ASTHERIEN'S POV :-
Third month now.
I still can't believe it's already the third month of this little life growing inside me.
There was still nothing on my stomach. It only looked slightly bloated, almost as if nothing had changed.
But something had.
Something was growing inside me.
And today was the day.
We were going for an ultrasound.
I felt so excited.
Would the baby be visible? Could I actually see it?
Was it moving inside me right now?
It must be so small.
I couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Are you ready, darling?" he called from outside the room.
I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time before picking up my things.
I wore a soft cotton top with loose trousers, something comfortable enough for the hospital.
I took a small breath and walked out.
He was waiting for me outside.
The moment he saw me, his face softened into a smile and he pulled me into a warm hug. His hand gently patted my back.
"Let's go," he said, slowly pulling away.
I gave him a reassuring smile and reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers.
"Let's go."
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At the hospital, the room was quiet except for the soft hum of the machine.
I lay back on the examination bed as the sonographer spread cool gel across my abdomen.
A shiver ran through me.
"That's cold," I muttered.
He laughed softly beside me.
I smiled, but my heart was still pounding faster than usual.
The transducer moved gently across my stomach.
I stared at the monitor as the screen flickered through shades of black and grey. The sonographer adjusted the angle, moving the transducer slightly.
"There we are."
I immediately turned my head toward the monitor.
I gulped.
For a second, I couldn't make sense of what I was looking at.
Then I saw it.
A tiny curled body appeared on the screen, its little head noticeably larger than its body. Tiny arms and legs could be made out as the image shifted.
Then the little body moved.
My eyes widened.
Was that… our baby?
"Is that…?" I whispered, looking at him.
The sonographer smiled.
"That's your baby."
He went completely silent.
Slowly, his hand reached for mine, and I held it tightly.
His eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Another tiny movement.
A tear slipped down his cheek before he could even realize it.
"Our baby," I whispered.
He squeezed my hand, smiling through his tears.
"Our baby."
My chest tightened with emotion.
This felt unreal.
I was actually watching a little life move inside me.
I couldn't hold it in anymore. I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around his arm, tears slipping down my cheeks as I smiled.
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After the ultrasound, we sat on a bench outside the examination room.
I still couldn't get over that feeling.
I gently placed my hand over my stomach.
I couldn't feel anything moving.
There wasn't even a bump yet.
And yet, there was something.
Someone.
I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl.
We could've found out eventually, but we didn't want to.
It didn't matter.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, it was still ours.
"See?" he said, glancing at me with a smile. "That was our baby."
I nodded, unable to stop smiling.
"Let's go," I said, reaching for his hand.
He intertwined our fingers again.
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Throughout the whole car ride, I held his hand tightly.
His presence always made me feel safe.
On the hardest days.
On the happiest ones.
Always.
I looked out of the window, my thumb gently brushing over the back of his hand.
I wondered what he would look like holding our baby in his arms.
Calling himself Dad.
The thought made me smile.
We'd be a happy family.
Him.
Me.
And our little child.
I could picture it so clearly.
And then-
A sudden pain ran through my head.
I winced and instinctively brought my hand to my temple.
It was the same pain I'd felt last time, when I remembered something from the past.
But this time…
Nothing came back.
The pain lingered for a moment before slowly fading away.
I lowered my hand.
Why was it returning?
Should I tell him about it?
Or maybe…
No.
"What happened?" he asked immediately, his voice filled with concern. "Should we go back to the doctor?"
I gently rubbed my temple.
"Nothing. Just the same headache. No worries," I said, giving him a small smile.
He glanced at me, clearly unconvinced.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am." I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "And obviously, I'd tell you first if anything happened."
"You better do that."
I smiled.
"Okay, okay."
Then, before he could ask anything else, I changed the subject.
"Now I'm hungry! Get us back home!"
He let out a small laugh and shook his head.
But the question remained.
If I knew everything about my past now…
Why did those memories keep coming back?
Why did they have to return now?
Even in a moment like this?
I looked down at our intertwined hands.
A faint uneasiness settled inside me.
Something about it didn't feel right.