Sophia’s POV
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Three weeks later!!
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“I will go on shopping tomorrow after knowing the baby’s gender.”, Dad chirped, playing cards with me.
“I wish baby to be a girl so that the number of females in this small family will be equal to males.”, Martha said, showing her cards. And there she won the game again.
“I wish baby to be a boy because the girl is mostly daddy’s princess.”, I said, grinning like an idiot.
“All I want him or her to be healthy and strong. Nothing more than that. I couldn’t wait to hear grandpa from her or his broken voice.”, Dad said.
“I don’t understand why it is this important to know the gender of the baby.”, Our heads turned in the direction of that voice and saw Brandon returning from the office. “Baby is a gift of God; nothing will get wrong if we will wait patiently and cherish the surprise of gender revelation at the time of delivery.” he kept his opinion. “There are six countries in which this is banned, you guys know!”
“That’s because they abort baby girl in mother’s womb.”, Dad reasoned out. “And in this case, whether it will be a boy or girl, we will be keeping it.”, he added.
“I just share my point of view.”, Brandon said, shrugging his shoulder and walking toward our room.
*
At the time of dinner!!
“Brandon, tomorrow you are going to complete one month of your marriage. And tomorrow is also your leave; how about you plan something, Sophia?” Dad suggested.
‘No again, dad.
He should stop playing games bringing us close.’, I thought.
“I will celebrate one year anniversary, not this one-month, two-month thing. We are not a teenager.”, Brandon replied and left the table after finishing his dinner.
Dad got upset hearing him and then looked at me, “It’s fine, dad. It’s not that I was expecting any one-month celebration. Just let us be the way we are.”, I said with a smile.
After finishing dinner, I entered our room. I found him working on his laptop. I didn’t say anything at that time and waited for him to finish his work.
“Don’t keep things to yourself OR you will have acidity because of that.”, He said while working on the laptop.
“Huh?”
“Tell me, what did you do throughout the day?”, He asked, looking at me.
“You want to know?” I asked, feeling excited.
“Even if I didn’t want to, you would speak, so go ahead, tell me. I know, there are so many things in your stomach.”
I smiled at his irritating facial expression, but I knew he had gotten habitual to my non-stop nonsense at night and then started telling me how my day was today!! He kept using a laptop and listening to me at the same time. I didn’t mind him ignoring me, but at least I was happy that today he asked me to speak on his own, unlike the first day when he rudely asked that I was irritating him by speaking so much.
****
Next day!!
A doctor’s clinic!!
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I laid down on the stretcher where Doctor Gray asked me for an ultrasound. Both dad and Brandon stood beside me, and dad had held my hand.
“Okay, let’s see.”, She said as her right hand was on my belly, controlling the wand while her focus was on the Monitor.
“Your baby is completely fine, Sophia.”, She said. “Here, see your little miracle.”, She pointed toward the Monitor, and I smiled widely, and I looked at both Brandon and dad, dad was glowing out of happiness, and Brandon was standing emotionlessly. “Now I want all three of you to listen to this.”, She added, which was followed by the baby’s heartbeat.
“So, would you like to know the Gender?” Doctor Grey asked Brandon.
“The first right of a baby always belongs to his or her mother. So, whatever will be the decision of Sophia. We will go ahead with that.”, Brandon said, looking at me. I knew what he wanted, and he had already told everyone about it yesterday, but I also knew that he wanted me to take the final decision, and he would respect it.
“Yes, please.”, I responded.
Doctor Grey studied the Monitor for a while, and then she turned toward us to reveal the baby’s gender.
“You’re going to have a baby girl.”
“Damn, this is the best news I have heard after so many years.”, Dad said, looking at the doctor and caressing my face and hair and kissing my forehead. “Thank you so much, sweetheart. Thank you for making me, grandpa. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I looked at Brandon and saw tears brimming in his eyes, and a lone tear rolled out of his eyes. He quickly wiped it and looked around. That was when his eyes landed on me and went back to emotionless expression.
But I had already caught you red-handed, Mr. Haysbert.
You could fake your smile but not tears.
By that time, Doctor Grey had left there to get print copies of the ultrasound.
“Now, I’m going to buy all pink for my granddaughter and ….”
“At first, I think you should visit the church and thank god.”, Brandon said, cutting him in between. “And about this shopping thing, I can do that on your behalf. I mean, things will be tiring for you if you will go to the church first and then go on shopping. That’s why to save you from exhausting totally; I can do that shopping while you can offer prayer.”
“Instead of saying all these things, you could have simply told me that you want to shop for your daughter first.”, Dad said and chuckled.
“It’s nothing like that.”, he mumbled and narrowed his eyes.
“Here are a few copies for you all three.”, Doctor Gray said, handing over a big brown envelope.
“Thank you.”, Dad said, smiling at her as he collected that envelope.
“Also, please make sure to be extra careful, eat more and avoid taking stress because that wouldn’t be good news for your baby. Sophia’s next check-up will be in three weeks. By the way, congratulation to all of you.”
“Thank you.”, I replied with a big smile and hugged her happily.
****
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#TBC