The golden rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across Avery’s bedroom. She stretched lazily, groaning slightly as a wave of nausea swept over her.
“Ugh,” she muttered, clutching her stomach. It wasn’t the lingering effects of last night’s gallery drama—Ji-Yeon’s outburst was firmly behind her now. Everything else about the evening had gone flawlessly, and the success of Ryan’s exhibition still made her smile.
But this nauseous feeling was new, and it wasn’t going away.
By the time she made her way to the kitchen, even the smell of coffee made her stomach turn. Avery frowned, staring at the untouched mug on the counter.
“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered to herself, placing a hand on her abdomen.
The nausea persisted throughout the morning, accompanied by a faint dizziness that Avery couldn’t shake. After brushing off Ryan’s concerned texts about her skipping breakfast, she decided it was time to stop guessing and get some answers.
At the doctor’s office, Avery sat nervously in the waiting room, her legs crossed as she fiddled with her phone. The sterile smell of disinfectant hung in the air, and she couldn’t help but tap her foot anxiously against the tiled floor.
When the nurse finally called her name, Avery followed her into the examination room, her heart pounding.
“Good morning, Ms. Deveraux,” Dr. Bennett greeted her warmly as he entered the room. “What brings you in today?”
Avery gave him a brief rundown of her symptoms, explaining the nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to smells.
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” she admitted. “It could be stress or something I ate, but it just doesn’t feel normal.”
Dr. Bennett nodded thoughtfully. “Let’s run a few tests and see what’s going on. We’ll do a standard blood test to start.”
An hour later, Avery sat on the examination table, scrolling through emails on her phone as she waited for the results. She looked up when Dr. Bennett reentered the room, a clipboard in hand and a small smile on his face.
“Well, Avery,” he began, sitting on the stool across from her, “the results are in. And I have some news for you.”
Her stomach flipped as she braced herself. “Good news, I hope?”
“Very good news,” Dr. Bennett said, his smile widening. “You’re pregnant.”
Avery blinked, her mind struggling to process the words. “Pregnant?” she repeated, as if saying it out loud would make it feel real.
“Yes,” Dr. Bennett confirmed. “About six weeks along, based on the bloodwork. Have you been experiencing any other symptoms? Fatigue, mood swings?”
Avery’s thoughts raced as she tried to connect the dots. She had been feeling unusually tired lately, and her emotions had been all over the place, but she’d chalked it up to work stress and last night’s drama.
“I… I didn’t even think about it,” she admitted, her voice shaky.
Dr. Bennett gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s a lot to take in, but everything looks healthy so far. I’ll schedule you for an ultrasound in the coming weeks, and we’ll monitor everything closely. Congratulations, Avery.”