Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
NOVA
I’m home. Looking around my tiny house, it almost feels odd to be here, especially alone.
How did these alphas get me used to their presence already? I went to bed by myself since Tyde had to work at three in the morning, but he said that he’d come by after his shift today. The hospital scheduler changed his hours again, which makes him unable to get used to his schedule. I hate this.
I feel adrift despite the fact that I still barely know them.
Pulling open the sliding glass door, I sit outside on my porch with my coffee, staring out at the huge yard.
Even though I’m on the edge of the property, I’m still surrounded by beautiful woods on one side and snow everywhere else.
I don’t mind the cold as I snuggle under a blanket and sip my coffee, thinking about what I have to do today.
It’s quiet, calm, and?—
“Nova? Nova!”
I drop my head back and laugh at my sister’s voice as it disrupts my thoughts.
“Back here!” I call out.
I wonder if this will be a normal thing now that we’re practically neighbors. Is she living with Pack Ledger now?
The sound of snow crunching underneath her feet carries toward me, making me smile. It snowed hard last night, and I think the soft sound of it helped me sleep better, even if I was alone.
“Hey,” Hollis says, gingerly walking. Her fingers are covered in warm, oversized mittens so I can’t tell if they’re in their splints or not, and her eyes are slightly glazed from pain medication.
My eyes narrow, shaking my head. “You’re not supposed to be walking, are you?”
“Nope. Don’t tell my mates,” she whispers, making me giggle. “They’re shoveling the drive so you can leave today.”
“They aren’t going to work?” I lift the blanket so she can join me on the bench, and she snuggles against me.
“The company is closed outside of a skeleton crew until after the new year. I technically don’t have to be in either, so we all said fuck it.”
“Sounds like a good deal,” I tease her, continuing to finish my coffee. “I am going to see patients today and scheduled a ton of new appointments to see if I’m the right midwife for four different packs next week.”
“Since you probably will be, are you telling me you’ll be really busy soon?” she asks.
“Not really, I always make sure that there are different due dates for my clients, and no more than two due in the same month,” I explain. “With my luck, everyone would go into labor at the same time and I’d be screwed. I also don’t see all of my clients in the same week when I have a full roster.”
“I have a wild idea,” Hollis murmurs. “Have you thought about establishing a brick and mortar practice? You can still go to your clients, but it would also give those that can’t have people over a place as well. Say, maybe, those living in a shelter?”
My eyes narrow as I glance at her, finishing off my beverage before I decide to respond. I know she wants me to stay in Minneapolis, and there’s not really a reason for me not to. I have Tyde, family, and clients here.
I also possibly have two growly, grumpy scent matches that I need to figure out what to do with.
“Go on,” I say.
“What if you went non-profit, Nova? Then, you’d have more resources, the ability to hire a staff, and could help more people. Minneapolis needs a birth center.”
“Shit,” I sigh, rubbing underneath my eye as I think.
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about organizing a non-profit, Hollis.
I won’t deny that the wheels are turning in my mind though.
It would give more people access to midwifery care, and the ability to home birth.
We’d still have to keep it fairly small if I’m going to be able to continue to see clients at their homes. ”
“How many days a week are you on the road?” Hollis asks.
“On a normal week? Where my life isn’t a mess, two days max.
However, I’m a dumpster fire lately, so my schedule is all over.
I offer postpartum services for after birth, and that’s a full six weeks of care,” I explain.
“My client was left by her partner during her pregnancy, and has been feeling overwhelmed, which makes sense. I should call her on my drive to check up on her.”
The last part is mumbled under my breath as I try to prioritize my time.
“God, you’re such a good person,” Hollis says happily.
“‘Me?” I ask, almost looking around to see if there’s anyone else she could be speaking to.
“Mmhmm,” she grunts. “You deliver babies for a living, and I have a feeling you offer your services for less at times.”
“Only when absolutely necessary,” I grumble.
“The client I just spent a little over six weeks with had the beginnings of postpartum depression and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened.
So I gave her a really big discount and refused to tell her.
Pack Dresmond overpaid me so it all worked itself out. ”
“Is this Nova’s version of karma?” Hollis asks.
Unable to help it, I laugh. “Something like it.”
