand and we look at the doctor for the big reveal. “Congratulations. You’re having a girl.”
Overcome with emotion, I lean in to hug Zoe, and Ace’s arms wrap around me from behind. The three of us maintain this position for several long minutes, lost in our thankfulness for different reasons, while the technician prints out the sonogram pictures.
“Are you happy with another girl?” Zoe asks hesitantly.
“Zoe, it doesn’t matter if it’s a girl or a boy or one of each. I’m beyond thrilled, no matter what.”
“I just thought you may want a boy. You know, since Ace already has a girl,” she explains.
“I’d take a house full of girls, Zoe,” Ace assures her. “Most girls are daddy’s girls, and I’ll gladly take my place wrapped around their little fingers.”
“Thank you, both,” Zoe replies, her eyes darting between Ace and me. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know what great parents she’ll have. If only the two of you could’ve been my parents.”
“We’ll still claim you as our own,” I try to comfort her.
* * *
“Layne, you’re freaking me out. Stop staring at my stomach,” Zoe laughs.
“I can’t help it! After seeing the sonogram pictures, it’s so much more real to me that there’s a tiny human being living inside there. It’s a miracle and it’s happening right before my eyes.”
She rubs her belly. “I think she knows you’re talking about her. She’s active.” Zoe puts my hand on her stomach and I feel the baby moving inside her, then she unexpectedly kicks and makes me jump.
We laugh together and my heart feels like it’s full of tiny hummingbirds, fluttering and flying up to clog my throat with overwhelming emotions. “That felt so surreal. She just kicked my hand!”
Parking in front of the grocery store, I turn to face Zoe. “I don’t want you to worry or stress about anything, Zoe. If you want to quit your job because you can’t stand on your feet for hours at a time, I’ll support you. I’m paying your medical and adoption-related legal expenses, too. You’re close enough to your due date now to deserve to relax until she decides it’s time to make her grand entrance into the world.”
“You’re already doing so much for me, Layne,” she tries to object.
“No. What you’re doing for me is everything, Zoe.”
“I read through the packet for that school earlier and I’ve made up my mind.”
“And?”
“If you’re sure it’s okay, I’d like to go there. Getting out of this town and starting over somewhere new sounds perfect. The only way I’ll ever be able to move forward is to never look back.”
“We’ll get the paperwork started as soon as possible, then,” I promise her. “What time do I need to pick you up tonight?”
“At nine.” She glances at the clock and groans when she realizes that’s over six hours away. “Maybe earlier if I decide to quit today.”
“If that happens, just give me a call. I’ll be here.”
She leans over the center console and shyly kisses my cheek before she gets out. One thing I immediately notice is how different she appears today. Her shoulders are back, her head is held high, and she has a spring in her step. It’s remarkable how much she’s changed simply because the stress that’s weighed her down is being removed from her life.
Ace followed us in his truck and is parked beside me. I hop out of the Jeep and all but skip over to his door. “It’s a beautiful afternoon for a walk. You don’t have to go back to work, do you?”
“No, babe. I’ve already showered and changed clothes. There’s no point in going back now.”
He climbs out of his truck and our hands naturally find each other as we stroll down the sidewalk.
“Now that I know we’re having a baby girl, I can’t resist the pull of shopping for every pink baby item I can possibly find. This urge may warrant a day trip to the Atlanta malls tomorrow, in which case, I’ll need to borrow your truck to haul everything back.”