Page 50 of Pieces

I take a deep breath to try to calm myself down.

The nurse gestures us into a small room, and I swear it feels even smaller once we’re all inside. Daphne takes the seat closest to the doctor, the nurse settling on the other side of doc, leaving me standing near the door.

Do I sit? I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back up if I do. Oh shit, what if I pass out? Then I’d really be stealing the thunder of this appointment, which is a dick thing to do, considering I’m the one who asked to be here.Jesus, get a grip, man.

“Hudson? You okay?” Daphne asks.

“Yeah,” I force out. “I’m fine. Shall I sit?”

Shall I sit? Did I really just ask that?

“Please,” Daphne says, nodding quickly.

I grab a chair and sit next to Daphne, trying to keep my knees from bouncing. This should be simple. Sit, listen, be supportive. But my brain won’t shut up. What if I faint? Or say something stupid again? Or worse, look like I don’t care? Focus, Hudson.

Dr. Carter offers a kind smile, pulling my attention. “I’m Dr. Carter. It’s nice to meet you both.” She looks at Daphne first. “Alright, let’s start with a few basics, and then we’ll go through next steps.”

Daphne nods and sits up straighter. “Sure.”

Dr. Carter begins asking questions about when her last period was, how she’s been feeling, any morning sickness. Daphne answers each one calmly, but I can’t help noticing the way her hands fidget in her lap. I try to keep myself still, but my fingers keep clenching and unclenching on my knees. Without thinking twice, I move my hand to cover hers, and she instantly squeezes my fingers.

Her eyes meet mine and they glisten with gratitude. “I’ve been feeling sick. Around my birthday, I had what I thought was a stomach bug, but I guess it was, well…all of this.”

“Feeling tired and nauseous is common at this stage. It’s your body adjusting to the pregnancy hormones. Would you be okay to provide us with a urine sample to confirm the pregnancy?” the doc asks gently. “The restroom is just across the hall.”

“Got it.” Daphne grabs the cup and disappears, leaving me alone in the room with Dr. Carter and the nurse.

Silence stretches awkwardly, so I clear my throat. “So, uh…this is normal, right?” I ask, waving vaguely at the empty seat Daphne left behind. “All these tests?”

Dr. Carter’s smile is patient. “Yes, completely normal. We just want to confirm everything and make sure she’s healthy. It’s early, but the tests give us a clearer picture.”

“Right, okay.” Nodding, my fingers tap against my leg. “And…I mean, should she be doing something specific? Eating differently or…I don’t know, taking naps or something?”

The nurse hides a smile, but Dr. Carter answers without missing a beat. “A balanced diet and prenatal vitamins are key right now. Rest is important, but so is staying active. We’ll go over everything in detail once we’ve confirmed the results.”

I nod again, trying to absorb it all. I want to make this easy on Daphne. I remember vividly my mom being so sick with my little sister, Rory, and I was the one who would look after her when she’d been up all night throwing up or couldn’t manage to get up off the couch because her belly was so big and she was exhausted. I was only six, but I remember trying to always be there, and not much has changed. She worked overtime after Rory was born so she could send me to football camps and get all the gear for local teams. When I make the pros, I’ll be paying her back and some. That kind of love and respect is exactly what I want to show our kid.

Before I can ask anything else, Daphne walks back in, dropping into her seat with a relieved sigh. “Done.”

The nurse takes the cup and moves to the sink. Dr. Carter waits while the nurse preps a needle, too. “Next, we’ll draw some blood. Hormone levels, blood type, and standard screening.”

Daphne rolls up her sleeve, calm as ever, but I notice the tiny movement of her fingers twitching against her leg. Without thinking, I lean forward. “You good?”

She glances at me, her lips quirking. “I’m fine. Are you okay with blood?”

I nod. It’s not like I’m squeamish, but there’s something about seeing someone else’s blood, specifically hers, that makes me feel protective in a way I can’t explain.

The nurse works quickly, and I force myself to stay focused on Daphne, not the needle. When it’s done, she flexes her hand as the nurse tapes a bandage over the tiny spot on her arm. “All set,” the nurse says with a smile. “You’re doing great.”

Dr. Carter sets the clipboard aside and leans forward slightly. “Everything looks good so far. Based on the dates you’ve given me, you’re likely just over eight weeks along. We’ll schedule your first ultrasound for around ten to twelve weeks to check everything.”

The words land heavy and light at the same time, filling the air between us. I glance at Daphne, but her expression is hard to read. Shit, I’m not even sure I can say how it’s making me feel either. Seeing the doctor write ‘Confirmed Pregnancy’ on the chart makes my chest tighten. There’s no more ‘what if.’ This is real.

We’re going to be parents.

“We’ll confirm with the lab results in a day or two, but I don’t anticipate any surprises. After that, we’ll schedule an ultrasound and discuss the next steps. At your next appointment, you’ll hear the baby’s heartbeat too. I estimate your due date to be June 23rd, so you can update any apps following your pregnancy.”

Apps? There are apps for pregnancy? I need to get up to speed with all this. That’s a lot of information to absorb. Dates. Scans. Apps. Yeah, there’s no way I’m letting Daph do this alone.

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