The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 273

Chapter 242: Pregnancy-1

Caleb pov

Bella rolled her eyes slightly, but she was still holding my hand tight. “I am a person, Caleb, not a science project.”

“You are a person growing a baby,” Dr. Okafor reminded her with a small laugh. “Listen to him, Bella. He is just worried.”

Dr. Okafor reached for a small plastic bottle on her desk and slid it over to Bella. “Along with the aspirin, I am adding an extra iron pill.”

“Does it taste like metal?” Bella asked, wrinkling her nose as she picked up the bottle. “The last ones made me so sick when I was pregnant with Grace.”

“These are much gentler on the stomach,” Dr. Okafor promised, leaning back in her chair. “Take them with orange juice in the morning, not coffee. The juice helps your body take it in.”

“No coffee at all?” Bella asked, her voice dropping.

“One small cup a day is fine,” Dr. Okafor smiled, shaking her head. “But that is your absolute limit. Now, let us talk about the specific warning signs for the placenta and blood pressure. If you see any spotting, even a tiny amount, you do not wait for a clinic morning. You call my cell phone right away.”

“I still have your number saved,” Bella said, her face turning very serious. “And what about swelling? My feet got huge at the end with Grace.”

“If your ankles swell a little after sitting at your desk, just put them up on a pillow,” Dr. Okafor explained. “But if your hands and your face puff up quickly, or if you get a sudden, sharp headache that will not go away, that means blood pressure trouble. You go straight to the emergency room, and you call me on the way.”

“Emergency room, sharp headaches, face swelling,” Bella repeated out loud, her voice completely steady as she wrote each item down on her pad. “Got it.”

I sat on my plastic chair, holding her free hand, and I just watched her. She was not crying, and she was not complaining about the restrictions, the iron pills, or the threat of the emergency room. She was just taking all this scary medical data and turning it into a clear, manageable checklist to keep our baby safe.

My chest felt so tight, it actually ached. I loved her so much, but this was more than love. It was complete awe. She was the strongest person I had ever known.

“Any questions about the early scans?” Dr. Okafor asked, closing the folder.

“No,” Bella said softly. “I think the two-week schedule makes sense. We just want to be safe.”

“Good,” Dr. Okafor said, standing up from her stool. “You two are an excellent team. We got Grace here safely, and we will do the same for this one.”

We said goodbye, walked out to the parking lot, and got back into the car. The doors clicked shut, blocking out the noise of the street.

1/2

Chaplet 24 regancy 1

“You are doing it again,” I said quietly, starting the engine.

“Doing what?” Bella asked, looking over at me.

“Being unbelievable, said, looking right into her eyes. “Just sitting there negotiating the terms of risking your own body like you were closing a corporate merger.”

She glanced at me, and a soft smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, even though she looked very tired underneath.

“Somebody has to keep their head in that room, Caleb,” she teased softly. “You go pale every time she says the word complication.”

“I do not go pale,” I grumbled, shifting the car into drive.

“You go pale, Caleb,” she insisted, her voice full of warmth. “You did it the whole time I was pregnant with Grace, and now you are doing it again. It is very consistent.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify