The cold gel hit Lyra's stomach and she flinched slightly, her fingers clenching the edge of the hospital bed.
"Sorry," the ultrasound technician said with a soft smile. "It's a bit chilly, but you'll be fine. First baby?"
Lyra nodded wordlessly.
Zane sat beside her, his knee bouncing nervously as he gripped her free hand. He'd been quiet since they arrived, too busy trying to act calm to realize how pale he looked.
This wasn't just a checkup.
This was the moment.
The moment they'd see the baby.
The moment everything became real.
Lyra wasn't sure who was more anxious — her, lying on the table with her belly exposed and her heart pounding, or Zane, who looked like he was either going to faint or break into a full-on sprint down the hallway.
She turned to him, trying to lighten the mood. "You okay there? You're gripping my hand like you're the one about to give birth."
Zane exhaled and gave a weak laugh. "I'm great. Totally fine. Super chill. Just casually watching a human being I helped create appear on a screen like it's nothing."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, not chill. Not at all."
The technician chuckled. "Alright, let's take a look."
The room fell into a hush as the screen flickered to life. Black and white shapes began to form — abstract at first, until the probe shifted and focused.
And then there it was.
A tiny figure, curved like a comma, with a strong, fluttering heartbeat echoing through the monitor speakers
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Zane's breath caught. He leaned forward instinctively, eyes wide, jaw slack. "Is that…?"
"That's your baby," the technician confirmed, adjusting the image slightly to sharpen the outline.
Lyra felt her throat tighten.
It was real.
All the uncertainty, all the fear — the questions that had kept her up at night — none of them mattered now. That tiny heartbeat drowned out every doubt.
Her eyes stung, and she blinked hard, trying to keep the tears from spilling.
Zane wasn't so lucky.
One tear slipped down his cheek, unnoticed by him, but not by Lyra.
"I can't believe that's ours," he whispered.
"Looks like a strong little one," the technician added with a warm smile. "Do you want to know the gender?"
Lyra glanced at Zane. They hadn't even talked about that yet. Everything had moved so fast.
She shrugged. "I don't know…"
Zane's hand squeezed hers. "Let's wait. I want to be surprised."
Her lips curved into a smile. "Me too."
The technician printed out a few photos and handed them to Lyra. She stared down at the blurry image of her baby — their baby — and felt something shift inside her.
For so long, she had resisted connection. With anyone. With anything. But this child… this tiny life growing inside her… had already managed to break through all of her defenses.
As they walked back to the car, Zane held her hand in silence. Not because there was nothing to say — but because the moment had said everything for them.
Halfway through the drive, he glanced at her, voice soft. "Can I say something without freaking you out?"
"Go ahead."
"I'm scared," he admitted. "But I want this. I want you. And the baby. I'm in, Lyra. For the whole ride."
Lyra swallowed hard. His words hit something tender in her. He wasn't perfect. Neither was she. But maybe that's what made it real.
She looked at him. "Me too. I want this too."
Zane smiled, and for once, the fear in her chest didn't roar. It settled. Just a little.
As they pulled up outside Lyra's apartment building, Zane cut the engine but made no move to get out. He sat there for a moment, holding the steering wheel, lips pressed into a thin line like he was chewing on something he hadn't said yet.
Lyra watched him carefully. "What is it?"
He exhaled. "I just… never imagined I'd feel this way. Like, we're about to become parents. Real ones. Diapers, midnight crying, tiny socks all over the house. And instead of panicking, I just… want it. All of it."
Lyra smiled softly. "I thought you were going to pass out in that hospital room."
"I almost did," he admitted with a laugh. "When the heartbeat started, my brain just shut down. It was like, 'Yep, that's my child. Guess I'm never sleeping again.'"
She chuckled, but her eyes shimmered. "I felt the same. Except… it was more than fear. It was peace. Like for the first time, something made sense."
Zane turned toward her, his face serious again. "Can I come up?"
The question was simple, but the weight behind it wasn't.
Lyra hesitated. She'd always drawn clear lines — emotional and physical. But something about today made her want to blur them.
She nodded. "Yeah. Come up."
Inside her apartment, things were still a mess — half-folded baby clothes on the couch, unopened packages, pregnancy books scattered across the table.
Zane picked up one of the books and grinned. "Surviving the First Six Weeks." He raised an eyebrow. "We're in trouble, huh?"
"We'll figure it out," Lyra said, plopping down on the couch. "I've already accepted we're going to mess up, like, constantly."
Zane sat beside her, close enough for their knees to touch. He looked down at the ultrasound photo in his hands. "I keep staring at this like it's going to start talking to me or something."
Lyra tilted her head. "What do you think they'll be like?"
"Our baby?" He smiled. "Loud, dramatic, stubborn. Just like their mom."
She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Please. That kid's going to inherit your attitude and befriend every stranger we meet."
"Fair. But if they get your heart?" He paused. "They'll be unstoppable."
Lyra's smile faded into something softer — more vulnerable.
Zane leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "I meant what I said earlier. I'm in this. I'm not walking away."
She searched his face for any sign of hesitation.
There was none.
And for once, she believed it.