“Oh, but…” She touched her daughter’s back.

“No, Mommy. I want Ryan!” Nova cried.

“It’s okay,” her dad said from right behind me. “Ryan can come with us.” One of his hands landed on my shoulder, the other stroking over Nova’s blond head. “Don’t worry, princess. We’re going to make you feel all better, and Ryan can stay with you the whole time if he wants to.”

“I want to,” I rushed to assure her, continuing to rub her back. “I’m not going to leave you. I promise.”

In the back of the limo, I held Nova the entire ride to the hospital. Halfway there, she fell asleep, but as soon as the car stopped, her head lifted and she started to whine a little. Her dad got out and then helped Felicity out before reaching back in for Nova. The second she was out of my arms, something painful happened in my chest, and all I could think was that I needed her back. Now!

“No, Daddy!” she cried, wiggling in his arms. “I want Ryan!”

“Shh, princess. I’ll let you have Ryan as soon as he gets out,” Jet promised. “But he can’t hold you and climb out without dropping you.”

I heard her sniffle, and I got out of the limo as fast as I could. Once I was standing on the ground, I held out my arms, and Jet gave me a grim kind of smile as he placed her back in my safekeeping. As soon as Nova was wrapped around me once again, the pain I felt without her eased.

Nova snuggled against me, her slight weight feeling right in some strange way as I carried her toward the door where Mom and our guards were already waiting. Her parents followed me and stayed close as we walked into the exam room without having to see anyone else. As soon as the door closed behind us all, it opened again.

A woman in dark green pants and a white doctor’s coat walked in with a huge smile on her face. I stiffened, tightening my hold on Nova even more.

“Nope,” Mom told her. “We’ll see the other doctor on duty, please.”

“Excuse me. Mrs. Vitucci,” the doctor said, her smile a whole lot less bright this time. “My colleague is busy at the moment. He asked me—”

“I don’t give two fucks what he asked you. Everyone is aware that my son is uncomfortable with a female doctor. You will send in the other doctor, or I’ll have to make a call and let your boss know we weren’t taken care of as we should have been.” Mom took a single step in the woman’s direction, causing her to gulp and take several backward. “You have exactly two minutes.”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” the doctor hastened to mutter, already opening the door and practically running from the room.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hating that my fear of adult women had caused Nova to have to wait longer to see a doctor.