Page 40 of The Doctor's Promise
“We showed him, Mousie.” Mouse licked her hand, and Noemi bent to kiss her dog’s furry head. “Glad you’re here though.”
She walked back to the car, and despite her bravado, locked herself and Mouse in as she drove to the hospital. She opened the backdoor of the car and put Mouse in the lockable dog cage, making sure she had enough water and fussing over her. “I won’t be too long, bubba.”
She snuckup to Gynecology and found her friend Joan, the head nurse. She told her news and asked her if she would scan her. “Just to be sure. I took a fall the other day, and I just want to check.”
Joan grinned at her, obviously delighted for her. “Of course. I warn you though, if it’s only a month or so, then all we’ll see is the gestational sac, so don’t ask me what sex he or she is.”
Noemi grinned. “I won’t. Can we do a pregnancy test too? I mean I took a bunch, but it never seems official until it’s done by the hospital.”
Joan rolled her eyes. “You nerd. Fine, come with me. I assume you’re not telling anyone yet?”
“Not yet.”
A few minutes later, Joan smiled at her. “Well, you’re definitely preggo. Let’s see what we can see on this sucker.”
She squirted cold gel on Noemi’s belly and started the scan. “Well, sweetie, you’re about six weeks, a little more than you thought.”
Noemi was surprised but nodded. “Not impossible.”
Joan grinned at her. “Planned?”
“Not exactly but wanted.”
Joan was grinning mischievously. “Really? Both of them?”
Noemi’s eyes widened. “What?”
Joan moved the screen around. “Congrats Momma… you’re having twins.”
Noemi burst into tears, half-laughing, half-crying. “Oh, my God… twins? Really?”
“Really. One. Two.” She pointed out the tiny embryos. “Good news?”
Noemi nodded, unable to speak. Joan hugged her then cleaned her up. “I’ll give you a moment.”
“Thanks, Joanie.”
When she was alone, Noemi took out her phone and called Rafa. She got his voicemail but didn’t want to tell him on a message. “Sweetie, I know you’re working, but I’m coming over. I have some news. Some very good news.”
She went back downto the parking lot, unlocked Mouse’s cage, and got the dog out to walk her around. Mouse was delighted to see her as if she hadn’t seen her for days rather than forty-five minutes. Noemi walked her around until the dog peed, then loaded her back up and drove into the city. She knew Rafa wouldn’t mind if Mouse came into his office with her, and so she got out, clicked on the leash and started to walk to the elevator.
The skin on the back of her neck prickled, and she turned, scanning the parking lot. The feeling of being watched was back—but she knew that was ridiculous. The guy in the park, the intruders at Lake Tahoe… why on earth would any of them be here? Mouse didn’t seem to be upset at all.
Man, pregnancy hormones are making me crazy, she told herself as she walked to the elevator.
As she rode up, Mouse sitting patiently next to her, Noemi put a hand on her belly. Twins. She could barely believe it. She was still smiling when she said hello to Rafa’s assistant Mary.
“You can go in; they’re just chatting.”
Noemi thanked her but still knocked. Rafa stood and came to meet her. “Hey, beautiful.”
Zani looked relieved at the interruption—he got up and kissed her cheek. “Savior,” he muttered and disappeared out of the room. Noemi chuckled as Rafa closed the door, giving them some privacy. He mussed Mouse’s fur and grinned at Noemi.
“This is a lovely surprise.”
Noemi beamed at him. “I hope I’m about to give you another. I went to the hospital and had a scan. I’m definitely pregnant; all is doing well… and by all, I mean…” She grinned as she built it up. “… both of them are doing fine.”
“Twins?” Rafa’s eyes widened, and he laughed. “We’re having twins?”
