Digging a tissue out of her purse to dab her moist eyes, she glanced up at the commotion coming in the doctor’s office door. “At least let me go in first and see if it’s okay,” a familiar voice said.

A man snorted in response. “Screw that! Big Papa can just kiss my ass if he doesn’t want me here!”

Emma’s heart surged at the sound of Casey and Connor bickering. At the sight of her, they shut up. “Hey, what are you two doing here?”

Connor gazed around the practically empty waiting room. “I think the better question is where’s Big Papa?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Would you stop calling him that? And he got stuck in a meeting.”

“Oh,” Casey murmured.

They were interrupted by a nurse poking her head into the waiting room. “Ms. Harrison? We’re ready for you now.”

“Oh, okay, thanks,” Emma replied, popping out of her seat. She had hoped for a longer delay to give Aidan more time, but it didn’t look like she was in luck.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Casey throw a hesitant glance at Connor before she stepped forward. “Want us to come back with you?”

Emma nodded. “I’d love that.”

Casey beamed while Connor cleared his throat. “We’ll just stay until Big Papa, erm, I mean, Aidan gets here. Then we’ll let you guys have your moment.”

His sincerity and thoughtfulness touched Emma, and she reached out and ruffled his hair—a sign of her affection since their teenage days. She smiled. “Thanks.”

The nurse held the door open for them. When they stopped in front of a set of scales, Emma groaned. “Do we really have to do this part?”

The nurse laughed. “Sorry honey. We need to know how much weight you’re gaining and how you’re measuring.”

“Fabulous,” Emma replied, stepping on the scales.

Casey and Connor peered over her shoulder to see the number. “Do you guys mind!” Emma exclaimed.

“You’ve only gained fifteen pounds. That’s very good,” the nurse said, marking it in Emma’s chart.

“Guess you and Big Papa have really been burning the calories when he’s in town, huh?” Connor joked. While he and Casey dissolved in giggles, Emma shot them a murderous glance.

They followed the nurse into the ultrasound room, which was muted with light. Emma recognized the technician, Janine, from her previous ultrasounds.

“Big day, huh?” Janine asked.

“Yes, a really big one.”

Janine’s gaze honed in on Connor. “This must be the proud father, huh?”

Connor widened his eyes, and he held up his hands. “No, no, just a friend.”

“The father is caught in a business meeting. I hope he can make it before we’re done,” Emma explained.

“No problem. I’ll be sure to make you photocopies and a DVD of the ultrasound just in case he doesn’t.”

“Thanks, Janine.”

She patted the examining table. “You know the drill by now.”

Emma nodded. After climbing up, she laid back and got comfortable. When she started to unbutton her pants, a strangled cry came from Connor’s throat. “Wait, you’re not going to be na**d are you?”

At his apprehension, both Emma and Casey snickered. “No, silly. You’re just lucky this is an abdominal one and not a transvaginal,” Emma replied.

Connor’s brow creased. “What’s the difference?”

Janine swiveled in her chair and picked up the transvaginal wand. She waved it at Connor, and he paled when he realized what all it entailed. “Oh shit.”

Casey thumped him on the back. “See, nothing to worry about. You’re not going to be scarred by having to see Em’s vagina.”

“Ha, f**king ha,” he grumbled. But when he eased down into his chair, he pushed it as far against the wall as possible, so there wouldn’t even be the possibility of seeing anything.

Janine squirted the jelly-like substance onto Emma’s belly. The coolness caused her to shiver. “Sorry about that. I would have had it warmed for you, but I didn’t have time,” Janine apologized.

Emma smiled. “It’s okay.”

Janine then began running the wand over Emma’s abdomen. Craning her neck, Emma stared at the grainy image forming on the screen. She sucked in an apprehensive breath until the sound of her baby’s heartbeat filled the room.

“For you first timers, there’s the heartbeat,” Janine said to Connor and Casey before pointing on the screen at the tiny billowing in and out of the heart.

“Oh wow,” Casey said.

Janine smiled down at Emma. “It looks and sounds very strong, too.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Pressing the wand harder on Emma’s stomach, Janine peered at the screen. “Well, you’re in luck. Your baby is giving us a pretty good shot between the legs.”

“Really?”

Janine nodded. “Sometimes they’re lying at angles which block the gender, or they’ll just be stubborn and turn where we can’t see. But yours must want us to know without a shadow of a doubt.”

Emma’s chest tightened. Her mouth ran dry, and she licked her lips. Glancing over her shoulder, she eyed Casey and Connor. They both leaned forward so far in their chairs that Emma feared they would fall in the floor.

“So what it is?” Emma croaked.

Janine smiled. “It’s a strong, healthy….boy.”

A sob erupted from Emma’s throat as happy tears stung her eyes. Patrick and Grammy had been right. It was a boy. She was going to give Aidan a son to carry on his family name. She closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer of thanks to God that her son was strong and healthy.

When she opened her eyes, Connor and Casey were at her side. Both leaned over to hug her. “Congratulations, Mama!” Casey said, kissing Em’s cheek.

“A boy, huh? Hope he’s as handsome and smart as his Gunkle Connor.”

“Gunkle?” Emma questioned.

“You know, ‘gay uncle’.”

Casey snickered. “I’m not sure how Big Papa Fitzgerald is going to feel about that one.”

Emma laughed. “I think he’ll be okay with it. I mean, who doesn’t appreciate people to love their child?”

“Hell yeah, I’m going to love him! He’s part of you, so that makes him all the more loveable,” Conner said, with a wink.

Janine handed Emma a DVD along with several print-outs of the ultrasound. “Congratulations again.”