PART 5

At 11:02 a.m., we walked toward our departure gate. At almost that exact moment, Victor entered the private ultrasound room at Kingsley Maternal Center. I know what happened there because Samantha eventually told me everything. Miriam and Walter were already seated near the wall. Miriam held a pale blue gift bag containing a silver baby rattle engraved with the initials V.R. Walter had brought a leather folder filled with documents for the investment account he intended to open for his grandson.

Naomi reclined on the examination table wearing a soft blue dress. She smiled when Victor entered. “You made it.” “Of course I did.” He kissed her forehead in front of his parents. Samantha closed the door behind them and announced, “The divorce is officially finished.” Miriam exhaled with relief. “Then we can finally move forward without all that unpleasantness.” Naomi rested one hand over her stomach. “Our little boy won’t have to arrive in the middle of a scandal.” According to Samantha, that was the last peaceful sentence anyone spoke in the room. Dr. Leila Shah entered carrying Naomi’s medical file. She greeted everyone, dimmed the lights, and began the examination. The screen flickered. A gray image appeared, followed by the rapid sound of a heartbeat. Miriam covered her mouth. Walter smiled proudly. Victor reached for Naomi’s hand. “There he is,” Naomi whispered. Dr. Shah did not respond.

She moved the probe, studied the screen, and took several measurements.

Then she measured them again. Her expression changed. It was subtle, but Samantha noticed. The doctor looked at the ultrasound screen, then at the file beside her. “Ms. Prescott, you told the nurse you were twenty-one weeks pregnant. Is that correct?” “Yes,” Naomi replied. “My due date is December eighteenth.” Dr. Shah studied another measurement. “Do you have a copy of your first-trimester ultrasound?” Naomi’s fingers tightened around Victor’s hand. “I don’t think so.” “We received one electronically from Westbrook Women’s Clinic this morning.” Naomi went completely still. Victor glanced at her. “You went to another clinic?” “Only once. Before I chose this one.” “You never told me that.” “It wasn’t important.” Dr. Shah turned the monitor slightly away and looked at Naomi with professional calm. “The earlier ultrasound was performed when the pregnancy measured eleven weeks and two days.

Early scans are generally the most accurate for establishing gestational age.” Walter leaned forward. “What does that mean?” “It means the December due date is incorrect.” The doctor checked the information for a second time. “This baby is measuring twenty-nine weeks and one day. That matches the earlier scan.” No one spoke. Victor stared at the screen as though the numbers might rearrange themselves if he waited long enough. “Twenty-nine weeks?” he repeated. “Yes.” “That can’t be right.” “The measurements are consistent,” Dr. Shah said. “The baby’s development also supports that gestational age.” Miriam slowly lowered the blue gift bag to the floor. Naomi forced a laugh. “Babies measure large sometimes.” “Not eight weeks larger,” the doctor replied. Victor released Naomi’s hand. Samantha told me she watched him count backward silently.

CONTINUE FOR NEXT PART….