"B-thump. B-thump. B-thump."
The sound of a beating heart echoes inside the quiet room. From a small monitor, the image of black and while form like the galaxy with a pea size white dot in the center.
"Are you alright, miss?"
From the side comes a female doctor's voice. In her hand was a transducer for transabdominal ultrasound and a fetal Doppler phoebe in her other hand. She looks at Yue Ling and a confused expression was written on her face.
Wouldn't a woman be jumping in joy at this moment?
Thinking of it, she looks at the handsome father. Even more surprisingly, the man looked like he was lost in space. Looking back at Yue Ling, she was a little worried.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Laying on the exam table in a daze. Yue Ling's bluish green eyes stare at the monitor and everything around her seemed to have fade out, except for the thumping sound. The little white pea on the monitor thump in a rhythm correspondently her heart beat. At first, she thought she was hearing her own heart beat, but that wasn't the case....
A smile curl on her lip and her eyes turned moist. She comes out of her daze and smiles to the doctor, "I'm alright."
Turning her head to the other side, she looks at the devilishly handsome man. Seeing his stuck expression, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Reaching a hand out, she place it above Lu Tian's hand.
"Tian..."
For the first time since they've been together, Lu Tian did not answer her. His eyes stare unblinking at the monitor in front him. If one was to say Yue Ling was in daze, then his daze was beyond out of this world.
After Yue Ling adjust her clothes, the female doctor had come in. She asked Yue Ling to lay on the exam table, then slightly shifting Yue Ling's sweater up, she applied a thin layer of gel on her stomach. Before he knew it, the doctor moved the transducer across Yue Ling's stomach and a black and white image appeared on the monitor screen.
He stare at it and tried to make out what it was, but all he could see was some swirls here and there. Just as he thought so, the doctor used another equipment and gently place it on Yue Ling's stomach. Before he could ask questions, the thumping sound echoed in the room. Everything the doctor seemed to be saying was cut out and only the thumping sound was all her could hear.
However, at this moment, his eyes are locked into the tiny white dot in the center.
"Tian..."
Yue Ling called out to him again. She chuckles at how much the man is in daze.
"Say hi to our baby."
Like before, he did not answer, but continue to stare at the monitor. After a long while, his lips parted and a faint whisper escapes.
"Our baby...."
The straight line of his lip curl upwards into a faint smile. He stares at the screen, then coming out of his daze, he looks at his wife.
This time, the faint smile curl upwards more until it reach his eyes. It was a smile that he never knew he could make until he met her. He move his hand and held her hand tightly.
"This is our baby. Our little baby. Yue Ling, I can see our little baby."
Bursting into pure joy, Lu Tain could only chant the words repeatedly. He plant kisses on the back of Yue Ling's hand and continues to look at the screen.
He is really a father!!!
Watching the man she loves in joy, Yue Ling could not help but smile with him. Even she didn't think she'd have this chance to be a mother.
Being forgotten, the nurse watch the lovely couple and she smiles with them. At first, she thought they weren't happy, but man did she thought wrong. She should of expected this from the beginning, especially when it comes to seeing the reaction of first time parents.
"Both mother and baby are healthy."
——-
After a while, Yue Ling's check up came to an end. She finished fixing her clothes back to how it was. Looking at the man still sitting down, Yue Ling walks over to him.
"Are you alright?"
Lu Tian nod his head, but he did not look up. His head lower and he stare at the ultrasound picture in his hand. Ever since he saw the monitor screen to the moment the doctor gave him the picture, he never looked away from it. Just looking at it, he felt it in him that he will protect their baby. Never will he let anything dangerous happen to his wife and child.
Standing in front of him, Yue Ling lift her hand and she gently flicks him on the forehead.
Lu Tian: "....."
She lets out a soft chuckle and snatch the ultrasound picture away from him. Looking at it, she could feel the same feelings Lu Tian is feeling. A child born into the world wants nothing more than the love and protection of his or her parents.
Just like her parents, she will give her child everything they gave her.
———
The couple soon left the hospital. Inside the car, Lu Tian did not drive in the direction of Jade Condos. Instead, he took another route towards another part of the city.
In the passenger seat, Yue Ling scoff a sigh. She cross her arms over her chest and tilt her head at the man driving.
"Now where are we going?"
Lu Tian glance at her from the corner of his eyes. Steering the wheel with one hand, his free hand reach over and held her hand. Leaning to the side, he place a kiss on the back of her hand.
"The baby store."
"....."
————
Arriving at the baby store, Yue Ling and Lu Tian picked out all the necessary and unnecessary things needed. However, because they don't know the gender of their baby, they chose everything in neutral colors. No pinks or blues. Just simple neutral.
Looking around, on a glass shelf, Yue Ling sees a pair white baby shoes. She walks over to it and held it up. It was so small and tiny, just like her baby on the monitor screen.
The doctor had told her that she six and a half weeks pregnant. Her and baby's health are normal, but for her to not over stress herself.
She stare at the white shoes in her hand and a image came to her head. Little chubby feet wearing the shoes in her hand.
"Do you like it?"
Lu Tian's voice trail into her ear. She smiles at him, then back to the shoes in her hand. Just from that one smile, Lu Tian already knew her answer. He turns his head and gesture to a worker.
"Wrap this up too."
Hearing this, Yue Ling tilt her head and pout. Aren't they buying a little too much? What if she sees something else at another store? Well, either way, she'll still purchase it, but still.... Lu Tian's been doing the paying only? Is she really that cheap?
She stretch an arm out and stops Lu Tian, "Wait!"
Lu Tian arch a brow at the sudden request, yet he does not say anything. His expression was enough to tell her to explain her 'wait.'
"A-hem!"
Yue Ling clears her throat and raise her chin, to make herself looks taller, even though Lu Tian is still taller than her.
"Tian, I think it's only fair if I pay for half of these items. After all, how can I let you pay for everything?"
"...."
He stare at her with a dumbfounded expression. He ponder in thoughts about her words, then in a quick second, he turns to the worker.
"Why are you still standing there? Wrap everything up."
The worker nods her head and quickly leaves to wrap all the items they had picked out. She could not mess this up at all.
Totally ignored, Yue Ling's eyes turned lazy and her posture turned hunch. Did this man did not hear her the words coming out of her mouth?
Looking down at the baby shoes still in her hand, she suddenly sees Lu Tian reach for it. With a quick reaction, she moves her hand and hide the shoes behind her back.
"Tian, let me buy these. I don't want you to pay everything with your money."
"....."
Lu Tian's body froze and his hand reach for the baby shoes also froze when he heard her words. If he was not a cold and aloof person, he was sure he would of fell head first to the floor.
Sighing, he straightens his posture. He takes a step closer to her until there was only a few inches separating them. He lift a hand and pinch her nose.
"Silly woman, my money is your money."
Yue Ling's body slightly jumped at his words. Not because she was scared, but because of Lu Tian's unexpectedness. She stare unblinkingly at the man and couldn't find any word in her head.
Seeing her stuck in a daze, Lu Tian was beaming with satisfaction inside. His other hand reaches around her and takes the baby shoes from her hand.
As he did so, he didn't forget to steal a quick kiss on her alluring plump lips. Even more satisfied, he turns around and walks away to have the baby shoes wrapped too.
He thought about what he said to her and he liked the feeling of always spoiling her. He finally understood why his father worked so hard in life for his family.
——