Page 45 of Bound Hearts

“Yep… and only one,” he teases me.

A laugh bubbles out of me, and my gaze drifts back to the screen, where the doctor is already measuring and tapping away at the keys.

“Looking good, I’m checking lengths. I’m inclined to say that you are around the eleven-week mark, actually.”

My eyes fly wide. "Really? I’m only now seeing a doctor?" Guilt grips me hard, my breath catching as I worry I’ve failed the baby somehow.

“That’s okay. You’d be surprised at how many women don’t even know until later. You haven’t had any signs of alarm. Everything seems healthy.”

I lie back down and purse my lips, satisfied with her answer.

Her typing is harsh on the keys, and when she presses enter, she turns all of her attention to us. “Estimated due date around October 20th based on what I see.”

I swing my gaze to Foster, expecting his smile as we enter parenthood during the start of the holiday season. Instead, I notice how he absorbs the news, his eyes reserved and his expression passive. I don’t think much of it as the doctor grabs my attention.

“You should start on pre-natal vitamins.” I nod in reply. “You’re almost out of the first trimester already, so hopefully any ailments that you’re having will start to resolve. Can’t guarantee it, but it’s more promising. Let’s order some more blood work before your next visit, and I’ll see you again in a few weeks. Depending on your insurance⁠—"

Foster clears his throat. “Not a factor. She should have the best care. Money is no issue.”

“Pretty sure I have the same company health insurance policy as you,” I remind him because I’m amused.

Foster’s wealth is obvious, but he never flaunts it. He’s always been humble. Yet here, he lets it show without hesitation—for me and the baby. It’s endearing, a sign of his concern and protectiveness. That kind of commitment makes me feel truly safe.

The doctor gives a knowing smile. “Noted.”

After a blur of paperwork and scheduling, I end up in the front seat of Foster’s car, the leather warm beneath me. I stare ahead, the car parked and unmoving, trying to process everything. It’s overwhelming.

Foster is observing me. I feel his possessive eyes watching me, but he waits patiently for me to say something.

The man has a lot of fortitude, I’ve learned. Sometimes, he appears to have already prepared himself to brace for any situation.

“This is really happening.” I breathe out to calm myself.

“Was the appointment a little too confronting? I was hoping the engagement ring from my coat pocket was the confronting event,” he quips in an attempt to ease me.

And it does make me hint a smile, and I angle on the seat to look at him. “The heartbeat, you know? He or she is really living inside of me and growing.”

His hand extends out to touch my arm. “A strong heartbeat.”

“Yeah,” I agree faintly. “We have a lot to learn, because I’m clueless about this parent thing.”

He chuckles, and it breaks the intensity of the air that I brought. “We’ll be the couple in the baby courses that look like complete idiots.”

“Are we doing that? Now, I don’t care about your money, and I hope you know that.”

“I don’t worry at all.”

I pinch my fingers together to show size. “One teensy-weensy request where I might say can we use it, because can we just find someone who comes to us? Like private sessions or something? Because I’m not one to bond with some couple next to us who probably has a birth plan the size of one of my college law books.”

“Truthfully, I was going to suggest that plan. I’m private, I don’t need strangers watching me learn how to rub your back when you have a baby.”

I giggle, genuinely appreciating his logic. “I’m sure you’ll be a pro at that. Honestly, your massage skills are half the reason I’m pregnant.”

Foster bites his cheek, a smile flaring with pride. “Guilty as charged.”

My head drops onto the headrest. “I’m an idiot for avoiding this. Now I’m already eleven weeks. How crazy is that?”

“The type of crazy I like. But now we make sure that you stay healthy, and we prepare for this boy.”