You've Made Me Stronger

I fiidgeted with the hem of my wife beater as Nick drove us to the doctor's for an ultra-sound. It was the ultra-sound that could finally tell us our baby's sex, something we never got to do with the first pregnancy. Everything about this pregnancy reminded me of the baby we never knew.
Nick reached over and placed his hand over mine, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"What's wrong, Ava?" He whispered, his voice laced with concern. I shook my head and gave him a small smile.
"Nothing," I lied. He gave me a soft glare.
"Baby, don't do that. You should know by now that you can tell me anything," he stated firmly. Nick disliked that I still bottled things up and away from him, but it wasn't personal. It was from a time not so long ago when I had no one to confide in and therefor had no other choice but to bottle my feelings. Old habits die hard.
I sighed.

"I just think about them a lot is all," I whispered. He squeezed my hand and nodded.
"That's alright, baby. I do, too. Everyday," he stated, glancing over to me and giving me a small, reassuring smile. I took in another breath.

"I'm also scared, Nick. Every day... I'm just so scared it won't last, and it will be my fault," I confessed, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Nick squeezed my hand again in comfort as he pulled into the parking lot at the Doctor's office and parked the car. Once the engine was off, he turned to me and grasped both of my hands in his.

"I know you're scared. I can see it in your eyes everyday. I'm scared, too. I don't want to see you go through that pain again. Not ever. And I don't either," he whispered before bringing my hands up to his lips and kissing each in turn before continuing. "But I also believe this baby is strong. I think she's just like her mother," he stated through a smile, causing me to smile as well.
A girl, aye? I'm not too sure about that.

"Yes, I think it's a girl," he whispered teasingly, answering my silent question. I giggled at this before dashing away a stray tear that had fallen during our conversation.
"Well then, let's go in and find out, shall we?" I asked him as I ran my fingers down his cheek. He nodded before getting out of the car and helping me out behind him.

Nick held my hand as we waited for the doctor in the exam room, my nerves getting the better of me. I just had to know the baby was alright. Still healthy and kicking... Literally would be nice. It was something I looked forward to feeling; life inside of me. Nick stroked the skin of my hand with his thumb, effectively calming a good portion of my nerves.

He's right here with me I thought. He'll always be right here with me.
Just then, the doctor walked in, a folder open in his hand. He smiled at Nick and I.

"Ah, Miss. Alina and Mr. Jonas," he greeted us, offering us each a nod of his head.
"Dr. Lucas," Nick replied. Dr. Lucas was a young man, probably about 35, with short, messy brown hair, attractive features and kind eyes. And, honestly, I know Nick didn't like him being my OB-GYN. He was a sort of jealous, I believe. But, would you blame him? Another young man poking around his girlfriend's private parts...

"So, Miss. Alina," Dr. Lucas started, "you're in for an ultra-sound check up, correct?" He asked, glancing up from his chart. I smiled nervously and nodded my head. He flashed me a smile before looking back to the chart.
"Okay, let's see here," he mumbled. I shifted uncomfortably as we waited for him to speak. "It says here you're a little over four months pregnant, which means if you wish, you can know the sex of the baby. Would you like to know today?" He asked. I glanced over to Nick, who seemed to be waiting for me to answer.

"It's up to you, baby. I don't mind either way," he whispered before giving me a reassuring smile. I sighed before looking back to Dr. Lucas who was waiting patiently for my reply with a toothy smile on his face.
He seemed to smile a lot.

"I think I'd like to know, please," I informed him before glancing at Nick. Nick smiled a brilliant smile before bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it.
Dr. Lucas slapped his folder shut and placed it on the counter behind him.

"Alright, how exciting!" He exclaimed. "I love watching a young couple learn the sex of the baby," he stated. I giggled at his enthusiasm.
Dr. Lucas wheeled over the ultra-sound machine before putting on a pair of gloves.
"I saw you opted for the 3D ultra-sound. Is that still correct?" He asked as he set up the fancy machine. I looked over at Nick, my eyebrows shooting up in surprise and confusion.

