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“But he makes a good point,” Soren insists—gently, almost like he's afraid to piss me off. He should be when I feel like this. “If you are in labor, they'll know what to do at the hospital. But getting yourself worked up like this isn't going to help you or the baby.”
I know they're right, but it's not exactly helping right now. “This isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm supposed to be ready. I'm supposed to be prepared. I'm not prepared. The crib isn't even put together all the way yet.”
“We can work on that.” Ryder strokes my hair and I'm sure that would be comforting at any other time, but I'm too worried. What if I was wrong and we shouldn't have had all that sex? What if all the advice I read was meant for people who have, like, so-called normal sex lives? One orgasm is no big deal, maybe two. But I completely lost track. What if this is all my fault and I should have been thinking more about the baby than about my libido?
“Remember,” Ash points out as we turn into the hospital complex. Really, it's more like a small city. “The doctor didn't sound too concerned over the phone.”
“That's her job,” I remind him. “To keep me calm.”
“And you're not helping by being this upset.” I swear, I'm going to kill him. I know he means well and I love him for it, but he is taking his life in his hands with every word he says.
Thankfully, Doctor Graves is waiting when we arrive. I have barely had time to remove my leggings for an exam before she knocks on the door and steps into the examination room—then falls back a step when she sees I'm not alone. “Oh. I wasn't expecting...” It's like I can almost hear her counting to three in her head as she looks at Ryder, Soren, and Ash.
“Please, can you check the baby?” Because this is not the time to waste precious seconds on the intricacies of my personal life.
“All right. There's not a lot of room in here,” she points out gently. “Could we have a little privacy?”
“Actually, can they stay? They'll stand in the corner and they won't get in the way.” Because I need them now. It was bad enough going to all of my appointments without them—granted, that was my idea, but I didn't have to love it. I can face an ultrasound by myself, when everything seems okay and I'm only here for a checkup. This? I don't know if I can handle this on my own.
“This is very unusual. Can I ask...” She looks around at them while pulling her wheeled chair up to the end of the table, between my legs.
Well, I was going to tell her eventually. “The four of us will be raising the baby together,” I tell her. “One of them is the father, but we don't know which. We are... all together.”
I have to give it to her. She takes it well. “Oh. I see. Well, fellas, it's nice to meet you.” She blinks rapidly and sort of shakes her head a little like she's clearing the cobwebs, but she's still pleasant. “Let's check on your baby.”
Please, God. Please, don't let me have hurt the baby. I lie back and force myself to take a deep breath because really, there's nothing else I can do now. I trust the doctor implicitly. She knows what she's doing. I don't, I don't have the first clue, but she's got it under control.
“Well, it looks like you're only around a centimeter dilated.”
“Is that bad?” Ryder asks from the corner, where he and the others are clustered together.
“Not at all. That's perfectly normal. Your cervix is loosening up now that your baby's getting heavier. Many women are a centimeter dilated and have no idea. It’s absolutely normal.”
“But the cramping...”
“Did you have any spotting?”
“Well, no...”
“That’s a good sign. Let me give you an ultrasound just so we can be doubly sure, but I think this is false labor.” She wastes no time getting everything ready, and soon my guys are treated to something only I've experienced before now.
“Wow. That's the baby?” Ash's jaw drops. Soren folds his hands on top of his head while looking amazed. Ryder just shakes his head, wearing a funny, disbelieving sort of smile. Now I'm so glad they're here with me, even more than before. I get to watch them see the baby for the first time.
“That's the baby,” Doctor Graves confirms. “And everything is looking good, the same as it did yesterday. Baby is sleeping away, nice and warm and contented. Maybe a little cramped, but it’ll have more space soon enough.” She winks at me before turning off the machine. “You have nothing to worry about. It could be your body was reacting strongly to... the activity.”
And now I want to curl up in a ball and disappear because duh, I'm sure it was obvious once she took a look that I've been busy. Soren and Ryder came inside me less than an hour ago. “Oh, I'm sorry,” I whisper, horrified.
“You don't have to apologize at all. But...” She takes a look around the room and I can tell she's regretting having to say this. “Maybe take it easy. I'm sure the baby will be fine if it were born at this stage, but we want to keep it cooking for as long as we can. And we want Mama here to relax and not stress out. Okay?”
They're like a trio of Boy Scouts, nodding in unison. “We'll take care of her,” Ryder promises.
“Good. You’re free to go.”
Now I feel like a complete idiot for freaking out. “I'm so sorry to take up your time like this.”
“Harlow.” She gives my hand a gentle pat. “Do you think you're the only expectant mother who's ever worried like this? It can be scary, feeling random cramps like that. Especially your first time around. That's what I'm here for. Don't ever hesitate to call.” I'm feeling a lot better by the time she leaves the room so I can get dressed and we can go.
“At least she didn't yell at us for making that happen,” Soren mutters. “I thought for sure she'd blame us.”
