“Then what was it like?”
“I was— I mean—” She glanced toward the counter where a tray of metal instruments had been laid out like torture devices. “This wasn’t supposed to happen today.”
I took a step closer. “The appointment?”
She nodded, chewing her lip. “The anatomy scan was scheduled for next week, but last night I noticed some . . . bleeding.” Her gaze flicked up to mine, quick and careful. “I called the doctor’s office this morning, and they told me to come in. Just to be safe.”
A cold weight slid down my spine.
That word—bleeding—hit me square in the chest, knocking the wind out of whatever argument I had built during the car ride over. A minute ago, I’d been pissed about being left out. Now my gut was twisting for an entirely different reason, every worst-case scenario I’d ever heard of clawing its way to the front of my brain.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
Her mouth opened, then closed again. “I didn’t want to worry you if it was nothing.”
I took a deep, cleansing breath, attempting to channel my inner yogi . . . even though I had only taken a few classes with some of my players. She still didn’t get it. She still didn’t understand that this wasn’t just about the baby for me—it was abouther, too. That every part of this—every part ofher—mattered to me more than she seemed to realize.
Enough was enough. It was time I made myself clear.
I lowered myself until we were nearly eye to eye. “Oh, kitten,” I said quietly, the word heavier than usual. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
Confusion flickered through her emerald eyes, but there was something else there, too—want. She nearly jumped up from the table when my hand skittered across her middle.
“This,us, is not nothing. Every second, every heartbeat, every curveball this pregnancy throws at us, I want to know. I need to know. And I’m not letting you go—not now, not ever. This isn’t just about the baby, Dani.” My voice dropped, rough with conviction. “I’m in this for as long as it takes. And please, believe me when I say that I’m prepared to play thefuckinglong game if I have to.”
She blinked rapidly. Before she could respond, the door swung open again and, presumably, Dr. Kong stepped inside. “Oh! You must be Dad.”
“Brooks,” I said, dwarfing her palm in mine. “Great to meet you.”
“Dr. Emilia Kong.”
She was a curvy woman, with warm amber-brown skin and sharp, blunt bangs that skimmed her eyebrows in a perfectly straight line. She couldn’t have been more than thirty—hell, she looked barely old enough to rent a car—but the crisp precision in her voice and the confident set of her shoulders left no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing. A white coat hung open over a Barbie-pink blouse, the stethoscope around her neck catching the overhead light.
“How are we doing today? I heard you were experiencing some bleeding.”
Dani nodded silently. Her fingers twitched against the edge of the paper sheet, shoulders drawn tight like she was holding herself together by sheer force of will. I could see the hesitation, the weight of everything pressing in.
I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers in a quiet promise. “Is that something we should be concerned about, Dr. Kong?”
“Not at all.” She flipped open the chart in her hands. “Your blood pressure is solid, your iron levels are well within range, and your blood count looks great. Weight gain is exactly wherewe want it for this stage—right in the healthy zone.” She glanced at Dani with a reassuring smile. “From what I’m seeing here, there’s nothing alarming. The spotting could be from something as simple as increased blood flow or activity.”
Her hand relaxed in my grip.
“Now, I know we had your anatomy scan on the calendar for next week,” Dr. Kong said, rolling her stool toward the machine in the corner, “but since you’re already here, would you like to take a look?”
“Please,” I answered without hesitation.
At the same time, Dani said, “Yes.”
Dr. Kong smiled at our chorus of agreement. “All right then. Let’s get you set up.” She snapped on a pair of gloves and wheeled the ultrasound cart closer. “Have you decided if you want to know the sex or not?”
I glanced at Dani, unwilling to answer for her. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, eyes flicking between me and the doctor like she was weighing the pros and cons.
“Your call, kitten,” I said softly. “I’m good either way.”
She hesitated for another beat, then gave a small shrug. “We’re already here, right? Might as well find out.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, my pulse kicking up for reasons I couldn’t quite explain.
