Page 149 of Checkmate
There was nothing there except some black and white splodges.
“They’re quite good at hiding when they’re this small,” the nurse said, in a soft, kind voice. Sophie couldn’t breathe. Her heart was racing as blood rushed to her ears. This couldn’t be happening.
The probe moved across her lower abdomen, pressing deep into her skin. Still, there was nothing. Tears prickled at her eyes before she could stop them. The baby had to be there. It just had to be.
“How far along did you say you were?”
“Thirteen weeks,” Sophie said, her cheeks flaming at the tremor in her tone. “But, you know, it could be a little less.” The nurse clicked a couple of buttons, making a disagreeable sound.
“Could it be a little more?”
Before Sophie could question her, the room filled with the most incredible whooshing sound, as an image appeared on the screen, crystal clear. Like a little beacon of hope, Sophie could find her baby’s fluttering heart before the nurse even pointed it out.
“Say hello to your baby, mummy!”
Tears spilt down her cheeks as she gazed at the image with wonder. That was her child. Her child that she shared with Alex. Oh, they were perfect. They were so per-
“Is the baby bigger than expected?” “Certainly bigger than we’d expect a thirteen-weeker,” the nurse said with a nod. She clicked a button, the screen capturing the perfect image of her baby’s heart.
“Well, how much more?” Sophie asked, doing a little mental maths. When had she and Alex gone on that weekend bender? Four months ago? God, had she fucked up as a mother already?
“Ms Hayward, I don’t mean to alarm you, but from everything I’m seeing, I’d say you were around twenty-one weeks pregnant.”
“That’s impossible!” Sophie said, her eyes turning to the nurse. “That’s more than halfway! And I’ve been bleeding.”
“Not all that uncommon, actually,” the nurse said kindly. “But I’m fairly confident. Here’s baby’s head and shoulders.” She highlighted an area on the screen, and Sophie turned back to look at her child. Sure enough, she could make out a little white head. “And if I focus just here, you can see baby’s lips.”
“We have the chest with a healthy heart flickering away just there. Down here is their stomach.” Sophie followed the image with complete fascination. There was no denying there was a very well-formed baby in there. But twenty-one weeks? How could she have not known?!
“If you look at these two black blobs, that’s baby’s kidneys. And… ah.”
“Ah?” Immediate panic settled in Sophie’s chest. “What do you mean, ah? Is everything okay?”
“Oh yes,” the nurse said with a small chuckle. “Sorry, dear. Everything is fine. Your baby is just a bit of an exhibitionist.”
“You can see the sex?” Sophie asked, her eyes widening. The nurse nodded, making a note of something on her computer.
Oh, shit. Sophie really wanted to know the sex of her baby. She hadn’t been prepared to find out now. But how could she not?
Alex would be gutted he wasn’t involved.
But Alex wasn’t here. She wasn’t to know how far along she was. It wasn’t her fault that the baby had everything on show.
“Can you tell me?” She asked, releasing the question in one quick breath. “The sex, that is. I’d to know the baby’s sex.”
“Are you sure?”
Sophie was on the verge of nodding before an image shimmered in her mind.
She envisioned herself in a beautiful flowing dress that hugged her growing bump (she could wear a fake one if it hadn’t grown enough), surrounded by admirers and supporters. By her side, proud and confident, Alex stood holding the string of a balloon.
In her mind, she could see clearly as Alex popped the balloon and revealed the sex of their unborn child, their guests erupting in cheers and applause. How could she rob Alex of such a perfect moment to show off his perfect family and show to the world (and more importantly, his clients) just how wonderful and doting he’d be as a father?
“Actually…” Sophie cleared her throat. “Actually, I should probably wait for my boyfriend. If I found out before him, he’d be so upset. But if you don’t mind, could I ask a favour of you?”
A short while later, Sophie walked out of the hospital, clutching the envelope with her sonogram pictures, as well as a note from the nurse regarding the baby’s sex.
There was a spring in her step as she flagged down a cab, giving her address to the grouchy driver.
