The ride to the hospital was comfortable. We talked about everything, sharing bits and pieces of our lives. It felt good to open up to him, though I still kept some sensitive parts of my past to myself. I wasn’t ready to share everything just yet.
As he drove, I noticed he was steering with one hand. I don’t know why, but I’ve always found it kind of sexy when a man drives with one hand. His other hand held mine, and his face was full of smiles.
Things were different with Ethan. He didn’t pressure me to open up more than I was ready to, and that made me feel safe.
“How’s the flower shop?” I asked.
“The flower shop isn’t the same without your presence.”
“Oh, please, Ethan, stop exaggerating. I only worked there for a month,” I replied.
“That one month was the best in years. It seems customers increased during your time there. They just wanted to come back and see your pretty face.”
“Oh, Ethan, stop it!” I said, covering my face with my hands as his compliments made me blush.
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I tried to hide my smile. His words made me feel special in a way I wasn’t used to.
It was hard to believe that my presence could have that kind of impact, but the way he said it made me almost believe it.
As I peeked through my fingers, I saw Ethan watching me with a smile. It wasn’t just the compliments, it was the way he looked at me like I was someone worth cherishing. It made my heart swell.
“I’m serious,” he said with a toothy grin.
“Thank you. I hope my position is still available,” I said, trying to sound casual.
“Of course, Nadine. I made sure you had options. I’ve been filling in for you. And you know what? They seem to like me,” he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes playfully. “They’re coming back because they’re getting lost in your dreamy blue eyes,” I blurted out, then immediately covered my mouth with my hand. What is wrong with me? That’s the same thing I said yesterday to Syd.
I couldn’t believe how easily the words slipped out, but somehow, with Ethan, it felt natural.
“Oh my goodness, Nadine, say that again,” Ethan said, a teasing smile spreading across his face.
“No, no way I’m saying that again,” I replied, shaking my head.
His laughter filled the car, warm and contagious. “Oh, please, Nadine, say it again!”
“No, Ethan,” I said, trying to keep a straight face, but his laughter made it impossible.
“Okay, wait a minute. So, you think my eyes are dreamy? Don’t tell me you’re getting lost in my dreamy blue eyes,” he said, glancing at me with that playful grin.
“Oh, Ethan, can you please stop it?” I said, laughing despite myself. “Okay, fine-dreamy blue eyes, dreamy blue eyes, dreamy blue eyes!” I repeated, laughing even harder.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re impossible, Nadine.”
For the first time in a long while, I felt light, like I could enjoy the moment without everything else pressing down on me.
“Thank you, Nadine. I don’t think I’ve laughed like this in a while,” still holding my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m glad I could make you laugh,” I replied sincerely. As we pulled up to the hospital, he carefully parked the car and quickly got out to open the door for me.
“Thank you,” I muttered as I stepped out of the car. He stretched out his hand, and I took it without hesitation as we walked into the hospital together.
When we reached the front desk, I noticed the receptionist trying to get Ethan’s attention with fluttering eyelashes. But his focus stayed on me the whole time. My heart did a flip at the thought that I was his main interest. I almost stuck out my tongue at the receptionist but reminded myself to stay composed.
We were then directed to the doctor’s office. Ethan took my hand as we walked there.
The doctor greeted us warmly. “Oh, Ethan, you’re here!”
She turned to me. “Hello, you must be Nadine. I’m Dr. Lisa.”
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Lisa,” I said.
“This is your first time?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied, nodding my head.
“Okay, let’s get started,” she said with a reassuring smile, which eased my nerves a bit. This was my first visit to a gynecologist’s office, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Dr. Lisa led us into the examination room, and I could feel my anxiety building up. The room was bright and calming, which helped ease my nerves a bit.
Ethan gently squeezed my hand, and I took a deep breath to steady myself.
“Lie down here,” Dr. Lisa said, pointing to a small bed. I looked at Ethan, and he gave me a reassuring nod and a smile.
“You’ll need to raise your blouse,” she instructed.
“Okay,” I said, lifting my blouse as she applied gel to my stomach. She then brought out a device I wasn’t familiar with and started moving it over my belly. “See that?” she said, pointing to the screen.
I looked at the screen, I tried to focus on what Dr. Lisa was showing me. The gel was cold against my skin, but I barely noticed. My eyes were glued to the fuzzy images, trying to see if I could make out anything that looked like my baby.
Dr. Lisa pointed out different parts of the baby’s body, and I was in awe of how a tiny life was growing inside me. Ethan’s eyes were also fixed on the screen.
When I looked at him, I could see he was trying to hold back tears, his gaze shifting between my face and the screen.
Dr. Lisa asked, “Can you see the genital organ? Would you like to know the gender?” I nodded, and Ethan looked at me with emotions I couldn’t quite describe.
“Yes, we’d love to know,” Ethan said.
Dr. Lisa moved the probe again and said, “It’s a boy.”
“Oh my goodness, a boy!” I said, feeling amazed. I had always wanted a boy, and now it seemed like luck was on my side. Logan would finally have the heir he needed.
I wondered how Logan would react when he found out. My thoughts were interrupted by Ethan’s gentle squeeze of my hand. He looked at me and smiled.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“You’re welcome,” he said, leaning in to place a kiss on my forehead.
Dr. Lisa handed me a tissue to wipe off the gel. I took it from her and cleaned my stomach. She also prescribed some vitamins for a healthy pregnancy.
I appreciated all the love from Dr. Lisa, Ethan, and especially Sydney. Without her help, I don’t know what I would have done.
My stomach growled as we walked out of the hospital hand in hand. Ethan looked at me, shaking his head with a smile.
“There’s a restaurant just down the street. Let’s go grab a bite,” he said, tugging me along.
“Okay,” I agreed. I was hungry since I’d only had a toast this morning before Ethan barged into my room.
“Okay, we’re here,” Ethan said, holding the door open for me. “Thank you,” I muttered as we walked inside.
We found an empty table and sat down. A waiter approached us to take our order.
But when Ethan looked up to see who it was, his eyes widened in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.