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How can one contain such joy?
It overflows.
A cacophony of blooms.
Loïc Leduc, Journal 15
“Tarryn Davenport?”
I leapt to my feet to help her up, only to find Valor doing the same. For a while we had a little friendly competition to see who could get to her side first, but Tarryn had sat us down at lunch yesterday to tell us we were being ridiculous and making a spectacle of ourselves, so now we took turns. It was Valor’s turn, so I backed off, not missing the self-satisfied gleam in his eyes as he held her hand and led her to where a woman in scrubs was standing, waiting for us to get our shit together. She looked from one of us to the other, then finallyat Tarryn.
“I’m sorry, but only your partner is supposed to come in with you. The rooms aren’t very big.”
It was like a punch in the gut.
I wasn’t sure where a person’s crest was, but mine had certainly fallen.
Since this was the clinic where Minnow had given birth to the twins, I’d hoped they’d be more open-minded.
Was this how things were going to be for her entire pregnancy? I couldn’t bear the thought of missing out on half of her visits—or worse, on all of them, seeing as how we weren’t married. The world might never see me as their legal spouse.
Tarryn gave the woman a smile that was very reminiscent of the patient ones Minnow gave the children when they were on their worst behavior. At least this time it wasn’t directed at us.
“I spoke to your administrator and explained the situation. They’re both the fathers of the baby, so we’ve made arrangements for them both to be allowed into appointments with me.”
The woman glanced down at her clipboard and back up again. “Oh, right.” She plastered on a professional smile. “Surrogacy is such a selfless act.”
Tarryn’s brows dipped. “I didn’t realize this was the kind of clinic where my personal health information would be discussed in the waiting room.”
The woman looked aghast. Lucky for her, the waiting room was empty of everyone except us, because the pure wrath on Valor’s face led me to believe she might have lost her job if anyone had been around. I wasn’t sure why Valor was so irritated about what she’d said, but I followed his lead when it came to husbandly things.
She showed us into a darkened room and left us there.
“Valor, you need to calm down. I’m sure they haven’t had many situations like ours here. The poor woman probably has no idea what’s happening.”
“You’d think someone would’ve documented the conversation I had with the administrator before coming here. You don’t need people treating you like that.”
“Like what?” I asked, feeling like I’d missed something.
“Yeah, Valor, like what?” Tarryn shook her head. “If you’re going to be this sensitive every time we go somewhere, maybe I’ll leave you at home and just take Loïc with me.”
“Don’t you start bratting here,” Valor grumbled.
“Or what, Sir? Are you going to spank me right here in the ultrasound room?”
I got in between them. “He will do no such thing. I know you miss it, but you will not be getting spanked again until after this baby is safely out of you, so quit tempting him.”
“I wouldn’t have,” Valor protested.
“I can tell she knows exactly how to push your buttons, so it’s my job to remind you to add it to that list you’re keeping on your phone rather than deal with it now.”
“Good idea.” He opened his phone and typed something I was absolutely aching to read over his shoulder.
“You need to stop your mouth from writing checks your ass is going to have to cash in a few months, Nymph.”
Someone cleared their throat and the three of us turned to find a goth-looking young woman with tattoos and facial piercings waiting by the door.
“Ms. Davenport?”
