The Ties That Bind

chapter fifteen

p a r k e r

"There's our little bean," I say with a relieved sigh. I stare in awe at the black and white image of our child on the monitor. Our baby is okay.

Last night, Olivia experienced intermittent abdominal pain. Of course, I freaked out and told her that we should go to the ER. She reassured me that the pain was subsiding, but we could go to the clinic first thing the following morning to be sure everything was alright.

"Actually, at sixteen weeks, the fetus is the size of an avocado," Dr. O'hara corrects.

"I still like little bean better," I tease.

Olivia's baby bump has grown more prominent, but she's still able to conceal it during her modeling gigs. We tend to avoid discussing how or when we'll reveal the news, but it's a conversation that we need to have soon.

"Okay, Olivia. Baby is looking really good. Remember not to overexert yourself, eat nutritious foods, drink lots of water, and rest your body," Dr. O'Hara instructs.

When she walks out of the room, Olivia turns to me with a guilty smile. "Looks like we have to cut our late night activities short," she jokes, but I can tell she's serious about the matter. Olivia needs to get more rest, and it's no help that we both have busy schedules along with a constant sexual appetite.

"We should enforce a routine like going to bed at nine," I suggest. "We need to enjoy our peaceful sleep before the baby comes."

Olivia nods. "Can you believe in a few months we'll be changing dirty diapers and running on three hours of sleep?"

I inhale a deep breath at the thought. I am so unprepared for fatherhood, yet I'm doing nothing to rectify that issue. Especially since I've been traveling so often for away games and leading my team to the playoffs, I haven't made time to get ready for this baby. I've pushed it aside and neglected the matter, but I really need to start prioritizing Olivia and this baby.

Olivia is already in her second trimester, and I haven't even told my parents. Right now, stressful would be the only way to define my life. The only thing keeping me sane at the moment is Olivia. Just her presence itself brings me immense comfort and solace. She doesn't deserve to have a shitty baby daddy. This checkup is as definitely a wake up call.

Dr. O'hara prints out pictures of our little "avocado" while Olivia removes the gel from her belly. As she zips back up her jeans, I stare at the three images. Baby, please don't mistake my fear and distress for resentment. I want you and I love you so much.

"You okay?" Olivia places her palm on my cheek.

I blink my eyes a couple of times to stop my eyes from watering. "I'm good," I tell her.

"I still can't believe I'm growing a little human inside of me," she says.

"I can't believe we made that little human," I respond.

She smiles and then scrunches her nose when her stomach rumbles. "I must be hungry," she says.

I chuckle and nod my head to the door. "Let's go back to my place. I'll make you something to eat."

"First off, don't you have practice?" She eyes me.

I shake my head. "Nope, we have an off-day."

"Second, you cook?" Olivia's face skeptical.

"Indeed, I do," I tell her.

"And why am I only finding out about this now?" She feigns anger, but I see a smile forming on her lips.