Page 36 of Make Your Play

My hand doesn’t leave Riley’s as the doctor measures her stomach and gives her a once-over, making sure everything is good.

“You’re measuring right on track and everything else seems to be good. Your swelling hasn’t gotten any worse, so that’s a good sign. We anticipate seeing a bit as you progress and although you started to swell early, whatever you’re doing has helped it to even out for now.”

“You can thank this guy.” Riley grins as she squeezes my hand. “He’s been my saving grace lately.”

“Well, I’d suggest you keep him around,” she replies with a wink. Something in her expression shifts and her face slides into a neutral one, giving nothing away. “Your blood pressure is still higher than your baseline, so I think I’d like to start you on medication for it as a precautionary measure. We want to keep you and the baby safe for the duration of your pregnancy.” She pauses, her lips pursing for a second. “Although he would survive if he came now, our goal is to keep him in as long as we can.”

“What could be causing her blood pressure to be higher?”

The doctor sits upright on her stool, her head tilting back to look at me. “The cause of hypertension is still a mystery. We know of risk factors, but Riley has none of them. Other than PoTS, she’s completely healthy.” She pauses, looking at Riley and back to me. “She’s at risk of developing preeclampsia, which can be a life-threatening condition marked by high bloodpressure. We’re monitoring her closely so we can catch it early if that is the case.”

What the hell?

Why hasn’t Riley told me any of this? When she said her blood pressure has been a little higher, she didn’t once clue me in on the severity of it. She didn’t explain what could really happen.

“Did you know all of this?” I ask Riley, my eyes desperately searching hers.

She nods. “They explained it to me when they first noticed my blood pressure.” She pauses, squeezing my hand again. “They’ve been great about monitoring everything.”

I believe her, but at the same time, I want to know more. I want to know everything. What actually happens? What can happen? The good, the bad, and everything I need to be keeping an eye out for.

“What can I do to help keep her safe?”

The doctor smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent it from progressing. At this point, making sure she takes the medication I’m prescribing her and that she doesn’t overdo it. I would also like you to start taking note of your blood pressure daily at home,” she adds in to Riley.

“And the medication won’t hurt the baby?”

“She wouldn’t give me something that would harm him,” Riley tells me, her voice soft.

I look directly at the doctor, waiting for an answer from her.

“It will not hurt him,” she assures me, nodding with amusement in her eyes. “While we do prioritize the health of the mother, we will not put the baby at risk unless it is our last possible option.”

Relief overwhelms me at the thought of the medication not harming him, but I don’t like her last sentence. Actually, it justleaves me feeling conflicted, which has my stomach knotting itself. I like that they prioritize her and at the same time, don’t like that the baby is secondary. It’s quite conflicting. Without Riley, there is no baby and I would be lying if I said she hasn’t become extremely important to me.

Her survival is vital… even if it puts the baby at risk.

“Are we good to go then?” Riley asks the doctor as she moves to sit up. I quickly release her hand, sliding my arm around her back to help her into a seated position.

The doctor looks back and forth between us as she bites back a grin. “Yep.” She nods, standing up from her stool. “I want to see you back in two weeks.” She looks directly at me. “I’m counting on you to take care of her.”

“I will,” I nod, promising her as Riley and I stand up together, “I promise I’ll keep her safe.” Her hand instantly finds mine and I glance down at her, my chest constricting.

I’ll always take care of her and she’ll always be safe with me…

They both will.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

RILEY

Nash

I’ll be there in fifteen minutes to pick you up.

Istare at my phone, shaking my head as I read over Nash’s message again. After my appointment this morning, he came and dropped me off at his sister’s house. He wouldn’t tell me why—only that he needed me out of the house for a few hours.

“Hello? Is anyone home?!”

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