Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 57: The Sound of Reality

Chapter 57: The Sound of Reality

Arec’s POV:

The sound of my car engine hummed in the background as I drove down the city streets, headed to Ella’s apartment. My hands tightened around the steering wheel, trying to focus on the road, but my mind was miles away, lost in the swirl of emotions that had been haunting me since last night.

Ella and I were about to see our baby for the first time today.

I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. There was a child, our child, growing inside her, and today I would hear its heartbeat.

I had never felt more grounded, more... real. In a relationship that was built on contracts and practicality, the baby was the one undeniable truth. It was the only thing tying Ella and me together in a way that neither of us could ignore or pretend wasn’t there.

As I pulled up to her apartment building, I saw her waiting by the door, her hand resting lightly on her stomach, even if the bumps is not showing yet.

She had that calm, collected look that she always carried, but there was something else too, something softer, more vulnerable. I wondered if she was as nervous as I was.

I parked the car and got out, giving her a small smile as I approached. "Ready?"

She nodded, though her eyes flickered with uncertainty. "Yeah, I think so."

The drive to the hospital was mostly quiet, filled with an odd mix of tension and excitement.

Neither of us knew quite what to say.

I wanted to ask her how she was feeling, but I didn’t know how to phrase it without sounding awkward.

We hadn’t exactly figured out how to talk about the baby, our baby, without feeling like we were crossing some invisible lline

The contract had been clear, the marriage was supposed to be just that, a contract. But this baby was anything but contractual.

I stole a glance at her as I turned the corner towards the hospital. She looked out the window, lost in thought, one hand still resting on her belly. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. Was she scared? Excited? Did she feel the same surrealness that I did?

When we pulled up to the hospital, I parked and took a deep breath before getting out of the car. As I opened her door, she smiled briefly, a nervous flicker in her eyes. We were both trying to act like this wasn’t a big deal, like it was just another appointment. But we both knew better.

Inside the hospital, the air smelled of disinfectant and that strange sterile coldness you always find in places like this. The waiting room was filled with other expectant mothers and their partners. I couldn’t help but notice how different they all seemed. They looked happy, excited, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

And yet, here we were, standing on the edge of something neither of us had fully prepared for.

A nurse called Ella’s name, and we followed her into the examination room. The doctor greeted us with a warm smile, introducing herself as Dr. Lawson. She had that calm, reassuring demeanor that doctors always seem to have, like nothing in the world could go wrong when they’re around.

"First ultrasound?" she asked, looking between Ella and me.

I nodded, feeling my throat tighten. "Yeah."

"Great," she said, pulling out some equipment and gesturing for Ella to lie down. "We’re just going to take a look at how your baby is doing. It’s pretty early, but you’ll be able to see the heartbeat and a picture of the fetus."

Ella lay back on the table, lifting her shirt slightly as Dr. Lawson prepared the ultrasound machine. My eyes flicked between Ella and the monitor, nerves gnawing at me. This was it. We were about to see the baby for the first time. The reality of it hit me harder than I expected. This wasn’t just some abstract idea anymore. This was happening.

Dr. Lawson applied some gel to Ella’s stomach, then began moving the ultrasound wand over her belly. The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the machine. And then, suddenly, the sound hit me.

The heartbeat.

It was fast, rhythmic, and steady. It filled the room, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe.

"That’s your baby’s heartbeat," Dr. Lawson said with a smile, glancing at the screen as the image of the tiny shadowy thingy appeared. "Everything looks great. Strong heartbeat, measuring just right for this stage of pregnancy."

I stared at the monitor, completely overwhelmed. There it was, a tiny, flickering heartbeat, a small shape on the screen that I could barely comprehend.

That was our baby. I felt a lump form in my throat, a surge of emotions that I hadn’t anticipated. It wasn’t just some theoretical concept anymore. This was real. That heartbeat belonged to the child we had created together.

Ella turned her head towards me, her eyes wide with something that mirrored my own shock and awe. We didn’t speak, but in that moment, I knew she was feeling the same thing. The reality of the situation was sinking in for both of us.

"Wow," I whispered, my voice barely audible. It was all I could manage.

Dr. Lawson continued to take measurements, pointing things out on the screen that I barely registered. I couldn’t take my eyes off the image of the baby, the tiny, delicate life growing inside of Ella.

When the ultrasound was over, Dr. Lawson wiped the gel off Ella’s stomach and handed us a printout of the ultrasound image. Ella held it for a moment, looking down at the picture in silence before she turned to me.

"Do you... do you want a copy?" she asked, her voice soft.

I blinked, still trying to process everything, and nodded quickly. "Yeah. I do."

She handed me the printout, and I stared at it, feeling an overwhelming sense of responsibility wash over me. This baby wasn’t part of the plan. It wasn’t something we had intended or even expected.

But it was here, and it was the only real thing between us. In a relationship built on convenience, this baby was the one thing that couldn’t be negotiated or ignored.

Dr. Lawson gave us some instructions before we left, reminding Ella to take her prenatal vitamins and schedule her next appointment.

She talked about what to expect in the coming months, how the baby would grow, and what signs to look out for. But honestly, most of it went over my head. I was too busy staring at the ultrasound picture, trying to come to terms with the fact that this tiny life was mine, ours.

As we left the hospital, the weight of it all settled on my shoulders. I had agreed to this contract marriage with Ella, thinking it would be simple, easy. But nothing about this was simple anymore.

The baby changed everything.