His words held so much meaning, and I knew this was only the beginning of something I never in a million years expected to happen.

“We need to get you to the doctor,” he said, making me raise my head.

“What? I’m fine.”

“Well, we’re going to make sure.”

“Calm down. I’m sure the baby’s fine,” I said softly, reaching over to squeeze Kellon’s hand.

His leg bounced up and down, and he kept scrolling on his phone, looking up worst-case scenarios. His worrying was cute. I never had anyone besides Lolo be this concerned about me.

“If that doctor doesn’t walk in here soon, you’re gonna shake the whole room apart,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“My bad,” he muttered with his eyes fixed on the floor. “I’m just nervous. What if we did something wrong? What if I hurt you or the baby?” His voice dropped. He was scared, and it broke my heart. “I couldn’t live with that, Phee.”

I scooted closer, curling my fingers into his. “You didn’t do anything that I didn’t enjoy. I’m okay. Baby Phileigh Cheese is okay.”

“You sure? You’re not worried?”

I shook my head. “No. You’re clearly worried enough for the both of us.”

He looked up at me, and a little smile appeared on his face.

“How did you hear about this place anyway?”

“One of my teammates—Cam. He and his wife Elli have twins, and she’s pregnant again. She said this doctor was a godsend, especially when she was hormonal and freaking out.”

“So you told a teammate about me?” I questioned.

“I asked a hypothetical question and told him we’d chop the shit later.” He looked up at me with a curious look on his face. “Why? Do you have a problem with me telling people about you?”

Before I could respond, the door opened. A tall, mahogany-hued woman in a white coat stepped in with a warm smile that immediately put me at ease. Her skin was the same rich brown as mine, and there was something comforting in that.

“Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Gaines. You must be Phileigh. And you…” She turned to Kellon with a knowing grin. “…are Kellon Barnes.”

“That’s us,” I said, returning her smile.

“Well, first, go Warhawks,” she said with a wink at Kellon. “Congrats on the win. And second, congrats on the baby.”

We both grinned, and I stared at Kellon when he didn’t correct her. Instead, he smiled and said thank you like a proud dad. It warmed my heart and gave me pause at the same time. He was really serious about being a part of our lives.

“So, it says you’re visiting from out of town and had a few concerns. What are they?”

I fidgeted. My cheeks heated up with embarrassment, but Kellon jumped right in.