“Yes.” Beau laughed. “You haven’t convinced me in the last eight months, and you’re not about to convince me when I’m only a few weeks away.”
“Fine, fine.” Flora dropped her voice. “How about you, Loriun? I won’t tell if you don’t.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I’m no fool, Flora. I obey my mate, especially when he’s carrying my child.”
She sighed. “I don’t like being the only one who knows.”
“Dr. Enas knows,” Beau pointed out.
“It’s not the same,” Flor complained. “He’s soMerabout it.”
“About what?”
Flora jumped at the sound of the doctor’s voice.
“Nothing! Nothing at all. I was just finishing up here,” she said with a winning smile.
“Really?” Dr. Enas raised a brow. “Because it sounded as though you were trying to convince our patients to learn the sex and gender of their child.”
“Me? Never.”
Dr. Enas snorted and pulled up a second rolling stool. He peered at the screen, eyes darting across numbers Beau assumed must mean something.
“I have good news, and I have bad news,” he said after a few moments.
Beau’s heart stuttered.
“Good news is that your baby is very healthy and everything looks great. Bad news is that the child will likely be around eleven to twelve pounds at birth.”
“Oh, god.” Beau let his head fall back against the headrest while Flora cleaned the gel from his skin. “Twelvepounds? And I’m supposed to get this thing out of me somehow?” His eyes snapped open to glare at Loriun. “This is your fault. All six feet eight inches of you.”
He felt some gratification when Loriun winced.
“I am sorry,luae.”
“It could be worse,” Flora pointed out. She gently pulled his shirt back down. “When I was in training at the birthing center in the Mermade Keys, there was an Omega who had a fourteen pounder.”
Beau’s mouth fell open.“Fourteen?”
She nodded seriously. “His Alpha was over seven feet tall.”
“Jesus Christ. Tell me he had a c-section.”
“Nope.”
Beau’s whole body clenched in sympathetic horror. Suddenly, twelve pounds was feeling very manageable.
“Anyway,” Dr. Enas said, shooting his nurse a reprimanding look. “If I had to guess, I’d say you’re on track for the original due date of April 21st, but babies have their own ideas of time. You should be very careful not to overexert yourself.” His narrowed gaze shifted to Loriun. “No strenuous activities.”
Loriun’s fins flattened slightly. “Understood.”
Beau took a moment to appreciate his doctor’s un-Mer-like subtly. The moment was very short-lived.
“That is not to say you should cease all sexual activities,” Dr. Enas continued. “In fact, sex can help your body prepare for birth. Just take things easy.”
Rationally, Beau knew his doctor was speaking from a medical perspective, but he still really hated discussing his sex life in an exam room with his monotone Mer doctor. Loriun, on the other hand, had far fewer reservations.
“What activities are safest at this time?” he asked, blinking in confusion when Beau responded with a groan.
