Page 107 of The Don’s Omega

I sit on the exam table and the paper crinkles under me. “The pregnancy feels real now.”

He squints. “It didn’t feel real until now?”

I grimace. “No, it did, but there’s something about being at the doctor’s office that’s different from peeing on a stick. It makes it feel more serious.”

He smiles. “Fair enough.”

There’s a knock, and the door opens. Dr. Vasquez is not what I expected. She looks to be in her early fifties, short, with dark curly hair pulled back and reading glasses perched on her nose. She has smooth brown skin with deep laugh lines around her dark eyes. She’s wearing a white coat over a blue blouse, and when she shakes my hand, she uses both of hers. It’s a warmer gesture than I’m used to from a doctor.

“Elio, it’s nice to meet you.” She turns to Marcello, and there’s no deference in her expression, no flinch. Just professional warmth. “Mr. Foschini, I’m so glad you could accompany Elio to this appointment. Not all alphas make the time.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.”

She looks pleased at his response. “How refreshing.” She sits on a rolling stool and opens a file. “So, you took a home pregnancy test and it was positive. When was that?”

“Two days ago.”

“And the first day of your last heat cycle?”

I tell her. She counts on her fingers and writes something down.

“That puts you at approximately four to five weeks. Very early. Which is perfect, because it means we can get you started on the right foot.” She looks up at me over her glasses. “How are you feeling? Any symptoms besides the morning sickness?”

“Just the nausea at the moment. It hit hard two days ago but it’s been milder since. Some fatigue, but I’ve also been dealing with a lot of stress, so I can’t tell what’s causing what.”

“The nausea may get worse before it gets better. Every pregnancy is different.” She sets the file down. “Here’s what we’re going to do today. I’ll take a full medical history, do a basic physical exam, and draw blood. The blood work will confirm the pregnancy through your hCG levels. I’ll also run a complete panel to make sure everything looks good. We’ll start you on prenatal vitamins too. Do you have any allergies?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Okay. I’ll also do a brief physical, listen to your heart and lungs. The nurse already checked your blood pressure and it looks fine.” She pauses. “We won’t do an ultrasound today. At four to five weeks, there’s very little to see. We might catch a gestational sac, but more often than not it’s too early. I’d rather bring you back when we can see the embryo and hear a heartbeat.”

“A heartbeat.” I swallow. “That would be worth hearing.”

“Yes.” Marcello shifts in his chair. I glance at him and his face is neutral, controlled. But his hand on the armrest has tightened and I know he’s excited about the heartbeat part.

Dr. Vasquez walks me through things like family history, medications, prior pregnancies. I tell her about my parents dying young, the car accident, and she writes it down after giving me an empathetic look.

“My brother just had surgery for HOCM,” I volunteer.

She raises her brows. “Did he now?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good you told me,” she says. “That’s important information.”

My stomach tightens. “Important how?”

She gives me a reassuring smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I’m not saying something is wrong with you or the baby. It’s simply important to check some things.”

“Like what?” Marcello asks.

“HOCM can run in families, and pregnancy asks more from the heart than everyday life does.” She shrugs. “With a pregnancy there’s more blood volume, more cardiac output, more work overall. With a first-degree relative affected, I’d like you to have a cardiology evaluation just to be safe.”

I frown. “Even if I’ve never had symptoms?”

“A lot of people with inherited heart conditions don’t know they have them until something happens or someone looks for them.”

I wince. “You’re right. My brother never really showed symptoms. He was always easily fatigued, but I didn’t think about it being his heart. He wasn’t hugely athletic, he likes to read. I always just assumed he was out of shape.”