Page 46 of Another June with You

“Of course. You can pick a couple of their names.”

“You have names picked out already?”

“When we have a boy, I want to name him Matthew after my dad.”

Shannon ran her fingertips gently over his arm. Losing his parents at a young age and being the only child had made him want to fill their home with lots of children. And the idea of making those children together made butterflies go crazy in her stomach. “I love that, and I love you so much.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I mean it. I want to have a family with you. Even if we only have one baby.”

“I know. I want a family with you too. I want to give you a great big family, just like mine.”

Micah pulled her close. “Our family tree is gonna be HUGE!”

The door opened and brought Shannon back to reality. A middle-aged woman with black hair and streaks of grey stepped into the room. “Hello, Shannon. How are you?”

“Nervous.”

“Well, I won’t beat around the bush. Your pap smear showed some abnormal cells, and I’d like to do a colposcopy today to see what’s going on in there.”

“Is it because of my PCOS?”

“There’s no reason to believe PCOS would cause you to have abnormal results. Usually, they’re unrelated.”

“Will it hurt?”

“Not much more than the usual exam. I’ll be using a tool that allows me to see inside so I know better what we’re dealing with.”

Shannon wrung her hands together. “Okay.”

“I’ll be back with the nurse in a few minutes.”

The doctor left a gown for Shannon, who wished in that moment she didn’t have to go through all of this alone, that she had someone to hold her hand. She was thankful for Duncan’s presence and support—knowing he was in the waiting room calmed her a little—but she wished she’d called her mom. She would’ve dropped everything to be there. She had been there for every appointment when Shannon was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. She’d sat at Shannon’s bedside eight years ago after her laparoscopic surgery to remove a large cyst from her ovary. What if the doctor found something today? What if she had cancer? Tears welled up in her eyes.

The doctor and nurse returned, and Shannon lay back on the examination table as instructed. Everything was similar to a routine exam at first, then the doctor used a special scope with a camera to get a better look.

“I am seeing some abnormal cells, Shannon.”

Shannon started to tremble a little from nerves.

“Nothing to worry about. We can take care of those today with cryotherapy, which is basically freezing them.”

“I have a wedding rehearsal I’m photographing today. Will I be able to do that?”

“Yes, you can resume your normal day afterwards. You may experience some mild cramping and discharge, but you should be good to go.”

The procedure was uncomfortable, but bearable. Tears slid down the sides of her face, and the nurse gently touched her arm.

“We’re almost done, Shannon. You’re doing great.”

When Dr. Ludwig was through, Shannon released the tension in her body as she let out a breath.

“Well, I see nothing else of concern, Shannon.”

More tears burned behind her eyes. “Thank you for making the time for me to come in.”

“You’re more than welcome. It’s best to be safe and get checked out. We’ll see you back here for your next appointment.”

“Thank you.”

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