“You excited?” He smiled.

She nodded.

Her heart raced.

Thump-thump.

The doctor squeezed out the cold, clear goo.

She felt the wand wiggle around.

His smile hollowed.

She waited for the sound.

Another doctor came.

Thump-thump.

Minutes ticked by.

And by.

And by.

But the second heartbeat couldn’t be found.

Juliann Morris is an avid reader, writer, and tiny house dweller graduating from the University of Hawaii at Hilo this semester with a double Bachelor’s degree in English and Communication and a Creative Writing Certificate. She writes both fiction and nonfiction and bases most of her stories on her life experiences.