Damn, she was going to cry. She was going to be one of those blubbery mothers who sniffled every time their child filled its nappy.

“There’s definitely only one.” Cheryl whipped the wand around.

Mandy ignored the discomfort she felt from the pressure and stared in amazement as various parts came into view. The spine, a perfect little hand, a foot.

“Everything looks great at first glance.”

Cheryl was clicking and freezing and measuring things on the screen while Mandy stared and Damien gave a running commentary.

“Look at that, he’s waving at us. Oh, he’s flipping around a little, trying to get comfortable, I guess. Whoa, check out the big toe.”

“What makes you think it’s a he?” Mandy thought they were looking at the bum, but she wasn’t entirely sure. “Do you see something I don’t?”

Cheryl laughed. “Do you want to know the sex? I can see if I can get a good shot for you.”

“Well, I want to know,” Damien said before she could even get her mouth open.

She stared at him. Up to this point, she hadn’t been concerned with whether it was a boy or a girl, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It seemed like a special surprise at the end. “I don’t think I want to know.”

“She can just tell me and I’ll keep it a secret.”

Damien seemed to have forgotten one minor little detail. This wasn’t his baby. But he looked so enchanted, so excited for her, that she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Maybe it was the emotion of the moment. Maybe it was her appreciation for all he had done for her. But it seemed to her that maybe, just a little bit, she had fallen in love with Damien Sharpton.

“I’m not going to have you know when I don’t know.” She laughed, picturing Damien trying to keep that a secret. One glance at his desk would unearth a copy of Raising Girls or something similar, and she would have the answer whether she wanted it or not.

“So is that a yes or a no?” Cheryl asked.

He looked at her in agony, leg vibrating as he jiggled his foot. “It’s up to you.”

Oh, yes. She was in love with him. Heart swelling, fingers clutching his, tears stinging her eyes, she nodded. “Tell us.”

“It’s a girl.” Cheryl pointed to the screen. “You can see right here there are definitely no baby boy parts.”

A girl. A little girl. Pink blankets and bonnets and lacy dresses.

“A girl,” Damien breathed, staring at the screen. “She’s perfect. Like her mother.”

Maybe that was pushing things a bit, but Mandy wasn’t going to protest. She felt a single tear roll out of each eye, and she blinked hard to fight more.

“But what’s wrong with the name Rebecca?”