Chapter twenty-nine: She kicked my ear, Mommy!

~~~I can't hold out, I can't hold back now like I've done before. Darling look at me I've fallen like a fool for you. Darling can't you see I'd do anything you want me to. I tell myself I'm in too deep, then I fall a little farther every time you look at me...~~~

-Carrie Underwood-

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I felt so exhausted that night that I didn't notice I had dozed off sitting on a couch in my baby's room. I was waiting for Luke to show him the ultrasound result I had this morning, but because of tiredness, I decided to take a seat on the single accent chair and put the papers on the small table in front of me.

I don't know how long I slept, but I was awakened by the slight movement in the room and I was surprised to see Luke standing in front of me, holding the ultrasound results. His lips were curled into a smile and his eyes showed admiration while looking at the papers in his hands. It was the first time I had seen that kind of emotion in his eyes and I couldn't help my heart to wish that someday, he would also look at me wearing the same expression.

I held my breath when he suddenly turned to me.

"H-Hi." I smiled at him but he immediately masked his face again with a serious expression.

'Goodness! How can he easily do that? Is he bipolar?'

"Why are you sleeping here? Your muscles will cramp again with that position."

"Uhm... actually, I was waiting for you to show the results, but since I felt exhausted arranging the stuff our moms bought earlier, I didn't notice that I had already fallen asleep."

"They did buy baby stuff again?" He asked, surprise also laced in his voice.

"Yeah, I already told them that baby Cali has all the stuff she needed but they kept buying them."

"It's okay, we can donate them to the orphanage or the charities when baby Cali doesn't need them anymore."

"That's also what your mom told me." I smiled, I couldn't help it when I heard him say 'baby Cali'. "Anyway, have you eaten dinner? I'll ask Rory to prepare food---"

"No, I've already eaten at the restaurant."

"Ahh... that means your meeting lasted until this evening." It wasn't a question but a confirmation and maybe he noticed the sudden change in my voice because the next thing he said shocked me.

"Yeah, it lasted until 6:30 this evening and I'm sorry if I hadn't come with you earlier. I was about to call you but Dad started the meeting immediately, so I didn't---"

"It's okay."

I said, interrupting his sentence. Because hearing the word 'sorry' from him for the very first time made my heart flutter and the sadness and disappointments I felt earlier seemed to vanish with that simple word.

"Jack was with me this morning and even accompanied me to the ultrasound room." I still had a smile between my lips.

"Really?"

I nodded and I don't know but suddenly I have the confidence to share with him what happened.

"Yeah, and you know what, baby Cali was so beautiful and I think she will be a very good dancer someday because she kept dancing inside my belly while Doctor Mary was performing the test." I was still feeling the excitement I felt earlier and maybe it ts is shown in me, in my voice as I saw it reflect in his eyes.

And for the first time of being his wife and living with him for almost 8 months, this is the first time we have had a conversation like this, I was talking while he was listening to me with a smile spread between his lips.

"I wish I was also there."

I heard him whisper and I felt how sorry he was not to be able to come with me earlier. And since I can feel my baby's movement in my belly again, an idea came to me.

"It's okay, I still have the copy of her picture and I can still show you how active she is right now." I flashed him an excited smile before lifting my blouse.

"Wait--- what are you doing?"

And I couldn't help laughing at his shocked reaction. If we had been so close, maybe I would have told him 'don't worry, I'm pregnant and I couldn't be able to do what's in your mind'.

"I just want to show you how your daughter kicks and pokes my tummy," I said still laughing at him.

"Ohh..." He nodded.

"Come here, look. Look how she kicks me inside--- aww!" I flinched and automatically touched the part that Cali kicked.

"Hey..." He seemed to be in a panic and didn't know what to do. "Does it hurt?"

I gulped at the concern that tied in his voice. How I wish I could be pregnant forever.

"No, I was kinda shocked and a bit tickled." I shook my head. "Come here, you can touch it."

"Can I?"

It took me a few seconds to find the answer to his question... which was a simple 'Yes' and 'of course'.

"Yes, of course. You can also hear her heartbeat."

"Really? But how could I do it? Is it even possible?"

I don't know how to answer his question without showing him the widest smile and the excitement that filled me and seemed to be twisting my bones at the moment--- so I just took his hand and made him kneel in front of me.

I didn't hear any complaints from him as he followed my silent instruction. He knelt right in front of me and put his hand--- no, I mean his two hands over my belly and that was when I saw the love he had for my baby.

"Aww!"

"Whoa! Did she just kick my hand?" He asked, looking at me with his eyes wide open.

"Yes, she did." I nodded, smiling.

I really wanted to pinch my face as I already felt numb due to over-smiling, if he wasn't just in front of me.

"Wow! You're now a little dancer, huh?"

And I hitched my breath when he put his ear close to my belly.

'thug--thug... thug--thug...' My heart screamed inside.

"Oh, my God! She kicked me again." this time, he just didn't smile at me--- he laughed.

I felt my world stop for a few seconds.

"Did you feel it, Sam?"

"Huh?" I seemed to be lost in my thoughts.

"Did you feel her? She kicked me again, mommy, she kicked my ear!"

He was so excited that he didn't notice he wasn't calling me by name but by the word 'mommy'. See? I told you, I wish I could be pregnant forever.

"Y-Yeah... I felt her! She's really behaving right now and I think she's more playful now than this morning in the clinic."

"Really?"

"Uhuh, maybe because she knows her daddy is playing with her. Do you know what I read from one of the pregnancy books that Doctor Mary gave me? The babies inside the mother's womb could recognize the voice of their father first then the voice of their mother."

"I will remember that." His short response before bringing his ear back close to my belly. "Hi, baby, your mommy told me that you would recognize my voice before her."

The second time he mentioned the word 'mommy' and I don't know if he noticed it or maybe he's doing it on purpose.

"I don't know if it's true, but I'm sure you know my voice now and I promise you'll hear it every day and until you were born."

As long as I wanted to ask him if he was thinking of reading different stories to his daughter every night, but I kept my mouth shut. I don't want to ruin this memorable moment of my life.

But then fate or whatever you may call it seemed to be on my side from that night he heard his daughter's heartbeat and felt how strong her kick was. He always comes home at the time I was about to sleep. And every morning before he would go to work, he always made sure to see me eat the food he personally cooked and prepared.

I just wished I was living in a fantasy, so our story would have had a happy ending or will never have an ending. I wish it wasn't just a dream that when I wake up tomorrow or after my short nap, everything will fade and will turn to normal again.