“Congrats, man.” He lets my hand go and focuses on Franny. “Harlow told me that you’ve been having headaches.” He walks toward her.

“Yeah, pretty much every day.”

“Every day? Is that even normal?” I ask.

Dr. Bride looks over at me. “It can be.” He focuses on Franny, then. “Have you been drinking enough water?”

“Probably not.” She rubs her lips together. “I’ve been really nauseous most days, so I hate eating or drinking anything because I don’t want to get sick.”

“But you are eating, right?”

“I try,” she tells him, and he gives her a look filled with concern.

“You need to be eating small meals more often and drinking lots of water. I know it’s not easy, but that should help with the headaches. I’ll also write you a prescription for something that will help with the nausea if it’s that bad.”

“Thank you.”

“We want you and the baby to both be healthy and happy.” He looks between the two of us. “Now, are you ready to see your baby?”

Her eyes come to me quickly before going back to him.

“Yeah,” she whispers. I hate the fear I hear in her voice, but knowing that she is just as scared as I am makes me feel a little less alone.

After instructing her on what he’s going to do, she lies back on the table, and Harlow covers her with a blanket and helps adjust her pants before she walks over to turn out the light.

“Come on over, Dad,” Dr. Bride says, so I walk around the table to stand next to Franny’s head as he squirts some clear liquid on her stomach. With my eyes on the screen of the ultrasound machine, I try to figure out what I’m looking at as he moves the wand around on Franny’s still-flat belly.

After a moment, he turns a nob on the machine, and a soft swishing noise fills the room.

“Is that the heartbeat?” Franny asks softly.

“It is.” He smiles at her.

“Wow.” She whispers reaching for my hand.

“And there’s your baby,” he says, clicking away and drawing lines on the screen. I must be blind. I don’t see anything but gray and black. But then a white blur moves, and it’s like the image finally comes into focus, and I can make out a head, what looks like a round stomach, and even a leg. My heart picks up speed while Franny’s hold on my hand tightens.

I tip my chin down to look at her and she turns her head to look at me with tears filling her eyes.