Page 31 of Forbidden Dunk

“About that,” the doctor said, taking a seat next to the bed. “You and the baby are fine. However, I would very much advise that you take the remainder of your pregnancy very lightly. As little stress and anxiety as possible. You weren’t having contractions, exactly, but your body was protecting itself over everything going on in your life.”

“I caused this?”

“No, Marketa, but outside circumstances did. I’m not sure what’s all happening, but I can tell you that it’s triggering this. And if you keep on this path, you’re likely to lose your baby. Now, I want to keep you for a little while longer, just to make sure everything is okay. But I will get the release papers done. I also want you to come to my office for at least weekly checkups.”

“Yes, Doctor Maggie. My boyfriend, Shawn, is outside. Can he come in so I can talk to him about this? He’s the baby’s daddy.”

The door opened and I glanced over to see my dad walk in, his eyes bouncing from the doctor to me.

“Mr. Jones,” she said. “Marketa, we weren’t the ones not to allow him in. Your dad was and he said Shawn couldn’t be in your room.”

I snapped my eyes back to my dad, the anger sizzling, even though the doctor just told me to be mindful of things like this.

“What the hell, Dad?” I screamed, wanting to throw something at him. “You need to stop being so protective! I told you Shawn wasn’t the bad guy, but you sure as fuck are!”

Chapter 19

Shawn

Icouldn’t say if I was a believer in God, or any god, honestly. My mom raised me in a Christian home. I did believe in a higher power, that was for sure. And whoever was up there listening, that’s all I had been talking to for the last four days, making sure all was going to be okay.

I couldn’t lose Marketa, and I couldn’t lose my baby.

In that room, lying on a bed, was my future. I didn’t want to tell her that because the last thing I wanted to do was scare her away.

But she was everything I wanted in a partner. And she would only ever showcase the best thing for our kids.

She was strong, smart, resilient, unafraid, courageous, and beautiful. Amongst that, she was also playful and charming. You would have to be dumb to not want someone like that. So, yes, I was going to do what I had to do to keep that woman right by my side. Her dad be damned.

I’m not even sure how he managed to block me from getting in. I’m sure he told the nurses something, but because he got to them before I did, or before Marketa could tell them, I’m sure they had no choice but to listen to him.

I also fully believe that she doesn’t know that. So, I did the next best thing I could to let her know I was here. I sent her stuff that would make her happy, that would cheer her up, that would let her know I wasn’t leaving. I just wish she would answer her damn text.

I lifted my head from the back of the couch that I had used as my personal bed since I got here. Well, minus the times I had to rush home to shower, or they kicked me out for the end of visiting hours. Honestly, I had to laugh that they never allowed me back. They all talked to me, gave me some brief updates on her, but that was it.

“What are you doing here?”

“Coach,” I said, jumping out of my current bed.

“That won’t be for long. I’m going to make sure you’re traded far away from here. My daughter is in this mess because of you.”

“What mess? The hospital?”

“Yes. And being pregnant. It’s all your damn fault. So do share why you’re here.”

“Because that’s my woman that’s in that hospital room and I have every right to be here, just like you. You don’t think you’re the only one to care about her, do you?”

I watched him, watched his stance. I know I needed to step up, to make this man see what his daughter meant to me. I couldn’t tell him that I loved Marketa before I told her, but I would lay it all out on the line, and maybe he could stop being a dick about everything.

Though, as that was his nature in a lot of ways, I wasn’t holding out too much hope on that one.

“Sit down, Coach Jones.” I moved the blankets off the couch and sat down, waiting for him to as well. This was the olive branch I was going to extend to him, but it was his job to pick it up. After a few moments, he sat down.

“I don’t have anywhere else to be, so this should be a good story.”

“You kept me out of that room, and I get why. But just because I wasn’t there doesn’t mean I didn’t know what was going on. The nurses made sure to pass along tidbits, but they followed your request quite well. However, I knew she was going through a rough time. So, I did the only thing I could, I brought her happiness.

“Your daughter has simple tastes, but there’s a lot of things she loves. The juices, the flowers, the stuffed animals; they’re things she adores. I didn’t have to be in the room to know they brought a smile to her face. And if for just a few moments I could ease her worry and take away her pain, I was going to.

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