Possession(87)

Scooting over to me, Drake takes my hand. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”

I start laughing. “I know you like to control everything, but some things are just beyond your control. What if something’s wrong with the baby? Look at all the drugs I was given when I was pregnant at the beginning. What if they’ve had an adverse effect on the baby’s development? What if—”

“Shh,” Drake whispers, stroking my hand. “Stop worrying. Everything will be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” I mutter under my breath.

“We’re here, sir.”

I look out the window and see the clinic. My nerves kick up a notch, so I take a deep breath.

“I’m here with you every step of the way, remember?” I nod my head and he smiles. “Come. Let’s go and meet our baby.”

We get out of the car and make our way inside. Drake talks to the receptionist because my mouth is too dry to even utter one word. My hands are clammy, and my body trembles as we’re ushered in to take a seat. There are two other couples waiting, and they smile once they see us. I know the gossip will start from today. There will be no hiding the fact that Drake and I are pregnant anymore. It makes me wonder how he’ll spin this.

I feel an arm around me as Drake pulls me to him. He places a kiss on my head and whispers, “There’s no need to be nervous, baby. I got you.” I instantly relax and lean in to him for support. I know the other couples are watching our every move, but for now, I don’t care.

“Mr and Mrs Salvatore?” We both look up. “Dr Taylor will see you now.”

Drake helps me up, and we both make our way inside the room where Dr Taylor awaits us. “Ah, Mr and Mrs Salvatore. How are we today?”

“Evelyn’s a little nervous—anxious to get this done.”

The doctor looks at Drake and nods his head. “I understand. Why don’t we skip the formalities and head straight to it then?”

I nod. “Yes, please. I also really need the toilet.”

He starts laughing. “Okay. Just go through that door and lie down. I just need you to pull your jeans down a little so we can begin.”

Nodding my head, Drake and I head through the side door and see the big scanning machine next to the bed. I take a deep breath and climb on top. Once settled, I undo my jeans, which are getting a little tight for me now, and I notice the relief I feel once I pull them down. It’s amazing how much they were actually pressing on my bladder.

Straight after, Dr Taylor comes into the room and starts preparing. He gets a tube of lubricant and squeezes it on my belly. It makes me jump from the cold.

“Sorry. It can be very cold once it goes on. It’ll warm up soon enough.” Grabbing the scan probe, he holds it over my belly. “Okay, let’s have a look.”

Drake is right beside me, holding my hand. When he places the probe onto my belly, at first all I can see are a load of blobs. But as he presses down a little more, the shape of a tiny baby begins to emerge.

“Now, here’s the head, and you can see the arms and feet there.” The doctor points to the screen, but all I can do is stare. It looks amazing. “Now, if I move this a little …”

All of a sudden, there’s the sound of a loud heartbeat. The doctor smiles, I gasp, and Drake squeezes my hand. “Do you hear that?” I ask Drake, feeling absolutely overwhelmed. Drake stares back at me with the most heart-warming smile.

“I do, babes. Isn’t it the most beautiful sound? Look, you’re giving life. You’re such a clever thing.”

I beam back at Drake, but I need to see the baby, so I turn again and see the doctor making outlines. “What are you doing?”

“Taking measurements. It’s imperative to make sure that the baby is growing. It also gives us an indication of how many weeks along you are.”

I bite my lip, getting worried. “Is everything okay?”

The doctor looks back to us and smiles. “Everything’s perfect. The baby’s heart and lungs are fine, and he or she is growing well. I’d say you were around fifteen weeks.”

A gasp of relief leaves my lips. “Oh, thank you, doctor.” He smiles, and without a thought, I turn to Drake and pull him to my lips. I kiss him like I’ve never kissed him before, pouring into it the immense happiness of knowing that despite all the shit this poor baby’s been through, everything will be okay.

After a few seconds, Drake pulls back. “Wow! If I had known you would kiss me like that, I would have brought you in sooner.”

The doctor starts laughing. “I will give you two some privacy. Evelyn, you can use the toilet now.”