Settling in Seattle

Chapter 10- Can't Wait Any Longer

"Are you ready for this?" Mike looked at Rachel sitting on the edge of the foam, uncomfortable seat in the waiting room, twitching her leg, and biting at her fingertips. He placed his hand on her thigh, in an attempt to stop it from bobbing up and down. He had slowed it, but she just laced her fingers in between his and started again.

"Yes, I'm okay," She took a deep breath within the speech pauses, stretching her upper body out as she did so, "I just want to get this over with, so we can know!" Rachel was getting more and more impatient as the clock ticked at an agonising pace.

"I know, it won't be long now, I promise." Mike glanced at the clock, it was the time their appointment was scheduled. "Any guesses?"

"I don't know, I have a feeling it's a boy, but I'd be happy with either." She looked at Mike and he smiled at his wife.

"I think it's a girl. But we'll see won't we." They stared into each other's eyes lovingly, giggling like teenagers. They couldn't quite believe what was about to happen. It felt like forever before they were called in by the doctor.

"Well one of us will be correct!"

"Okay, so just lie here, you know the drill by now. The sixteen-week check is generally when we can see whether it's a boy or girl, however if we can't, you so wish to find out, we can take a blood test. Let's see, sixteen weeks, ooh have you been told your due date yet?" Mike fiddled with his hands as Rachel prepared for the baby scan.

"No, we haven't, we have never asked!" He laughed slightly at how new they were to this.

"Well, no worries, just doing the maths now, and from what I remember from your last ultrasound, I think, yes, due the thirtieth of December." Mike was also doing the maths and got there quicker, smiling. 

"Wow, a Christmas baby." Rachel glowed at the thought of the festivities, matched with the stress, or how heavily pregnant she would be for Christmas Day.

"Thank you, we didn't think about how close it would be to Christmas!" Mike joked. The doctor squirted the gel onto her stomach and pulled over the machinery. Rachel gasped as the cold substance hit her, laughing at the shock.

"Every time. When will you learn!" Mike looked at Rachel and smiled as she put her hands up in surrender and the doctor placed the plugs into the screens. He pulled out the scanner and put it in the gel, rubbing it around to get in position. Mike couldn't sit still in the chair as he peered on to the screen above him. Rachel craned her neck so she could also get a view. It flickered whilst the doctor pressed the probe onto the baby. Finally, the familiar black and white baby pictures appeared in front of them.

"Ah, there we go, okay, I can see the gender of your child now, would you like to know now, or would you like me to send you the results via email?" Rachel looked towards Mike whose eyes widen.

"Can we know now please, I don't think we can wait any longer!" The doctor laughed and kept an eye on the screen. Rachel was already welling up, which rarely happened in front of people she wasn't close with.

"Well, here, congratulations, you've got a beautiful baby girl." Rachel sighed gently as tears streamed down her face, falling into the dimples in her cheeks. They were both smiling uncontrollably as the doctor continued all the other routine checks. Mike grabbed her hand as he wiped away the single tear he had let slip too, smiling from ear to ear. They were both so happy with a little angel.

The check-up finished and everything was perfectly normal. Once cleaned, dressed and out of the clinic, Mike stopped Rachel outside.

"I knew it!" He bragged at her gently as she rolled her eyes, still red from the tears.

"Hey, I can't believe it. A perfect little girl born as our little Christmas package. She's going to be the amazing." Mike looked down at their hands holding each other's.

"Well, she's your daughter, of course. She's going to be beautiful, intelligent, funny."

"Can you imagine if she has your incredible mind?" Rachel grinned as she pictured a small, feminine version of Mike, with a photographic memory.

"Oh, she'll be perfect." They kissed shortly before jumping back into the car and couldn't stop smiling the entire drive.

"You want ice-cream?" Mike raised his eyebrows at the mention of food. They took a slight detour to get ice-cream, and then they took it home. Arm in arm they strolled back into their home, holding their pots. Mike had Mint-Choc-Chip and Rachel had Cookie Dough. Rachel kicked her shoes off at the door, leaving Mike to put them away, and slumped onto the sofa.

"What... a... day." The day had in fact not been long at all, they had just spent the majority of the morning messing around in bed, not having to get up, and then travelling into the city for the appointment. Combined together, it had worn Rachel out, physically and mentally.

"Dirty Dancing?" Mike regretted it as soon as he suggested it.

"Yes, yes please. I love you." Rachel smirked.

"I love you too, unfortunately. And little beanie."