Garin smiled. “It’s incredibly different having a patient who is a doctor that is experienced in taking care of children.”
I shrugged. “I enjoy spending time with the little ones. I think being an omega has something to do with that, honestly.”
We were at the front desk, and Garin smiled at Henry. “Henry, could you schedule Camden for next week if at all possible? He and Maxwell will be coming in together.”
“Sure thing, Dr. Braun.”
I smiled at Garin when he placed a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for all of your help with Otto. It’s a huge relief,” he said.
“It truly was no problem.”
Garin nodded at me, then looked out into the waiting room. An omega stood and walked closer, then went down the hallway with Garin.
“I’m finished, so whenever you have time, I’m ready,”I told Maxwell through our bond.
“I’ll be right there.”
“All right, Dr. Braun doesn’t have anything open next week. But the week after, he has the seventeenth, the nineteenth, and the twentieth open.” I winced. “No good?” Henry asked. I felt Maxwell suddenly beside me. Henry glanced up at my mate and smiled.
“I’m due the eighteenth, so let’s say the seventeenth and see how things go.”
“Oh,” Henry said. “How about we wait, and when Dr. Braun comes out of his current appointment, I’ll ask him about shuffling something? They have things scheduled that aren’t in clinic, so maybe he’ll have something open that I’m not aware of. Does that sound good?”
“It does. Can we do that?”
Henry smiled. “We absolutely can. I’ll reach out in about an hour. Does that work?”
I glanced up at Maxwell. “It does. We have nothing for the next two hours, but then we have an appointment.”
I shrugged. “Thanks, Henry. Have a good rest of your day.”
“You too.”
I turned to Maxwell, and as soon as I placed my hands on his chest, my stomach flipped, and we were standing back in the clinic in our shared office.
“How did things go? Do you want to talk about it?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not sure we have enough time, but I can start?”
“Starting is always good,” Maxwell said as he led me over to the sofa.
Chapter 17
Maxwell
“Are you ready for the baby’s arrival?” Father asked.
I didn’t even have to think about it before responding. “I’d like to think so, but I have delivered enough babies to know that parents are never ready.”
Father threw his head back and laughed. I understood why. It was funny. And true. I turned my head to look at Camden. He was rubbing Papochka’s fur. I hadn’t really thought about it, but Papochka and Camden both were white-furred shifters. Obviously, Papochka was a much larger one in his shifted form, but it left me wondering. I quickly shut any and all of those thoughts down because I knew that the fates matched us with those they knew to be in close proximity, as well as compatible in many different aspects.
Father stopped laughing, and I nudged my chin to gesture to our Ones. Papochka was lying on his side, the end of his tail flipping up every so often, but Camden was rhythmically petting Papochka on the side. I was never a shifter, never would be, but I had to imagine that having your other half suddenly in a hibernation of sorts while you were left to deal with a pregnancy could put you out of sorts. I knew Camden missed being able toshift, and Camden and Papochka seemed to have a connection that I didn’t have with either of them.
“I’ve never asked, but why did you and Papochka only have me? Was I such a troubling child?”
Father looked at me with wide eyes. “No, not at all. You were a very well-behaved child,” Father said. “You were too young, and you don’t remember, but we had returned to Lukyan’s village to see his parents and to introduce them to you. He was carrying our second.” Father took a deep breath. “We were not welcomed, as we’d been told all along. Lukyan’s father brutally attacked him before I could get there to stop it. I was with you in the bedroom, putting you down for a nap,” Father told me. “Your papochka and I lost our daughter that day. He has been unable to carry a child since. He had extensive bleeding, and it could not be stopped any other way.”
I clenched my jaw in both anger and sadness. A sister. A precious baby, and a sister at that. Camden glanced back at me, and I waved to him. “And his father?” I asked quietly.