"That's correct," he replied, the whole time looking over at me.
"Nick?" I whispered, not understanding this. It was so much money to get a 3D ultra-sound. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"Surprise," he whispered. I smiled a large smile before excitedly pulling his head down to me and placing a kiss on his lips.
"Thank you, Nick. You didn't have to do it, but I'm so happy you did," I stated before placing another kiss on his lips and settling back into the exam table. Dr. Lucas smiled at us.

"That's sweet," he stated. "You've got a keeper," he whispered to me before giving me a wink. I giggled and nodded my head in agreement.
"You don't have to tell me," I agreed as I looked over to Nick, who was smiling back at me.

"Okay," Dr. Lucas started, "3-D means vaginal ultra-sound, so butt to the end of the bed and feet in the stir ups, young lady," he stated before helping my feet into the stir ups and allowing me to slide down to the end of the exam table so I was now lying flat on my back. Nick grabbed the pillow from above me and directed me to lift my head before placing the pillow underneath. I thanked him with a smile before watching in horror as Dr. Lucas placed a condom on a very long, plastic wand and spread lubrication all over it. Once he was done, he looked up at us before bursting out into laughter at Nick and I's horrified facial expressions.

"I'm sorry," he spoke through his laughter as he tried to reign it in. "You just should see your faces is all. Don't worry, you'll barely feel a thing, dear," he finally managed as he took in a deep breath and quieted his out burst of amusement. Nick and I looked at each other, both of us still looking horrified, before I, too, has to succumb to some giggles. He was right to laugh. Nick looked like that wand was going up his vagina. Nick finally gave me an amused smile, probably more at my giggles than the horror, before returning his attention back to the doctor about to insert the condom covered wand into his girlfriend.

"Okay, hon, just try to relax. There will be a little pressure, and it will be a little uncomfortable, but I promise, it's worth it," he assured me as he patted my knee. Then, his hand disappeared under the blanket that was preserving my decency.
With the monitor currently turned away from us and towards him so he could see what he was doing, he inserted the wand into my opening, causing me to gasp. It was cold due to the lubrication, and as it went further up into my canal, it became very uncomfortable as the pressure of it pushing it's way through me made me want to squeeze my legs shut and reject the object, but I tried to relax as he said as Nick grasped my hand in both of his and gave it a kiss every now and then.
I took deep breaths and focused on trying to relax myself as much as I could as the doctor navigated my canals. Once he was into my womb, he ever so slightly turned the wand this way and that as he looked at Nick and I's baby.

I watched his facial features as closely as I could, trying to look for any slightest bad reaction at what he saw as I nervously waited for him to say all was well and give us our chance to see. Hearing the sex was the last thing on my mind. As long as they were a healthy, happy little four month old fetus, I didn't care.

"Here we are," he mumbled as he concentrated on the screen. "Just give me a moment to find the right angle and I can tell you what sex they are," he stated before moving the wand a little bit inside of me. "Here we are!" He finally stated before turning to us to announce the sex, but he quickly did a double take at the screen.

"Wait a min- what the heck is?.." He whispered to himself as he moved the wand a bit once again. He continued to move it back and forth and up and down before finally seemingly finding what he was looking for.
"Oh my," he whispered as he stared at the screen. "This is odd."
I immediately tensed up and I sat up as far as I could, even more discomfort taking up residence in my abdomen.

"What is it?" Nick demanded. Dr. Lucas shook his head.
"Dr. Lucas, what's wrong with our baby?" I almost hollered at him, finally snapping him out of his trance on the screen.

"Oh, I apologize. Nothing is wrong with your baby, I assure you. It's just... Well, let me call in a nurse," he told as before pressing the call button that was located on the machine.
"Just tell us," Nick demanded as the nurse walked in.

"Nurse," he called her over to the screen, "please look here and confirm what I see." He pointed to the screen and the nurse studied it from beside him. She gasped at the sight before smiling and nodding her head.

"Yes, doctor, I see it," she told him before confirming what he had been so surprised to be looking at, and what I had been more than surprised to hear. "Congratulations, you two," she paused before happily exclaiming, "you're having twins!"