Famous (ON HOLD)

We're All Train Wrecks

"Would you like to find out what the gender is?" Dr. Mabel asked Courtney as she lay on the ultrasound table.

Duncan looked at Courtney with hope in his eyes. He'd spent the last couple of weeks writing down possible baby names on a notepad late at night. He never saw himself as a father, but here he was daydreaming about the very idea of it.

"Um..." Courtney swallowed nervously, looking at Duncan. "Do you care?"

Did he care? That was a ridiculous question! Of course, he did! But he couldn't let her know that, so he shrugged. "I'm cool either way."

After a moment of hesitation, Courtney nodded. "Let's see the gender."

With a smile, Dr. Mabel revealed, "Looks like you're having a baby girl, Ms. Barlow."

"I knew it," said Courtney, grinning from ear to ear. "A girl."

Duncan's heart boiled over with happiness. He immediately tried picturing what the baby would look like—would she have Courtney's chocolate brown eyes and his jet-black hair or vice versa? Would she be unruly or docile? The thought of their daughter being some crazy, beautiful mixture of both him and Courtney made Duncan wish he could see the future.

But the baby's adoptive family could palliate her "would've been" traits. And what if the adoptive father was just like Duncan's? Now, Duncan started to fear adoption more than fatherhood, and he didn't know whether he should reveal these thoughts to Courtney or not.

Meanwhile, Courtney was fixated on the sonogram, eyes wide as the sky. This was the first time she had seen her baby moving in real-time. And it didn't make her queasy as she had previously worried. She could see the head, which looked rather large compared to the rest of the forming body.

"That's insane, wow," Courtney breathed. "She's so tiny."

"But she has a large head," commented Duncan. "Sounds like someone I know."

Courtney scoffed and sent him a glare. "I think you're talking about yourself."

"I was just kidding, Court," Duncan laughed. "Mostly."

"You're the one with the literal giant forehead," smirked Courtney. "She probably gets it from you."

Doctor Mabel laughed. "Don't worry. She'll grow into her body."

After making their next appointment, Courtney and Duncan left the clinic. "So, how do you feel about having a girl?" Courtney asked him.

Duncan paused. What a strange question to ask when they weren't going to be there to see her grow up. "I don't know, I'm ok with it. How will her actual parents feel about it?" He replied sharply.

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Duncan grumbled, digging in his front pocket for his car keys.

"It doesn't sound like you're fine," replied Courtney.

Duncan sighed. "What was the point of that question?"

"Me asking if you're alright? Sorry for caring about your well-being."

"No, not that," Duncan rolled his eyes. "You asked me how I feel about having a girl. I don't see the point in caring if we're not going to raise her."

Courtney looked at him strangely. "Duncan, it was just something to make conversation about."

"Well, that's not a very good casual conversation starter," Duncan said, scanning the parking lot.