Page 82 of So This Is Love

“I am,” Laila says, answering the thought that I wasn’t able to fully get out. “I have an IUD but for whatever reason it didn’t work.”

“Don’t cry, baby,” I say, wiping away the tears that have streaked down her face. “How long have you known?”

“Like a week and a half,” Laila sniffles. “I went to the doctor a few days ago and did a blood test and it confirmed it.”

“Are you okay?”

Laila shrugs. “My next appointment is in a couple of weeks.”

“But how doyoufeel?” I ask, being more specific with my question.

Her shoulders sag. “Not good. I’m so tired all the time no matter how much sleep I’ve gotten. I also have had a lot of cramping, my doctor said that that is a common symptom that women have but it’s so uncomfortable.”

I kiss the top of her head. “I’m sorry that you’ve been dealing with this alone. We’ll figure it out together, okay?”

“Okay.”

Laila spends the rest of the day with me. We spend most of it on the couch together watching the last season of her show. It’s mostly me watching because Laila’s fatigue causes her to go in and out of sleep.

31

Laila

Something is wrong.

A sharp pain wakes me from my sleep. Another piercing jab hits the same spot and I sit up, clutching my right side.

I make my way to the en suite to relieve my bladder and when I sit down, blood in my panties stares back at me. It is bright red in color and my stomach drops immediately when I notice its presence.

After I finish cleaning myself up, I slide down onto the floor, the cool tiles on the back of my thighs. Blood rushes in my ears and I feel nothing but numbness.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been sitting on the floor when Bryce finds me. He sits down in front of me, taking my hands in his.

He doesn’t ask me to talk or to tell him what’s wrong, he just sits there with me, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of my hands while I focus on the newly difficult task of bringing air into my lungs.

“I’m bleeding,” I whisper, barely able to get the words out.

He pulls me into him, and holds me. My head rests on his chest and I can hear the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat.

Bryce places a kiss on my forehead. “Let me make some quick calls and then we’ll go get you checked out.”

He helps me to my feet and walks me back into the bedroom before he grabs his phone and leaves the room. I go to the closet to find a change of clothes and grab one of the first things I see, a cozy matching sweat set. When I am done changing, I see Bryce waiting for me at the doorway to the bedroom. He takes my hand and we head to the car together.

We enter the emergency room through a back entrance and we’re led straight to a private room. A nurse hands me a gown to change into and then comes back a few minutes later to take my vitals.

“The doctor will be in with you shortly,” the nurse says as she finishes jotting down my blood pressure.

The overhead lighting of the hospital is so bright, deeply contrasting with the fact that it's the middle of the night. My hands twist restlessly in my lap as I sit in the bed and I stare directly at my sock clad feet, zoning out.

It isn’t a long wait before there are two taps on the door signifying someone entering. A Black doctor with honey colored skin wearing navy blue scrubs walks in.

“Hi sweetheart,” she says with a thick southern accent. “I’m Doctor Carter and I’m going to be taking care of you. Can you tell me a little bit more about what brought you in tonight?”

She listens intently, nodding her head as I tell her everything that I’ve been experiencing.

“The doctor’s office told me that my symptoms weren’t abnormal and I shouldn’t worry, but it just doesn’t feel right.”

My voice cracks as I finish talking. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to try to steady myself.

---