Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Beth and Billy held their breath, squeezing their eyelids together and interlocking their palms: a perfect fit.
The doctor moved the camera covered in thick and cold gel over Beth's large bump, preparing to tell the young couple the gender of their baby.
A smile appeared on the woman's kind face, her slightly wrinkled features pulling at her face as she grinned. "Congratulations, mom and dad." she began, nervousness and excitement mixing in their bellies as the woman intentionally made them wait to raise anticipation.
"Come on, say it!" Billy urged, his overwhelming excitement causing him to bounce childishly on the balls of his feet.
The woman laughed, breathing in before looking at the monitor in front of her and back to Beth and Billy who still had their eyes squeezed shut. "You're have a girl!"
Simultaneously, Billy and Beth's eyes shot open, their hands unlocking and going to wrap around their bodies instead in a full embrace.
"I knew it!" Beth squealed, doing a little happy dance while still on the examination table.
"I'm gonna have a daughter to spoil!" Billy whooped, raising his arms in triumph and letting loud bursts of obnoxious laughter slide past his pink lips.
"We," Beth jokingly corrected. "are going to have a daughter to spoil."
"That's right, mama." Billy smiled, pressing his lips to Beth's in a chaste kiss.
"Congratulations!" the doctor beamed, watching the happy couple as they danced and happily discussed names and color schemes for the nursery.
•
Only that was three weeks ago.
Things had changed: drastically and rapidly.
All of that happiness, excitement and giddiness they had felt that day at the doctor's office was completely gone now; out of sight- seemingly- forever.
Beth had been acting strange a week after they found out the gender of their baby, her attitude about everything changing without any warnings or signs.
She was just gone.
Every day, Billy would try to get Beth out of bed to go surfing or take a walk on the beach or even just simply take a shower. And each time he was greeted by the same sight of her back to him.
