We never spoke about it, and we certainly never named it. Hockey players were weirdly superstitious. We weren’t allowed to jinx them.
I wandered down the long stairs to the ice rink and the weight room next door to it, then leaned against the doorway, watching as Jacques stretched. He was almost in a full split, his arms stretched out in front of him and his chest on the purple yoga mat I’d given him. I licked my lips. Damn, he was fine.
But I couldn’t get distracted. We had an appointment to get to—one I wouldn’t miss for the world.
“Hey,” I called out. “We’re getting ready to go to the doctor.”
“I’m done.”
He stood up and took a swig from his water bottle, then stalked toward me. When he got close enough, he swung his arm around my waist, pulled me in for a kiss that left me breathless, and then led me back to the stairs like nothing had happened.
My head was spinning and my dick aching the whole way up. Any other day, and I would have begged him to drop to his knees.
I swallowed and groaned. “Y’all’s a fuckin’ tease.”
***
“Good afternoon. I’m Penny,” the OBGYN said when we entered her office.
We introduced ourselves, and she prompted, “So, tell me what’s happening.”
To her credit, she didn’t blink when the four of us walked in. She was more worried about having enough chairs. Carina took one of them, and, apparently, because my arm was in a sling, I wasn’t allowed to stand either. I couldn’t roll my eyes any harder at my guys sometimes, but they really were sweet, and I loved them for it.
“Well, I took a pregnancy test, and it’s come back positive. With the benefit of hindsight, I’ve been noticing symptoms for a few months, and my clothes are getting tighter around my belly, so I’m definitely showing.”
“When was your last period?” she asked, jotting down notes.
Carina adjusted her white blouse and looked down. “I think it was when I’d just arrived in the States. These past few months have been a little hectic. But it’s been at least three months.”
Penny nodded and asked, “When did you come off birth control?”
Carina laughed awkwardly and smoothed her hands down her legs. She was wearing the cutest pair of floral pants that were all flowy and shit. “When the pregnancy test came back positive.” She rushed to add, “I was on the mini pill, and I didn’t realize I’d missed it a few times—once when I flew to the States and then the night we got married. But it’s a happy accident. We’re incredibly excited.”
“That’s great,” Penny exclaimed with a smile. “Don’t stress about the mini pill. It isn’t known to cause any birth defects or anything like that, and we can start you on a pregnancy supplement to help the baby’s brain and nervous system development.”
“I’m already on one.”
Penny asked lots of questions about Carina’s health, her pregnancy with Cara, and Cara’s birth. She outlined what the usual steps were moving forward and discussed the options around birth. Finally—finally!—she said, “Let’s get you up and check the baby.”
She squirted some gel on Carina’s belly and moved the wand around. Within seconds we were listening to thewhoosh, whoosh, whooshof a heartbeat. Tears sprang to Carina’s eyes, and Jacques grasped her hand.
“Mom, Dad—” Penny looked at Jacques and Carina. “Meet your baby.”
I held my breath, listening with wide-eyed wonder. That was our baby. I couldn’t believe it. We were going to be dads. With shaking hands, I slipped my good arm around Rusty’s waist and leaned into him, needing to be closer to him. I’d never experienced love at first sight, but now I knew. This was it. I would love this baby with everything in me.
I blinked, trying to stop the sting, and sucked in a slow breath. Rusty wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in the crook of his neck. “How could they have hated me?” I whispered, not even consciously realizing I needed to voice the question. “I already love this baby with my whole heart.”
He held me tighter but didn’t fill the void with platitudes. Somehow, he knew I didn’t need the answer to my question. Even if I did need one, he would never be able to fathom their hatred. He didn’t have an unkind bone in his body. My parents, on the other hand….
Carina gasped, and I snapped my face up. Her eyes were wide, and a smile instantly split her face. “I can feel a flutter,” she said excitedly.
Penny grinned and shifted the wand. I saw movement on the screen.
Holy shit. Holy shit. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. That was our baby.
“From my measurements, I’d say you’re about sixteen weeks. But let’s get a full set of scans done so we can be more certain.”
“When will we be able to feel Peanut kick?” I asked.
