Free Nameless by Claire Kent

breathing quickly, and there
was a sheen of perspiration on his skin. “Sorry,” he told Erin in a rough
murmur, “I was...detained and could only now get here. Am I too late?”
    Erin found
herself smiling stupidly, rather than being annoyed by his tardiness. “No.
We’re just beginning now. We got a late start too.”
    He came over to
stand beside her, and she saw his gaze immediately fall to the gentle swell of
her bare belly.
    “I thought
you’d forgotten or something,” she added.
    He shifted his
eyes back up to her face, narrowing as he gave her a cool glare—making it clear
what he’d thought of her assumption.
    “I’m glad you
could make it,” she added. “Even forty-five minutes late.”
    Seth nodded and
they both looked at the doctor—who seemed to be hiding a smile, for some
reason.
    “Shall we
begin?”
    They both
listened politely as the doctor explained the process, and they both watched as
she brought the transducer against Erin’s belly.
    The doctor
pressed down slightly and slowly moved the transducer, and Erin winced as the
pressure affected her already full bladder.
    But she kept
staring at the ambiguous images on the monitor, feeling her heart speed up as
she waited to see a glimpse of her baby. Soon she was almost holding her
breath, couldn’t look away. The doctor was still talking, but Erin couldn't
focus on the words.
    She could feel Seth
standing beside her, and she could sense that he was tense as well. Which kind
of surprised her. She wondered what he was thinking. What he was feeling. Why
he even wanted to be a part of this.
    “And there we
have it.” The doctor gestured toward the monitor, indicating the little form
that was barely recognizable. “There's the head, and the little body. Do you
see?”
    Erin just
stared. Forgot about the doctor. Forgot about Seth. Forgot how much she needed
to pee. Forgot about everything except that little image on the screen.
    That tiny
form—which she was starting to recognize now—was actually existing inside of
her.
    Overwhelmed all
of a sudden, Erin fell into a blank daze. Just stared. Tried to come to terms
with it. Didn’t move and didn’t speak at all.
    After several
minutes, the doctor had finished up what she’d needed to do and told them
everything was looking normal and healthy.
    Vaguely, Erin
heard Seth ask, “I’ve read that the gender can often be determined even as
early as this.”
    The doctor
smiled as she answered. “It’s true that the sex can sometimes be determined
this early, but the accuracy isn’t high at this point, so we won’t provide that
information until the next scan at around twenty weeks.”
    Erin had never
really thought about her baby as a boy or a girl. Hadn’t really thought of it
as distinct in any way. She’d only really thought of it in theory.
    She was staring
so hard and so intently that it took her a minute to realize people were
talking to her.
    “Are you okay?
Erin?” It was Seth, and he was for some reason right in her face.
    “Yeah.” She
sounded strange. Winded.
    He narrowed his
eyes like he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t pursue the conversation until
they were on their way out of the doctor’s office.
    He stopped her
on the sidewalk outside. “Erin?” he prompted, taking her by the shoulders and
peering down at her face.
    “What?”
    “Do you want to
burst into tears or something?”
    For some
reason, his slightly suspicious tone struck her as funny. She started to laugh,
and then she couldn’t stop.
    After a minute,
she was clinging to Seth’s jacket lapels and wheezing hysterically.
    And really
wishing she’d gone to the bathroom in the doctor’s office.
    Seth looked
half-amused and half-wary when she got herself under control. “I’m okay,” she
told him. “Just the hormones, I’m sure.”
    “They make a
very convenient excuse for all kinds of strange behavior.”
    She chuckled
and patted him on the chest. “I’m glad you were able to make it.”
    “Me