Page 44 of Briggs
“Better. I guess I should have realized he wasn’t abandoning me permanently. We’ve been through so much together, and when he was just sleeping and wouldn’t wake up, I freaked out a little.” I sighed. “Okay, a lot. My emotions are all over the place, and I’m not sure how to deal with them. I’ve never been an overly emotional person before.”
“Dr. Swift is going to help with that, I believe,” Dr. Braun said as he looked to the side toward Dr. Swift’s desk.
“I am. I personally have no experience with pregnancy as I’m an alpha. Yes, my mate has been pregnant, but anything I could have said wouldn’t have been from firsthand experience.”
“I get it. And I’m not upset about you asking Dr. Braun. I appreciate all that the two of you have been doing for me.”
“The entire team is here for you,” Dr. Braun said. “I’m always happy to answer any questions from a formerly pregnant omega’s perspective. Or if you have any questions or discussions that you feel more comfortable asking me.”
“Thank you,” I told him. I remember the first time I met Dr. Braun. He was quite pregnant with his and Dr. Bennett’s first baby. I smiled at the memory of the giant stuffed dragon that Dr. Braun’s parents had sent them for the nursery. Their baby happened to be a little gargoyle, but it made sense with Dr. Braun being a dragon shifter.
“You’re very welcome. Just call the clinic if you have any questions for me. If I’m in a session, Henry will take a message for me and get it to me when I’m finished.”
“I will. You’ve already made me feel better about things. I was freaking out because he’s always been there, even in the horrible situations I’ve been in, and now that we have something to be happy about, he’s sleeping through it.”
Dr. Braun smiled. “Trust me, he’ll be back. And he’ll be so excited about the baby.”
I sure hoped so. I looked over at Briggs, who pulled me closer. “He will. I have no experience since I’m not an omega, and I’ve never been pregnant before, but I am sure you have nothing to worry about when it comes to him never returning. I just wish you would not have hidden that from me. I can’t help if you keep things from me.”
I sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll work on letting you in completely. I know I shouldn’t keep things from you because it hurts our bond.” I had no reason not to trust Briggs completely.He’d been there for me from the first time he’d met me. He’d offered to bring a friend as a chaperone during our run so I would feel more comfortable around him. He’d taken care of me and had been such a gentleman during our first date and what led to our claiming and then my raging heat that I honestly didn’t expect. He’d brought me tea when I was sick and called the doctor when I needed help. He’d been perfect, yet I still held back a small part of me. Why? I thought about it for a moment, and everything kept pointing to because I didn’t want to lose him. He meant so much to me, and I’d already fallen in love with the alpha who had been gifted to me, but I wasn’t sure I was worthy of him. Briggs was amazing, and I was…broken.
Dr. Braun got up and left the room, smiling at the doorway before disappearing. Dr. Swift took his place and looked at me expectantly. “I feel we should discuss some more on what has been going on. It seems as if you aren’t coping with your emotions as you should.”
I groaned. “I’m trying.” I looked over at Briggs. “At least I think I am.” My mate nodded, which caused me to smile. I pointed in the direction of my mate. “See? Even he says I’m doing better. And I am. But I still cry at stupid things that I can’t explain. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. One minute, I’m fine; the next minute, I spill my juice, and I start bawling instead of pouring more juice.”
“Have you been doing the morning meditation that I recommended after I saw you at your place two weeks ago?”
I winced. “I try, but I feel dumb doing it. I know it’s not dumb and that nobody can see me but Briggs, but I just don’t feel connected with it.”
Dr. Swift nodded slowly and wrote something on his tablet before looking back up at us. “All right. How about exercise? I understand you can’t go for a run in your cheetah form, and that’s probably a huge adjustment for you, but how about thetwo of you going for a daily walk? It’s still somewhat nice out up on Treasure Ridge, is it not?”
I nodded. “Briggs had to go back to work, so he’s gone most of the day.” Had that also been part of my feeling off-balance? I had just gotten my mate, and he’d already had to go back to work. Granted, he’d been off for a full month and had only been back a week, but this past week I’d felt much more disjointed than before.
Dr. Swift nodded and wrote something else down. “How about you?” he asked. “Have you thought about returning to work? There’s probably no better place to be than at work with the doctor who will be treating you while pregnant. Have you considered taking your mind off of spilled juice by occupying it at work? The two of you could walk in together in the morning, and when Briggs is finished, you could walk home together. That gives you two walks as well as something to occupy your time with. You could ask Dr. King all of your questions regarding pregnancy.”
“I have been feeling better. The tea really helps me not be so nauseous.”
Briggs leaned in and kissed my forehead. “If you want to return to work, you are more than welcome to do so. If you wish to stay home, I’m fully behind that as well. I could have taken more time off if you wanted or needed, but like you said, you seem to be doing better. If you need me though, I can extend my leave.”
I shook my head. “I’m doing better. I just…cry.” I looked over at Dr. Swift. “I’ve never been this emotional. We weren’t that type of family. And then when you showed emotion while I was held captive, you paid for it.”
“I remember you mentioned that before. Perhaps you are finally in a place that you feel you can let everything out. You’re in a safe, stable relationship, and you have your mate and arepregnant. Do you feel as if that might be part if not all of it? It is true that pregnancy can and does affect the emotions because your hormones fluctuate so much. But maybe it’s because of your mate and how he makes you feel?”
Briggs was staring down at me with a smile on his face. When I looked at him, I saw no judgment, only someone who cared. He’d been there for me so much in such a short time. And he had tried to stay home longer, but I’d pushed him to go back because he was supposed to. But now? If I didn’t know better, I’d say that my mate, my alpha, was looking at me with love in his gaze.
I cleared my throat and looked back at Dr. Swift. “Yeah, probably. Briggs makes me feel safe and cared for. He’s always doing things for me, even without me having to ask. I’ve never had anything like what I do with him. And I’ve never felt like this.”
Dr. Swift looked as if he was going to say something but instead stopped. His eyes moved to Briggs before they returned to me.
“I understand that you’ve stated that meditation doesn’t seem to be for you, and that’s fine. It’s truly not for everyone. I would like for you to, at a minimum, try the daily walks. Drink the tea that Dr. King has given you.”
“Which one?”
“The one that makes you a bit sleepy.”
I scowled. I knew the tea was to help me relax, and it did. But it also made me sleepy. “If I drink it, how will I go back to work? I’ll do no good if Dr. King has to do my job for me while I’m sleeping in the break room or one of the exam rooms.”
“Does it make you that sleepy though? Or is it that you simply don’t have anything else to occupy your time or mind because your mate is at work and you simply lie down and fall asleep because your mind is finally relaxed?”
