A woman with a gigantic pregnant belly glares at me. I don’t know why she seems irritated. She’ll be lucky if her kid ends up anything like me. I’ve made it to seventeen without dying, first of all, which I’m not sure my parents even expected.

“So,” he says. “Why were you so adamant about making this appointment now?”

I bite my lip. Technically, I don’t need to see a gynecologist. I’m not dating anyone. My chances of losing my virginity haven’t magically increased recently. But Dr. Khan, my HIV doctor, recommended that I see a gynecologist if I have questions, and, well, I do.

I can’t exactly tell my dad the other part of the truth—that I want to know more about sex because of a hot guy at school. There’s nothing going on between us, but still. I can hope, can’t I?

“It’s not bad that you wanted to come,” he says, tugging me out of my thoughts. “I just want to know what struck your interest.”

“Um. I’m just—you know,” I say. “Curious and a little nervous. I want to ask questions, like I told you. I feel like I don’t know anything, and Dr. Khan said this would be a good idea.”

“You’ll have the chance to ask questions,” he says. “I promise. I’ve spoken to Dr. Walker tons of times. She’s very good at what she does, and I figured seeing a woman would make you more comfortable.”

“Simone Garcia-Hampton?”

The nurse seems nice enough, and I’m grateful that she doesn’t make any chitchat with my dad right away. I get up, walking stiffly through the door. Dad presses a hand against my back, guiding me behind the nurse.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Dr. Garcia,” she says, flashing my father a smile as we enter the examination room. Since she doesn’t say anything to me, I just hop up on the table without a word. “How have things been over at St. Mary’s?”

“Excellent,” Dad says, smiling back. “And how is little Jason?”

I guess I wasn’t spared the chitchat after all. It seems like everyone working in the medical field has seen Dad at the hospital or at a doctor’s appointment—or he has delivered one of their children.

“Getting bigger every day,” she says, flipping through my file. “Okay, Simone. Dr. Walker is going to come in and do a breast exam and check a bunch of other things. We aren’t going to do a vaginal exam today, though.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank Go—”

“Goodness,” Dad says, giving me a pointed look. “You’re thanking goodness, aren’t you?”