“I don’t know a lot, but I do know no pregnancy is the same. So even though I’ve heard stories and learned tips, they may not apply to me. If I really am pregnant, that is.”
He lowers his mug, scrutinizing me. “You think you might not be?”
“I think I am, but drugstore tests aren’t a hundred percent accurate.” I bite my bottom lip, choosing my next words very carefully. “Considering my history and my thyroid problems, anything is possible.”
“How is your thyroid now? I vaguely remember you being sick, but I was still practically a kid. I wasn’t exactly listening attentively at nineteen.” He raps his fingers on the counter. “You could barely get out of bed, right?”
I nod. “It was scary. The symptoms were subtle at first. I’d be more tired after dancing, overly stressed about school. When I was fourteen, it really hit. My muscles ached, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open in class. It felt like my whole body was moving in slow motion. I barely had the energy to walk down a flight of stairs, let alone dance. I hated myself, hated my life, hatedeverything.”
He tilts his head. “It took a while for the doctor to figure outwhat was going on?”
“Correct. I went through weeks of tests, scans, and panic.” I lift one shoulder in a shrug despite the pang in my chest. “Piper really advocated for me. She found Dr. Stevens, my endocrinologist. Right away, he suspected I had Hashimoto’s disease. Autoimmune hypothyroidism. Bloodwork confirmed it.”
“What does that mean?” he asks over the rim of his mug.
“Basically, my immune system attacked my thyroid until it stopped doing its job. Dr. Stevens put me on levothyroxine, and within a couple of months, I was okay. I was able to dance again, even after a full day at school.”
“I’m really sorry you went through that, Ry baby.” He reaches for me as if he wants to cover my hand with his, but he pulls back before making contact and curls his fingers around his mug instead.
I’m relieved. I’m not sure I could handle him touching me.
“I’m so glad they figured it out and that you’re okay. That’s what matters.”
“Yeah. But it’s funny, you know? If not for my health problems and the financial strain, Piper and Hunter may not have fallen in love. She became Story’s nanny because she’d used her college fund to pay my medical bills, so she needed the money to pay her tuition.”
He scrubs a hand down his face. “Honestly? I think they would’ve ended up together no matter what. Those two are soulmates.”
Warmth settles in my stomach, spreading through my veins. It means a lot to hear him say that, to know he believes the same things I do.
That soulmates do exist.
Dr. Bell isin her forties, with soft eyes but a very businesslike voice. She asks me questions, makes notes, and nods when I tell her about my health problems.
“Okay. We’ll draw some blood,” she explains. “When was the first day of your last period?”
I check my calendar and rattle off the date. “I’ve taken two…three tests, and they were all positive.” I don’t look at Hayden, who stands quietly by my side. It’s easier that way.
“That puts you at about seven weeks. Let’s get the bloodwork done first.” She gestures for me to follow. “We’ll be back soon,” she says to Hayden over her shoulder.
One blood test later,I sit on the exam table with my hand pressed to my mouth. After being told time and again I’d never have children, I was afraid to hope. Now, I know anything is possible. The blood test confirmed it.
That hope, though, is mixed with worry, considering who my baby daddy is and the unexpected nature of the revelation.
Dr. Bell returns, this time with Hayden in tow. When he sees me, he frowns and heads straight for me.
“You okay?” He wipes a tear from my cheek.
Before I can respond, Dr. Bell warns me pregnancy can affect my thyroid hormone levels, especially in the first trimester. She says she wants to have a full thyroid panel done.
“If your TSH is above the recommended range, we’ll adjust your levothyroxine dose. It’s not uncommon. Many women with hypothyroidism need a higher dose during pregnancy, so don’t be surprised if that’s the case.” She smiles. “Continue taking your levothyroxine on an empty stomach, but you’ll need to wait at least four hours after that to take your prenatal vitamins. The iron and calcium can block the absorption of levothyroxine.”
I open my mouth to reply, but Hayden beats me to it. “Got it.”
The fluttering in my stomach transforms into a floating sensation. He looks so concerned, so sincere.
“We’ll repeat the bloodwork every four weeks for now, to make sure you and the baby are doing well.”
“Thank you so much.” The words are barely out of my mouth when an unexpected sob escapes. “Sorry.”
