Page 1 of Julian

CHAPTER ONE

“Kiara Reynolds?”

At the sound of her name, Kiara looked up from the book she was reading on her phone. A woman stood near the reception desk with a warm smile on her face.

Getting up, Kiara approached her, hoping her nerves didn’t show too much.

“Kiara?”

At her nod, the woman’s smile grew. “I’m Janessa. Nice to meet you.”

Janessa led her down a hallway, then stopped by an open door. “Here we go. You said when you called for an appointment that you’re pregnant?”

“Yes,” Kiara said with a nod, clutching her hands together. “I’ve had a positive pregnancy test at home.”

Several of them, in fact. It had been hard to believe that the first one was right, so she’d taken more over the days that followed. All of them had been positive.

Janessa asked her a few questions, then had her go into the bathroom to pee in a cup. Kiara didn’t think there was any doubt she was pregnant, but she did as requested.

When she came out, Janessa took her weight and her blood pressure before taking her to an examination room. “Doctor Misha will be with you in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

It had taken longer than it probably should have for her to make an appointment to see a doctor. But since she was headingtowards the end of her first trimester, she knew it was necessary. As soon as she’d realized she might be pregnant, she’d read up on what was good and what was bad for pregnant women.

Not drinking hadn’t been a problem. She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol since the night she’d spent with Julian. Consuming less coffee hadn’t been great, but she’d managed to cut back to a cup every couple of days.

There was a light rap on the door, then it swung open. A woman wearing a forest-green pantsuit stepped in. She was a beautiful Black woman with a warm smile and kind eyes.

“Hello,” she said as she approached Kiara. “I’m Doctor Misha.”

“I’m Kiara Reynolds,” Kiara said as she shook the hand the doctor held out to her.

Doctor Misha sat down at the desk and turned her full attention to Kiara. “So, you are, as you suspected, pregnant.”

Kiara nodded. “I figured it was either that or I’m dying.”

The doctor’s eyebrows lifted at that. “So where are you at with this? How are you feeling?”

“Miserable.”

“Physically? Emotionally?”

Kiara gripped her hands together. Did she dare to be honest? “Both.”

“I see.” There was no judgment in the doctor’s expression, only compassion and concern. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about the circumstances of your pregnancy?”

Kiara pressed a hand to her stomach as it gave a lurch. She breathed through the feeling, then exhaled heavily.

“I got pregnant after a night of drinking with a man who is the brother of my adopted sister.”

Doctor Misha’s dark brown eyes widened. “That sounds complicated.”

“It is.” Kiara hesitated, then said, “Can I trust you?”

“Yes, of course,” the doctor said. “Whatever you tell me stays between the two of us.”

Kiara took a deep breath and plunged in, explaining everything, glad that the doctor didn’t seem rushed. She gave all the details, without giving actual names. But apparently, that didn’t matter.