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The morning sunlight crept through the curtains bathing the room in a soft glow. I was buttoning up my shirt when her voice broke the comfortable silence.
"Niyoka said she's sure it's a girl," she said casually, leaning against the dresser. She had that small, amused smile on her face, the one she used when she was testing my patience.
She try tek har goat mouth offa mi Ute boh girl..
I glanced at her through the mirror. "Dat a you and niyoka business and nuh jinx mi pickney."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Anuh jinx we a jinx yuh come on it's obvious it's a girl babe. It's intuition. And you better start preparing yourself, because you're outnumbered if it is a girl."
I walked over and gently pulled her into my arms, resting my hands on her small but growing bump. "Nuh business whe yuh wah seh as long as the baby healthy."
She rolled her eyes playfully, then stepped back to grab her bag. "Speaking of the doctor, we need fi leave soon. We affi stop and get summ eat to."
"Mi ready enuh." I kissed her forehead and grabbed the car keys. "Let's go."
We pulled up to one of her favorite breakfast spot, Starbucks, I parked and hopped out to grab her order. The line was mercifully short, and within minutes, I handed her the bag through the passenger window.
"Can spoil me wah." she teased, taking a bite.
"Yah carry mi Ute is the least mi can do."
The drive to the doctor's office was quick, the conversation light. But as we approached the building, I noticed her hand subconsciously resting on her stomach, her thumb brushing over the fabric of her dress. She always did that when she was nervous, even if she didn't admit it.
Inside the exam room, she lay back on the cushioned table, the soft hum of the ultrasound machine filling the space. Dr. Edwards, our obstetrician, walked in with her usual calm demeanor.
"Good morning, you two," she greeted. "How are we feeling today?"
"Excited," my girlfriend replied with a nervous laugh.
Dr. Edwards smiled and began preparing the equipment. She squeezed a generous amount of ultrasound gel onto her gloved hand, then spread it across tiana's stomach. The gel, cold and slick, made her flinch slightly, but she relaxed as the doctor placed the transducer over her bump.
The screen came to life with grainy black-and-white images, and moments later, the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat filled the room. It was steady and strong, a rhythmic thump-thump-thump that brought a small smile to my face.
"Everything looks great so far," Dr. Edwards said, her eyes fixed on the monitor. "But the heartbeat..." She trailed off, frowning slightly as she adjusted the transducer.
