The First Heartbeat on the Screen

In the dim room of a prenatal clinic, a technician presses the ultrasound wand against a young mother's abdomen. The screen shows grey static, formless shapes — and then, there it is. A tiny flicker. A rhythmic pulse no bigger than a lentil. The technician turns up the audio, and the room fills with a rapid, watery whooshing. The mother gasps.…