Page 149 of The Chaos She Brings

I jolt upright.

A man in his late sixties smiles warmly, motioning for us tofollow him.

We step into a sterile room. I won’t bother describing it—you know what a doctor’s office looks like.

“Please, take a seat,” he says, gesturing toward the chair in the centre. You know the one—the kind with stirrups designed to expose your pussy for the room's viewing pleasure.

ThankfuckI don’t have to do that today.

I gulp and obey, my nerves coiling tight. Kai’s fingers lace through mine, quietly reassuring, while we wait. Every second the doctor spends tapping at his computer is excruciating.

Finally, he looks up with a too-bright smile. “So, looks like you’re here for a pregnancy check-up?”

I nod.

“Alright. Based on your timeline, we should be able to do an ultrasound. Sound good?”

Kinda why we’re here. So, yes.

“Yes, please,” I say instead.

He instructs me to roll up my top. The first drop of gel hits my stomach, and I yelp.

The doctor chuckles as he glides the ultrasound wand—thing?—over my stomach, pressing harder than expected. Then—

“Yep, definitely a baby in there.”

My brain flatlines.

The doctor turns the screen toward us.

“What am I looking at?” I ask, panic creeping in when I see nothing but static.

Kai leans in, brow furrowed.

The doctor chuckles. “Most people struggle at first. Here”—he points at a tiny blob—“that’s your baby.”

I stare, awestruck.

“You’re about two months along. Have you decided what you want to do?”

We took weeks to process this before coming here. We’ve hadeveryconversation, explored every option. But despite all that, we haven’t reached a decision.

Keep it? Adoption? Abortion? Even thinking about the last one tightens my chest.

I glance at Kai, searching for an answer. But his eyes are fixed on the screen, lips parted in a small ‘o’.

“We’re having a baby,” he breathes, almost to himself.

Then his gaze drops to mine.

“Are we doing this?” I whisper, needing to hear him say it. The second I saw the screen, the second it becamereal, I knew—Ican’tgive this baby up. No matter who the father is.

Kai nods, cupping my cheeks and kissing me—notas chastely as he probably should, given the doctor is right there, but the man does a good job ignoring us.

“Doyouwant this?” Kai asks, his thumb stroking my cheek.

I nod.