If He Had Been with Me, #2
If Only I Had Told Her
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Autumn — Fourteen
Overview
Autumn attends her anatomy scan with Mom and Aunt Angelina, balancing grief and hope. The technician reveals the baby is a girl and suggests the due date is a few days later than expected. Conception likely occurred after Finny’s death, reframing the pregnancy as a continuation of their story. Extra heart images raise a probable but minor concern, with reassurance.
Summary
Autumn arrives for the anatomy scan with Mom (Claire) and Aunt Angelina, finishing a blue candy packet Finny once bought her. The technician, Jackie, begins the scan, capturing keepsake images as Autumn feels and recognizes fetal movement, grounding her connection to the baby while missing Finny’s presence.
Unsure whether to learn the sex, Autumn asks Jackie to write it down, but Jackie accidentally reveals they are expecting a girl. Jackie also notes measurements may shift the due date a few days later, explaining conception can occur days after intercourse.
This timing reframes Autumn’s understanding: the baby was conceived after Finny’s death, which she interprets as their story continuing rather than ending. As Jackie examines organs, a focused frown appears when imaging the heart.
Jackie takes extra heart images, saying details must come from the doctor but offering reassurance that the baby will probably be fine. Mom and Angelina comfort Autumn as they process the mixed emotions of learning they are having a daughter and facing a likely minor heart concern.
Who Appears
- Autumn DavisExpectant mother; undergoes anatomy scan, learns it’s a girl, faces a probable minor fetal heart issue, reframes conception timing.
- JackieUltrasound technician; conducts scan, reveals sex by mistake, notes later due date, flags extra heart images with reassurance.
- Claire (Mom)Autumn’s mother; anxiously supportive, present at scan, reacts emotionally to news about the baby.
- Aunt AngelinaSupportive aunt; attends scan, mediates humor with Claire, comforts Autumn through revelations.
- FinnyAutumn’s deceased partner; present in Autumn’s thoughts, shaping her interpretation of conception and the baby.
- Autumn and Finny’s babyFetus; revealed as a girl, likely healthy with a possible minor heart concern, due date adjusted later.