Page 40 of Tinley's Daddy
I chuckled and sat back down.
“No, I’m fine.” I rubbed my chin. I needed a shave.
“You look tired.” She swung her legs back and forth. “When’s the last time you slept?”
“What month is it?” I looked at my phone as a distraction from my own brain.
“Well, I have a prescription for you.” Maria pulled a prescription pad and pen out of her other pocket. She scribbled and talked around the candy in her mouth. “You need to get a good night’s sleep. A few of them and then you spend time with Tinley. Just be consistent. Remind her every minute how amazing she is and let yourself feel everything it is you feel about her. Nothing that happened to her prevents her from being loved. Remind her of that, too.”
“You are so wise for a little brat.” I laid my head back and closed my eyes.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Maria laughed and munched her candy.
The door to the doctor’s office opened with a creak. Dr. Anna stepped out and Tinley followed her. She looked less scared and lighter. I sat up. She came over and sat next to me.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded and then gestured toward Dr. Anna.
“So Tinley wanted me to give you a little assurance so you will stop worrying.” Dr. Anna sat in the chair next to Maria and tapped on an iPad she had on her lap.
“Physically, Tinley is fine. No signs of permanent damage. She had a broken rib that healed well and a broken wrist that was set properly and healed a few months ago. It’s understandable it still bothers her, but no lasting issues there.”
My heart sank.
“Her heart is fine. We did a CAT scan as well. I will have my radiologist review it, but I don’t suspect any issues. I drew some blood and will know more about any deficiencies. I am prescribing some supplements and vitamins. She needs to get her weight up. Eat,” she pointed at Tinley. She nodded.
“Uhm, we did a little procedure.”
Tinley rubbed the inside of her arm.
“She had an implant that we removed. So it will be irritated for a while. Make sure you wash it and put some antibiotic ointment, and it will be fine in a few days.”
“What kind of implant?”
The whole room looked up at me as if I had rabbit ears growing out of my head.
“Birth control implant,” Tinley whispered. “I don’t want anything of theirs in me anymore.”
I stared into her eyes. She searched my face, waiting for a response. This time I said out loud what I had been holding back in for a while.
“Brave girl.”
CHAPTER 13
TINLEY
Itried to keep the smile from taking over my whole face. I loved being good and brave for him. Maria asked me if I wanted to discuss other forms of birth control, but she said I didn’t have to decide right now.
“I’m so glad everything checked out okay.” Maria stood up. “If you feel up to it, we can spend a few minutes chatting before you go.”
“Yes. I’d like that.” I pulled my eyes away from Josh and his beautiful bright eyes and found Maria halfway down the hall.
“I’ll be right back.” I stood up but paused and looked back down.
“I’ll be right here.” Josh patted the couch.
I knew he wouldn’t leave me, but I needed to hear him say it again. I had become so attached to him. I wanted him to come into the exam room with me, but it would have been weird. It was unnatural for me to be so attached to him. A stranger. A man, but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t fair to him either.
