Her baby was fine. Her best friend was beside her.
And for the first time, she felt like everything really could be okay.
In Matt’s truck, they were both silent for a little while. He put on his sunglasses and started the truck, but didn’t pull out of the parking lot quite yet. Dara didn’t ask—her mind was still back in the doctor’s office, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if his was still there beside hers.
Dara pulled the ultrasound photo out of the envelope.
Matt craned his neck. “Can I see it?”
“Sure.” She handed him one, and she looked at the other.
He turned his one way. Then back.
She squinted at hers.
Matt pulled his closer to his face, then held it at arm’s length.
She tried turning hers the way he’d done.
“Okay, am I stupid?” he asked. “Or did they forget to give us a secret decoder ring?
Dara snorted, shaking her head. “So it’s not just me?”
“No.” They both laughed, and he handed the photo back to her. “We should definitely stick to ‘him’ and not ‘it’, though. Or else we’re watching Alien while you’re in labor.”
Dara laughed aloud. “You even mention that movie while I’m in labor, and I will choke you.”
Matt chuckled. Turning serious, he stared at the pictures in her hand. “So that was, um, more intense than I thought it would be.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
She started to put the pictures back in the envelope, but stopped. “Do you want to keep one?”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” She held them out to him. “If you want one, I mean.”
He regarded them uncertainly for a second, but then gently freed one from her grasp. Something in his expression shifted, as if the image in his hand had changed now that it was his to keep, and he stared at it, a little bit of reverence and a whole lot of “oh shit” on his face. Then he took out his wallet, folded the picture in half and carefully slipped it in beside some wrinkled bills.
As he put his wallet away, he glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I finally got to pee.”
They laughed, which shook some of the tension out of the truck’s cab. Rolling his eyes, he said, “You know what I mean.”
“I know. I guess I’m…” She thought for a moment. “Relieved.”
“Relieved?” Matt glanced at her. “Were you worried about something?”
“Not until I got there, but then, yeah.” She stared down at the ultrasound prints. “I guess after it took so many tries to get pregnant, I was suddenly worried that something had gone wrong.”
He squirmed in his seat. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“I’ve had a little more time than you have to learn about all the worst-case scenarios.” She shuddered. “You’re not missing anything. Trust me.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” They exchanged glances. Then he put the truck in gear. “I guess we should get out of here.”
“Sounds great.”
He pulled out of the parking lot, and neither of them said anything. She watched him for a mile or so, but he was impossible to read right now. It didn’t help that his wraparound sunglasses were about as dark as they could be, obscuring his eyes completely.
She twisted a little so she was facing him. “What about you? How are you feeling?”
“Hmm?” He glanced at her again. “Why?”
“You’ve been quiet. Just wondering what’s going through your mind.”
Matt rested his hand on the gearshift and his other on top of the wheel. “It’s still kind of surreal, you know? That I’m going to be a father.”
“I know the feeling. It’s not quite sunk in yet.” She glanced at him and laughed. “I’m probably going to freak the first time I feel him move.”
“Yeah. Me too. Feeling him kick will be…”
“Weird.”
“Weird. Definitely.” His fingers tapped rapidly on the gearshift. “It’s all been pretty sudden. I don’t think it’s all fit in my head yet.”
Dara winced. “Sorry about that.”
“No, don’t be.” He glanced at her, and his smile sent a funny rush through her. Facing the road again, he said, “I’m looking forward to this. It’s just a big switch. A year ago, I was a slave to the boardroom. And now…”
“Now you’re about to be a slave to a screaming tyrant who can’t wipe his own ass.”
Matt groaned. “Aw, fuck. It’s my first job all over again.”