Keira nodded, her grip on my hand tightening slightly. "Yes. That's fine."
"Excellent. And Rodion, you're welcome to stay for all of it, or step out for any part you'd prefer not to witness. This is about whatever makes Keira most comfortable."
"He stays," Keira said before I could respond. "I want him here."
Something warm spread through my chest at those words. Such a small thing—wanting me present for a doctor's appointment—but it felt like more. Like trust. Like the beginning of something I didn't have a name for yet.
Dr. Jackson asked her questions. Medical history, family history, when her last period had been, when she thought conception had occurred. Keira answered as best she could, her voice steady even when the questions touched on difficult territory.
"Any history of pregnancy complications in your family? Miscarriages, difficult births?"
"I don't know." Keira's voice was flat. "My mother died when I was young. I don't have anyone to ask."
Dr. Jackson's expression softened. "I'm sorry. We'll proceed carefully, monitor everything closely. Many women have perfectly healthy pregnancies without knowing their family history."
She guided Keira to lie down on the bed, and I moved to sit in the chair beside her. Her hand found mine again, her fingers cold despite the warmth of the room.
"Just relax," Dr. Jackson said, pressing gently on Keira's abdomen. "Tell me if anything is uncomfortable."
I watched the examination in silence, my eyes moving between the doctor's practiced hands and Keira's face. She was trying to stay calm, but I could see the tension around her eyes, the slight furrow between her brows.
"Based on what you've told me, you're still very early," Dr. Jackson said. "Too early to hear a heartbeat, but everything I'm feeling is consistent with a normal pregnancy."
"Normal?" The word came out rough. I hadn't meant to speak.
Dr. Jackson looked at me with understanding. "Normal. Her vitals are strong, her abdomen feels exactly as it should at this stage. I'll take some blood for testing, but I don't anticipate any problems."
I exhaled slowly, not realizing until that moment how much tension I'd been holding. Five to six weeks. A cluster of cells smaller than a grape, already changing everything.
"When can we hear the heartbeat?" I asked.
"Around eight weeks, sometimes a bit later. I'll bring a doppler on my next visit." She helped Keira sit up, hermovements gentle. "For now, the most important things are rest, nutrition, and avoiding unnecessary stress."
Keira laughed at that—a sharp, surprised sound. "Avoiding stress. Right."
"I know it's not easy, given the circumstances." Dr. Jackson's eyes moved to me, then back to Keira. "But your body knows what to do. Your job is to support it as best you can. Prenatal vitamins, regular meals, sleep when you can get it."
"And if I can't?" Keira asked. "Get sleep, I mean. I've been having trouble."
"That's common in early pregnancy. Your hormones are shifting, your body is adjusting." She pulled a bottle from her bag and handed it to Keira. "These are safe to take during pregnancy. They'll help with the nausea, too."
Keira took the bottle, turning it over in her hands. "Thank you."
"I'll come back in two weeks for a follow-up. Call me before then if anything concerns you—bleeding, severe pain, anything that doesn't feel right." Dr. Jackson began packing her equipment. "And try not to worry too much. I've been doing this for a long time. Everything I'm seeing tells me this is a healthy pregnancy."
I walked Dr. Jackson to the elevator while Keira stayed behind to rest.
"She's scared," Dr. Jackson said as we waited. "That's normal. But there's something else there too. Something deeper."
"She's been through a lot."
"I gathered." She fixed me with a look I remembered from childhood—the one that said she saw more than I wanted her to. "You care about her."
"Yes."
"That's good. She's going to need someone in her corner." The elevator arrived, and she stepped inside, then turned back to face me. "Your mother would be proud of you, Rodion. Not for the business or the power—she never cared about those things. But for this. For choosing something real."
The doors closed before I could respond.
