Literature
The Proposal
“Cause everytime the time was right, all the words just came out wrong, so I’ll have to say ‘I love you’ in a song,” -Jim Croce (“I’ll Have to Say ‘I Love You’ in a Song”) The ultrasound wand swerved across the top of Dan’s stomach. He watched the screen as one of the babies shifted, sticking a hand in her mouth. He was surprised by how much detail could be seen at this point. First just little blobs, then tiny embryos that were basically heads on tails, now fully-formed fry with distinct bodies and arms. The seahorse smiled faintly, listening to the whooshing sound of the babies’ combined heartbeats. What used to be his least favorite part of his visits had slowly but surely become what he most looked forward to. “Well, everything looks good. They’re healthy, good positioning,” Dr. Herrington commented. “Print-out?” “Yeah,” Dan nodded, beaming. The doctor pressed a few buttons, and the machine spit out a small picture, which he gave to the patient. He then turned it off and handed