She turns the ultrasound screen slightly, not toward Diego at first, but toward you. Her face is serious, careful, the face of a doctor who knows that the truth is about to change more than one life in the room.
Your baby’s heartbeat fills the room again.
Fast.
Strong.
Alive.
For one second, that sound is enough.
Then Diego scoffs. “Yes, I see it. A baby. Congratulations to whoever the father is.”
Paola touches his arm, playing sweet. “Diego, let the doctor explain.”
But you notice something.
Paola is not looking at the screen.
She is looking at the doctor’s face.
Dr. Salinas takes a breath. “Laura, based on the measurements, this pregnancy is not as recent as you thought.”
Your fingers tighten around the sheet.
“What does that mean?”
The doctor points gently at the screen. “You are approximately ten weeks pregnant.”
Diego laughs immediately.
“That’s impossible. I had the vasectomy eight weeks ago.”
Dr. Salinas turns to him. “Exactly.”
The word lands like a match in gasoline.
Diego stops smiling.
Paola goes very still.
