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He winced. "Yes, I know I haven’t called recently. I’m sorry about that."
Her quiet chuckle eased the hole in his heart. "Your father and I know you are grown and making your own life, Rafael. Just try to keep us in mind once in a while. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, the least you can do is give us a call now and again."
"Ouch, guilt trip extraordinaire. I hear you. I’ll try to be in touch more. I actually have news, that’s why I’m calling. My human girlfriend is pregnant."
The shrill sound that came from his phone made him hold it at arm’s length, wincing. When his mother’s trilling cut off, he heard her start chattering away and had to bring the phone back to his ear and cut her off.
"Mom, slow down. You’re going to have to start over again, I didn’t catch any of that."
"When’s the wedding?" He hadn’t heard his mother this excited in years.
Raf closed his eyes. "Small hitch in that. She hasn’t handled the news that I’m a dragon very well. You’re going to have to wait with me, I’m afraid. She asked me for space, and I’m attempting to respect that."
His mother huffed quietly. "You had the nerve to get her pregnant before she knew what you are? Rafi, have you learned nothing?" She hadn’t called him that in ages, it felt like. Hopefully it was a good sign that she was feeling closer to him, not that he deserved to be scolded like a child.
"I know, Mom. It just happened. I was actually calling in hopes that you might be able to tell me about the demands of dragonlings, before and after they’re born."
"Oh, yes, dear, I can help you with that." Her chuckle sounded a bit too gleeful for his tastes.
"Why am I getting the sense I’m not going to like whatever you’re about to say?"
She just chuckled again.
Chapter 16 - Ashley
Ashley rode up the elevator to her office, still on the phone with Dr. "Call Me Chas" Brenton, whom she had gotten in touch with as soon as she’d left her appointment that morning and settled into her car. The first part of the conversation had all been related to the fact that the words "dragon" and "shifter" had been used by her new OB after the woman had seen the note of who had referred Ashley to that office.
Chas had tried to avoid the conversation, but Ashley had put him on the spot. Once they’d gotten past that particular topic, they’d actually discussed what the obstetrician had said about her timetable, and Chas wasn’t being particularly subtle about implying she ought to involve Raf. "It wouldn’t hurt to ask him for a blood sample you could give her," he agreed. "There’s a lot that’s going to be dependent upon his genes and the likelihood of everything from gender to disease could be determined with a few tests. It’s not like your fetus really has easily-testable DNA at the moment, you know?"
"I…" She had to pause to walk from the elevator to her office, not really wanting to be overheard until she was ready to tell the office about the baby. "I guess that makes some sense, but isn’t it going to be hit or miss with me being human?"
"Yes and no. A lot of his DNA is going to be dominant, and will pretty much determine any of the specific traits related to genetic conditions, markers, and so forth."
Ashley pondered that. Maybe it made sense? She hadn’t really thought about biology since high school, and not really even then. "I suppose. Couldn’t you as easily test that, though?" He’d admitted at some point that he was a geneticist, so he certainly had the technology to do it.
"I probably could, if I knew what I was looking for. I’m not a fertility clinic, however." He cleared his throat with a sound that might have been a laugh turned into a cough. "Can you text me one of the ultrasound images if you aren’t going to send it to him, please?"
She stiffened. They had mostly avoided direct mention of her avoidance of her child’s father. The way Chas asked made it sound like she was being inordinately stubborn or bull-headed. "I’ll think about it."
He sighed. "Ashley, it would help. He’s been running himself into the ground this week. The amount of liquor he’s had would probably run a large generator for a month. I don’t know how much longer he can be put on hold. The picture would at least stave off the conversation for a little while longer."
"When you put it like that, I might as well just send him the picture." She didn’t like the sound of 'running himself into the ground', but she also didn’t know what that meant for a tech CEO. Coding till all hours might mean he wasn’t sleeping, but was that really that hard on him?
"It would be a good idea, but I’ll let you decide if you’re ready to contact him directly or not. I’m doing my best to stay out of it."
It was her turn to sigh. "I’m sorry, Chas. I know you are. You’ve been a lifesaver with the answers to so many questions. I’m still having trouble with it, but I’m closer than I was before. I’ll try sending him the image directly, and I expect we’ll work on our communication. I’m sorry to stick you with this for so long."
"It’s really been my pleasure, Ashley," he replied. "But my friend is hurting, and I don’t like it. I look forward to a chance to meet you in person, whenever you’re ready for that. The club might be perfect for that, though I imagine it might be hard to limit your alcohol intake in a place like that."
That made her laugh. "My willpower is getting a workout on the daily, Chas. I’ll manage." It would be good to meet him, maybe with Raf, so that there was some small buffer, but then, that was sticking him in the middle again. She needed to suck it up and talk to Rafael. "I’ll wrap my head around it and figure out how to get in touch with him. Soon, I promise."
"Thank you. That’s all I can ask." A muffled voice in the background said something she couldn’t catch. "Ashley, I should go, but I’m glad your appointment went well, and I hope to see you soon."
"You too, Chas. Bye." She hung up and thought about going to the club, knowing Raf would probably be there from the liquor comment. It didn’t immediately make her cringe, which was a first. She picked up her phone and texted Chas.I might make it to the club after work if you’re inclined to join me. Maybe 6ish?
A polite tap at her door coincided with it opening a couple of inches. "Miss Seaver?" It wasn’t a woman’s voice she recognized instantly.
"Yes? Come in." She slid her phone into her purse and dropped that in the bottom desk drawer where she normally kept it.
