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“A birth mother has chosen us to be the parents of her baby girl.”
A hush settled over the backyard, and then it was like a cheering bomb had been launched and exploded. Kelli cried out and jumped to her feet again. She clapped her hands, because she knew how very much Jean wanted to be a mother.
“A girl,” she said to Eloise, who’d also gotten to her feet. Kelli grabbed her in a hug, and they bounced up and down together. “She’s always wanted a girl.”
They went to hug and congratulate Jean and Reuben, and Kelli really wished AJ had stayed. She’d be mad she’d missed these announcements, but Kelli had never been able to sway AJ, despite what the other woman said.
She loved her endlessly, but she didn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to be here. Kelli did, and she was supremely happy that she’d returned to the cove, taken control of her life, and started down a new path toward happily-ever-after.
A couple of weeks later,Kelli closed the door to her office at Whole Soul. Something wasn’t right, and she needed to figure out what it was. She hadn’t felt well—entirely well—in at least a month. She’d just finished a yoga class she’d taught at least a hundred times before, and she was sweating profusely.
The yoga had been hard. She currently felt very close to passing out. She stumbled to her desk and collapsed into the chair. She sucked air in through her nose and carefully pushed it out of her mouth. With her head down on her desk, eyes closed, the world stopped spinning.
Her stomach ached, and her back spasmed from the workout she’d done so many times it shouldn’t have fazed her. Today, it had. She didn’t have a doctor here in the cove yet. Parker had a pediatrician, but Kelli rarely got sick.
When she felt like she could lift her head, she did. She picked up her phone and called her husband. “Hey, hon,” he said, his voice upbeat and bright. “What’s up? Finished for today?”
Normally, she would be. Today, she wasn’t sure she could get home by herself. “I don’t feel well,” she told him. This wasn’t the first time. “Something’s wrong. I almost passed out during class.”
“That’s not good.” Gone was the upbeat nature of his voice. “I’ll come get you, and we’ll go see Doctor Dave.”
“Doctor Dave?”
“He’s an old friend,” Shad said. “I’ll call him right now.”
“Is he an actual doctor?” Kelli asked.
Shad laughed. “Yes, Kel. He works at the hospital here in the cove. I always call him when I need something.”
“All right. I’m in my office.” She stayed there until her husband came, at which point, a sense of silliness had crept into her. “I’m fine.” She got to her feet as he entered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called. I feel fine now.”
“You’re not fine.” He ran his hands up her arms. “This has been going on for weeks. Come on.” He lovingly put his arm around her and led her outside to the waiting RideShare. It was a quick jaunt to the ferry, and Kelli did need to sit once she got on the boat.
She didn’t normally get seasick, but today, she felt like she might hurl with all the undulating, moving water. Thankfully, she didn’t, and by the time they’d arrived at the hospital, checked in to see Dr. Dave, waited, and then been brought back to the small exam room, Kelli was ready for a nap.
Definitely something wrong.
A tall, dark-haired man came into the room laughing. He grabbed onto Shad with a, “Hey, brother,” and a healthy back slap. “What are you doin’ here?” He spoke like a Westerner, and his huge personality filled the room.
“My wife doesn’t feel well.” Shad grinned about it like this was great news.
Dr. Dave looked at her, his smile staying in place though the energy surrounding him started to dim. “Hey, Kelli. I don’t think we’ve met.”
“No.” She extended her hand for him to shake.
“It’s great to meet you finally. Shad likes to hide his greatest treasures away from the rest of us.” He grinned at her, and Kelli listened to her husband chuckle.
Dr. Dave leaned against the countertop in the room, which ran down a few feet to a sink. He didn’t hold a clipboard or a chart at all, and two other men had accompanied him into the room. “I’m being shadowed today by Dr. Diesel and Dr. Allen. Are they okay to stay?”
Kelli couldn’t see why not. “Okay,” she said.
“Tell me what’s goin’ on.”
She swallowed. “I haven’t felt well for a few weeks. I’m tired. Way more tired than normal. My stomach hurts sometimes. I have headaches.” Her mouth turned dry, because she didn’t want to sit here and list these symptoms. It sounded like she needed some ibuprofen and a nap.
Foolishness filled her again, and she took a deep breath.
“How old are you, Kelli?” he asked. He accepted the chart from one of the other doctors and flipped it open.
