Chapter 25

25

Rhett

I pace anxiously in the waiting room of the doctor's office, checking my watch every few seconds. Sofia's ultrasound appointment was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. I hate that I'm running late because of work.

The receptionist went to check in the back if they'd started yet, but when she comes out Sofia emerges from the back with her. Her face lights up when she sees me. Not even caring that we have an audience, she rushes toward me.

"Rhett! You made it." She pulls me into a hug.

I kiss the top of her head. "I'm so sorry I'm late, baby. Did I miss anything?"

She shakes her head. "No, they were running behind, so we just got started. The doctor said you can come back with me now."

Relief washes over me as I follow Sofia to the exam room. I was terrified I'd missed seeing our baby.

The ultrasound technician greets us warmly as we enter. "All right, let's take a look at this little one."

Sofia lies back on the table and lifts her shirt, exposing her small but noticeable baby bump. I take her hand as the tech spreads the gel on her stomach.

The tech moves the wand around on her stomach, typing information into the little computer. She then turns the little monitor toward us, the grainy image appears on the screen, and my breath catches. There is our baby, so much bigger than the last time we saw them.

"There's your baby," the tech says with a smile. "Everything is looking great. Would you like to know the gender?"

Sofia and I exchange a look. We had discussed finding out ahead of time but hadn't made a final decision.

"What do you think?" I ask her softly.

Sofia bites her lip, then nods. "Yes, I think I'd like to know."

The tech moves the wand, getting a better angle. "All right, let's see what we've got here... Congratulations, it looks like you're having a little girl!"

I feel tears spring to my eyes as I look at Sofia. "A daughter," I whisper in awe.

She squeezes my hand, her own eyes shining. "Our little girl."

As we leave the appointment, walking hand in hand to the Jeep, I'm overwhelmed with emotion. We're having a daughter. I already love her so much.

"I can't believe we're having a girl," Sofia says softly as we drive home. "It makes it feel so much more real somehow."

I reach over to take her hand. "I know what you mean. I keep picturing a little girl with your beautiful blue eyes."

Sofia laughs. "As long as she has your dimples."

We fall into a comfortable silence, both lost in thoughts of our future daughter. I can't wait to meet her and watch her grow. To teach her and protect her. To love her unconditionally.

As we pull up to Sofia's apartment, I turn to her. "Marry me?" she freezes.

She looks at me in surprise. "What?"

"Marry me," I repeat. "I want you and our daughter to have my last name. We could fly to Vegas, take a long weekend."

Sofia looks at me closely. "You're serious?"

"Of course, I wouldn't make light of something like this. I want you to be my wife," I tell her with conviction in my voice. Yes, at one point in my life I swore I was never going to commit to someone, but now I want it all, but only if it's with her.

"Yes, let's get married," she agrees. Her face wearing the biggest grin.

"Whoop!" I shout before pulling her across the console to kiss her. "You just made my day, baby."

We've decided not to tell anyone but her brother, Kirk, and his girl, Yasmine, about our nuptials, well, we did tell my captain. That's because I needed an extra day off. I didn't want to keep it from Marchy, but I knew it would be hard for them to come because of Roman.

Sofia's mom's still not totally on board with the baby, and she's afraid knowing we were getting married would push her mom over the edge. I hate that for my girl. She's pregnant and doesn't need that stress.

We haven't told anyone we're having a girl yet. The name discussion has also started. Where I want something classic, she wants something unique, but honestly, I don't care what we call her. I just can't wait to meet her, and want her here happy.

Her 3-D ultrasound picture hangs in my locker at the station. It's right next to the one of her beautiful momma and me. It was a selfie she took while we were sitting on a park bench, during "the golden hour," right before sunset where the light hit us just right.

Sofia had immediately ordered a print copy of it for both of us. Hers is larger and hangs on my wall in a frame.

We step off the plane in Las Vegas, both of us buzzing with excitement and nerves. We're really doing this—getting married after only a few months together. But when you know, you know. And I've never been more certain of anything in my life.

"Are you sure about this?" Sofia asks as we collect our luggage. "We can still change our minds if you're having second thoughts. You don't have to marry me because of the baby."

I pull her close and kiss her softly. "No second thoughts here, baby. I want you to be my wife more than anything."

She beams up at me. "Okay, good, and I want you to be my husband."

We check into our hotel and change quickly. Sofia looks radiant in a simple white sundress that shows off her small baby bump. I can't stop staring at her as we head to the chapel.

"You're so beautiful," I murmur, squeezing her hand.

Sofia blushes. "You clean up pretty nicely yourself, handsome." I'm wearing a white button up shirt, khaki pants, and brown slip-ons.

We meet Kirk and Yasmine in front of the chapel and her brother looks like he's up to something. He hugs his sister, and we shake hands. "You guys look great. Are you guys ready to get married?"

He leads us into the chapel when we're hit with a chorus of "Surprise." The inside of the chapel is filled with my parents, her mom, her other brother, and Marchy and Haley.

Sofia begins to cry as both of our moms embrace her in a hug. Haley and Yasmine join them, and I smile seeing my girl and her mom embrace each other. "I hope you're not mad I did this. You guys should be surrounded by everyone who loves you both."

I grab him by his shoulder. "Thank you, man. I mean it, thank you." With my head I signal to Sofia and her mom embracing tightly.

"Our dad is a prick when it comes to Sof, she needed at least one parent here. Honestly, it wasn't hard to convince her." He walks to their brother.

Dad comes toward me and he and I share a hug. He pounds my back and hugs me tight. "My boy is about to become a husband. You were just five. Ahem…" he pulls back and I don't miss his shiny eyes.

"I love you, Dad," I say as I grab his shoulder, giving him a shake.

He frowns. "Annie wanted to come but she couldn't get the time off. She promises to come when the baby comes."

Marchy comes over to me, and grabs me, pulling me into a bear hug.

"I thought it might be hard for you to come and didn't want you guys to feel bad if you couldn't," I tell him.

"Brother, you owe me no explanation. I'm just glad we could work out Beth, Haley's cousin, to stay with Roman." He looks to where Haley is touching Sofia's belly. "Congratulations, brother, she's perfect for you."

We all head into the little room where the ceremony is. The ceremony itself is quick but sweet. We exchange simple vows and rings, promising to love and cherish each other always. When the officiant pronounces us husband and wife, I pull Sofia into a deep kiss, overwhelmed with love and joy.

"I love you, Mrs. Ferguson," I whisper as we break apart.

Sofia's eyes shine with happy tears. "I love you too, Mr. Ferguson."

We celebrate with everyone until I'm ready to get my wife to myself. Then we head back to our hotel and the suite my parents upgraded us to.