“As for not knowing anything about non-profits, I know people who can help you navigate that. Lawyers, the co-founders of Omega’s Haven, and even a possible list of people who would want to attend a charity event,” my sister continues.
“Just because you haven’t thought about it before, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. ”
“And people would really want a birth center here?” I ask.
“I’ll show you,” she says cryptically.
Her phone rings, and she smirks as she stands.
“Pretty sure they just realized that I slipped out of the house,” she grins. “I’ll see you later, baby sister.”
“Bye,” I say in awe as she leaves.
Hollis Edwards is definitely larger than life.
Sighing, I get up and head inside to get ready for the day.
A long sleeved blue and gold dress goes over my head with a pair of thick fleece tights and boots, before I stare at myself as I brush out my hair.
Deciding on a fishtail braid to keep it out of my face, my fingers quickly style my hair before I check my medical bag and walk into the living room.
Pixie is in her cat tree by the window, enjoying the muted sunshine as she stretches and gives me a passing glance.
“You have water and food in your bowls in case I’m late,” I tell her as she continues to ignore me. “Don’t be a brat, pixie. I fed you breakfast. Be nice to your human.”
Lazily, she jumps down and winds between my legs, meowing loudly before she flounces away.
I guess that’s as good of a goodbye as I’m likely to get.
Shaking my head, I gather everything else I need and head out to the van. Bertha starts up for me without a complaint, and I shiver in my coat as I wait for her to warm up.
I’ve got a long wait till spring. I’m going to get comfortable with it, although I’ve never been a fan of the snow when I have to drive in it. Pulling down the road, I find that it’s all been shoveled for me, and Pack Ledger is nowhere in sight.
Clicking the gate fob, I slip through it and begin my drive to Pack Kelly’s house. During it, I make sure to call Katee to see how she and the baby are doing, losing myself to the conversation as I drive. I really like her, and she’s easy to speak to.
“Don’t be a stranger,” I say with a smile, seeing that I’m almost to my appointment. “Let me know how you’re both doing.”
“ I will,” Katee promises. “ Bye, Nova.”
The gates begin to open as I stop in front of them, and I say goodbye to Katee before hanging up. There are more vehicles than normal in the driveway, which makes sense for this appointment. Parking in the garage as usual, I grab my things and slide out of the front seat.
“Hey, Nova,” Duncan says with a smile as he stands at the door. “How was the drive?”
“I almost didn’t notice it,” I say honestly. “I was making phone calls and it helped pass the time.”
Walking inside, I hear a variety of voices that I follow until I step into the living room.
“Hi,” I say warmly, eyes widening as I take everyone in. There’s so many people here. “Who’s first today?”
“Quinn is,” Adira says. “I’m not in a hurry.”
I jump into checking vitals, seeing how the baby is positioned, and everyone grins as they hear the baby’s heartbeat. I love that these two packs get to experience some of their biggest milestones and memories together.
It makes it feel even more special.
“I brought an IV set up just in case,” I tell Quinn. “How are you feeling today? Do you want to skip it or have the IV?”
“The nausea isn’t as bad lately but I hate how little energy I have,” she says with a yawn.
“Babies take a lot of work to grow,” Christian says, parroting something I tend to say often.
“They do, I just want to be able to dance more,” Quinn sighs.
Nodding, I set up the IV and offer some nutritional tips to help. While naps and rest will always be the answer, there are other things to help boost energy so she won’t get frustrated.
While the IV drips and does its thing, I continue with Adira’s appointment, noticing that she’s heading toward her six month mark. Adira is just starting to show signs of being pregnant, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby shifts at some point to make its presence known.
“So, we haven’t really talked about finding out the baby’s gender,” I say, leaning forward. “Do you want to know?”
“We’re split on this,” Jed admits. “Damon and I want to know, but Kane and Morris don’t.”
“Do you want to be the tie breaker?” I ask Adira, smiling.
“I’m so far along, I kind of want to wait and see,” she confesses. “Is that silly?”
“Not at all,” I grin. “There’s really no right or wrong answer here.”
Once everyone is taken care of, I start to pack up, but notice that Adira is staring at me.
“What?” I ask, wondering if there’s something on my face.
“Do you have to hurry off?” she asks.
“Not necessarily,” I say slowly.
“Do you want coffee?” Callum asks, standing. He glares at the other mates in the room, and they groan as they stand.