Page 20 of Dubious Match
“It’ll get in the way of snuggling,” Damon mutters.
“Possibly,” I say. I’ve never snuggled with anyone in my entire life, so I don’t know what I’m missing. “Or, you can learn to share the pillow so it’s like you’re snuggling together. It also could give you more room to be closer to her while using the pillow.”
Kane is an oversharer, and asked if he could still use her stomach as a pillow. I think it’s adorable, though the red haired alpha is clearly fucking scary to the rest of the world.
“I’ll look at pillows today,” Morris murmurs. “I have a question about food…”
Adira makes a face at that, and I know they’re worried about her eating enough. She’s gaining weight appropriately, so I’m not worried yet. She told me that she has a problem with texture, and that sometimes it can be difficult for her to eat things like eggs and such.
“Hit me with it,” I say, waiting for the question to be along the lines discussed above.
“She’s currently obsessed with fruit jam and cream cheese on toast. Are there any issues with canned jam?” he asks.
“None unless you’re canning at home,” I say. “It’s something about the process of making jam that can introduce bacteria into the food that pregnant women shouldn’t have.”
“No, this is commercially produced jams,” he confirms.
“I also wouldn’t worry about how much or little Adira is eating,” I say. “She’s gaining weight, and a lot of new moms haveissues with keeping food down during pregnancy. She should trust her gut. It’s also normal to stick to certain foods that feel safe to her. Any nausea happening, Adira?”
“Sometimes, if I don’t eat fast enough in the morning,” she admits.
“Low blood sugar can cause morning sickness,” I confess. “If you can eat saltines, keep them by your bedside and reach for a couple in the morning. That’s enough to help equalize you until you have breakfast.”
“That’s why I feel like shit?” she asks, gaping at me.
“The body is a mysterious thing,” I tease with a chuckle. “If you wake up in the middle of the night, a saltine cracker will help if you’re hungry then too. It’s all about trying to stay ahead of your blood sugar. Once it’s crashed, it’s harder to manage.”
“Okay,” she says determinedly. “It’s nice to know that I can stop it.”
“Anything else?” I ask.
“You pretty much answered anything I had with that,” Jed says with a nod.
The other guys agree, and I close up my medical bag.
“Then I’ll see you next time,” I say brightly.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Morris asks.
“Nooo? Am I?” I ask, confused.
“Here,” Morris says, handing me a check. “We did our trial run, and you’re perfect for us, Nova. Nothing fazed you when it comes to our questions, and you practically fucking pet the woven material Kane showed you like it was a puppy.”
“I mean, it’s super pretty,” I say, smirking as Kane laughs.
Glancing at the amount, my jaw drops.
“That’s way too much,” I say, looking up at them. “I can’t take this!”
I charge six thousand dollars for a home birth, and it’s typically collected over the course of my time with the family. The amount on this check is three times that.
“I don’t care,” Adira says. “I mean, I have no idea what the amount is, that’s all on the guys. However, I don’t feel comfortable around many people, much less to allow them to touch me the way I need someone to during this pregnancy. Okay, that sounded really creepy, but you know what I mean.”
Ugh, I’m starting to leak. Sniffling, I shake my head. My van needs service, new tires, brakes, and a shit ton of maintenance that I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for. I log a lot of miles on that thing. I bought it used the second I was able to five years ago, but even back then it was well loved.
The travel van lets me comfortably live in it when necessary, and I’ve spent the last few years modifying it myself. I’m very self sufficient when I need to be, which is why I know exactly how much I’m going to need to do the maintenance necessary for it.
“I just…” Pressing my lips together, I shake my head. “This is so nice.”
