Page 18 of Dubious Match
I have five minutes to get to Adira’s home, and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it. This is one of the downsides to scheduling appointments and having to maneuver through traffic to make all of them.
I have four moms that I’m currently seeing, but one is closer to giving birth than the others. The beta in question was having some really rough Braxton Hicks, and since it’s her first baby,she was concerned. I popped over to see her, but it put me behind.
Still, I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Picking up the phone, I call Jed, one of Adira’s alphas to let him know what’s going on.
“Nova? Are you okay?”he asks.
I love that that was his first question. He could have easily been an asshole. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I gaze in dismay at the shit storm that is happening in front of me.
“I’m as alright as I can be while being stuck in gridlock. I had to check on a mom that wasn’t planned for today and it put me behind. I’m so sorry?—”
“Nova, don’t apologize for doing your job,”Jed says. “Take a few breaths for me, and stay safe, okay?”
“Thanks, Jed. I will,” I say. “See you soon, hopefully.”
“See you whenever you get here,”Jed corrects, hanging up the phone.
Feeling a bit better about how late I’m running, I concentrate on driving, even managing to take a back road that gets me to the house faster. Pulling up through the driveway, I sigh with relief. The gates opened smoothly when I approached, I didn’t have to wait.
Now to get my anxiety under control.
“We’re good, girl,” I murmur, turning off the car. “No one is mad at you, we’re all good.”
My parents were abusive. They’d yell at me over everything, and told me I was nothing. As soon as I was able to, I became a doula at sixteen, graduated high school early, and started school to become a midwife.
The ins and outs of things were a little hair-raising because I also left home at sixteen and lived out of my car, but I managed to make it work. Once I was licensed, I started a traveling practice as a midwife to get far away from Ithaca, New York.
Small town, lots of secrets. I’m so glad I’m no longer there.
Somehow, I worry that they’re still looking for me, and it’s not a good feeling. Smoothing my hair down, I grab my medical bag and get out of the vehicle. In my hurry, I almost trip over my long, flowy skirt.
My parents were really strict, so the second I left home, I went in the opposite direction of A-line skirts and formal dresses. They were very insistent on having my hair bleached blonde, and they always seemed to hate my eye color.
I’ve been wearing brown contacts since I was ten years old. Now, I can ditch that stuff and I have rainbow streaks in my waist long hair. I love how my gray-blue eyes remind me of stormy skies, and often change color based on how I feel. I get to live as my authentic self every day. They would hate my natural, boho look.
Closing the door to the van carefully, I take some cleansing breaths while I walk up to the front door. I don’t want my nervous energy to affect Adira or her pack. They seem to be getting more anxious with each passing appointment, and she’s currently four months pregnant.
We have a long way to go, and the guys always have a new concern for me when I come by. Honestly, it’s kind of cute the way they worry about how many kicks Adira should be feeling, and if something is a hiccup or a contraction. It’s way too soon for contractions, but I have a feeling she may have Braxton Hicks later in the pregnancy.
My hunches are rarely wrong.
Starting to feel better as my inner mantras help ease my blood pressure and anxiety over inconveniencing my client, I knock on the door. Morris answers with a smile, his gaze open and happy. Every visit, I get the feeling that they’re settling more into their relationships with Adira. She told me they weretaking everything day by day and that pregnancy was a little unexpected.
I can tell though that they’re all very excited for this baby. She and her best friend are both pregnant, and I have a feeling that they’re supporting each other through things. Quinn is also one of my expectant moms. I’m hoping that they don’t trigger each other into giving birth at the same time because they aren’t that far apart.
I’ve seen it happen before.
“Come in,” Morris says. “That accident on Firestone Street is messing with everyone’s commute. I’m glad you got here safely.”
Since I live alone with my cat, it’s nice to hear someone say that.
“Thanks, Morris. I’m going to need to find another route home. Gridlock traffic and I aren’t friends,” I say with a small smile.
My poor van and my brakes especially hate it.
Walking through the house with Morris, I find Adira in the living room with her pack.
