3D

Noah had watched the video that Laila had brought home from the doctor's office and he had loved every second of it. During the entire thing, one arm was wrapped around Laila. Using his hand to pull her as close as he could, while his other hand had been glued onto Laila's belly. Rubbing it gently as if trying to convey the love he felt for her and their unborn son, to the both of them through that gesture. The video seemed so lifelike, that he felt like he could almost touch Nick. That he could hold his tiny hand if he reached out towards the screen.

Noah felt so grateful towards Laila. For being able to experience this type of joy. He stared at her as she talked, while placing an occasional kiss on the side of her head as he contemplated how lucky he was. He had always been so set on her, that he couldn't imagine getting married and becoming a father if it weren't with her. So, if she hadn't accepted him and had picked Jake instead, like she had told him she had done in her previous life, he might have stayed single all his life. From the hurt as well as the lack of interest in anyone else, for who can compare to a woman like Laila? She would have become a shadow no one could chase. Shoes that no one could fill.

After the recording was over, Laila showed him the pictures she brought along and told him that she had even asked for a 3D printed figurine to be made out of the 3D sonogram images. Noah was a bit surprised. "They do that nowadays? I knew that 3D printing had become more affordable and more widely used over the years, but to think that something like this has become on of the uses of that technology. I really hadn't expected that. Much less for a hospital to be offering a service like that for their patients."

Laila began explaining. "Well. It started as a form of grieve counselling for people who had lost their baby or would lose them. Stillborn babies, babies with birth defects or genetic defects that would most likely make them die in the hospital. For them a figurine would be made to keep in their home. Offering them a way to take their baby home, even if it wasn't the real thing. Giving them time for closure. A thing to remember their child by." As she uncomfortably looked away, Laila added, "Although I can tell you from experience that a lost child is never really forgotten by the parents in the first place. With or without a figurine in their memory."

This was the moment where Noah pulled her even closer, using both arms this time, and placed two firm kisses on the crown of her head before feeling a pat on his arm from Laila who said, "It's okay. I'm okay." She then wiped the barely formed tears away from her eyes before smiling again as she looked up at Noah and continued her explanation. "Well anyway, as I was saying, that is how it started and nowadays you can submit a copy of your 3D ultrasound and have them make you one of those figurines as well. I figured I would buy one of those to keep on display for now for you and me, and after Nick gets here, I plan on having it encased into his baby album. A little plastic bobble cover over it and it should be safe and give the album a special touch.' With a chuckle Laila then added, "Once he is old enough himself, he can see how he looked while in the womb and outside of it."

Noah shook his head as a muffled chuckled escaped from his mouth as he tried to envision this and from seeing the smirk that was on Laila's face.

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Once the video was seen and dinner was eaten. Noah went into his home office to get some work done for tomorrow in order to free up some time for the things he skipped out on today by leaving early. If he knew Max, which he did, he would have tried to reschedule most meetings to take place tomorrow morning. And since Max knew him, he knew that Noah would be expecting just this. When it came to work matters, they were very much in sync, which is what made their partnership work so well. That was why Noah was so reluctant to do what he knew he had to do. But one of his appointments for tomorrow, was with Max himself. To give him an opportunity which was long overdue. An opportunity that freed up because of the stupidity of his nephew and Andrew, one of his directors who betrayed him alongside James.