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had taken me years to feel comfortable presenting myself for an examination for a doctor. The man who used that area as a playground was another situation entirely.
    “He’s okay to stay if he wants to,” I said in a little voice. If I was expecting him to man up, I had to do likewise.
    “I’ll stay,” Hunter said, this time without hesitation.
    “Okay.” The doctor put her hand on the dreaded stirrups. “Why don’t you go ahead and use the
    restroom. I’ll need a urine sample.” She handed me a small cup. “When you get back, I’ll need you to undress. Just the lower half. Here’s a drape.” She put the drape on the edge of the bed.
    I ducked out of the room, shadowed by Hunter. He didn’t seem to want to let me out of his sight.
    That was okay by me. Except for the bathroom. I shut the door right in his face.
    After I was done, which turned out to be a meager amount since I’d gone earlier, I handed over the
    cup and then took off my skirt and undies. Hunter helped me tuck the drape around my hips before I
    settled back on the bed. I didn’t bother telling him I’d have to pull it out from under my butt in a moment. This was awkward enough.
    After I was settled, the doctor wheeled a metal tray full of instruments toward me. “And how
    severe was the cramping?”
    “At first it was like a bad pinch, and then like period cramps.”
    “Uh huh. And the bleeding sounds like it was fairly light. Okay.” She motioned me forward.
    With a sideways glance at Hunter, I scootched up into the incredibly awkward position where she
    would examine me.
    “Knees, please.” She touched my knee, indicating I was supposed to relax and let them fall to the
    side naturally.
    There was nothing natural about this position in front of my boyfriend.
    Dr. Cheung felt my abdomen and then examined me. After a moment she said, “Your cervix is fine.
    I don’t see any cause for alarm at first glance, but it is somewhat fragile. Yes, there—just a touch, and there’s a little blood. You’ll have a little more bleeding from this examination, but don’t let it cause you any alarm. Okay.”
    She pulled back her instruments and gave my knee a quick pat before turning away. I took my legs
    down, adjusted the cover, and scooted back. She opened a folder and started jotting things down. “It’s pretty normal for women to have some spotting in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. This is often
    caused from extra blood flow to the cervix, in which any contact with the cervix can cause some of
    this bleeding, like you saw. This can also be caused from stress, lifting heavy things, or fatigue. It’s best to avoid those, and whenever possible, lie down and relax if you feel your body reacting.
    “The cramping is probably also a sign that you’ve been too active, or putting your body through
    too much. If you ever feel a tightening, definitely slow down. Sit or lie, drink some cool water… It’s good to keep an eye on it, so to speak. Give me or one of the nurses a call if you’re concerned. As it’s subsided now, I’m not too worried. I would caution you, though, to take it a little easier.”
    I got the stern look doctors were known for, and a matching “I told you so” look from Hunter.
    “I want to have an ultrasound, just in case,” the doctor went on, tidying everything. “If everything looks good, I think you’ll be fine until your next checkup as long as nothing else happens.”
    I took a big breath and let it out. Relief washed through my body. “Okay.”
    “All right. Go ahead and get dressed and meet me out at the nurses’ station when you’re ready. I’ll
    walk you down.” She smiled at me, then nodded at Hunter.
    When she’d gone, I moved to get off the bed. Hunter pulled me up and hugged me close to him.
    “Everything is fine.”
    That was Hunter-speak for “what a huge relief!”
    I hugged him tightly before I disengaged so I could get dressed. “I panicked a little.”
    “That’s okay. It’s