Madelyn was relieved to walk into a single-seat restroom. She was thankful for a moment of privacy. Doctor visits always felt a bit invasive, especially since leaving her marriage. She didn't like answering personal questions about being single and sexually active. But that was part of being a responsible adult. She rolled the cup in her hands, just now noticing that it bore a label with her neatly typed name. Positioning things in a way so as not to miss the target, Madelyn filled the cup, replaced the lid, and put herself back together. She opened a small door above the sink and slid her cup onto the shelf, then washed her hands.

As she exited the restroom she heard Harry's voice, "No, not my wife. My girlfriend, partner. Dr. Conroy."

"Oh, Mrs. Conroy?" a female voice replied.

Madelyn came around the corner, "I'm Dr. Conroy. Madelyn."

"This gentleman said you're expecting him for your appointment." It was the receptionist from the front desk.

"Yes, He's with me. Thank you." They walked back to the exam room.

"This is definitely different from my doctor's office," Harry nodded to the stirrups and considered the large, framed poster of the female reproductive system that hung on the wall. "You know, we studied this in high school but it makes an awful lot more sense now!"

"Practical experience makes all the difference."

"Indeed it does! And some instruction from equipment owners."

Madelyn bounced her knee nervously.

"I'm sorry, Mads. did I make you uncomfortable?" Harry felt like he'd fumbled things up by being too glib.

"Nah," she responded. "I'm sure I've benefited from some of those prior lessons."

"I am always willing to listen and learn from YOU."

They sat side by side, grinning, comfortable in each other's company.

"What would you think of me getting an IUD? I was doing some reading and the non-hormonal Copper 7 is over 99% effective. We both got carried away last night, and I can't say that wouldn't happen again. I prefer the feeling of having you without a barrier and we're both healthy, so my preference is to find something other than condoms."

"I am happy to use whatever method suits you best. I'm fine with using condoms if that is what you prefer. I promise I will be more responsible than I was last night," color rose in Harry's cheeks. "I do have one concern about the IUD, though."

"What's your concern?"

"I've read that once it's inserted, it stays in place for seven years. You know I'm willing to wait a while to start a family, but I prefer not to wait that long. I was picturing one, maybe two years at the most."

"Harry, it can last seven years, but a doctor can remove it at any time, and fertility returns immediately. So if we wanted to wait only a couple of years and have it removed, that's fine."

Harry looked relieved. "Okay, I can deal with that."

Harry ran the backs of his fingers along her jaw then threaded his fingers into her hair and cupped his hand at the back of her head, pulling her closer.

"There is no better feeling in the world than sliding into you with nothing between us," he rumbled before connecting his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and gentle to start. Just as his pressure increased there was a quick knock on the exam room door.

They sprang apart like guilty teenagers when Dr. Binder popped her salt and pepper head in the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. and Mrs. Conr... Oh! You're not, I'm sorry! Um... all right. Normally, I see the patient alone before we invite anyone else into the room."

Harry stood. "No problem, Doctor. I can wait outside or in the waiting room."

"Thank you. I'll send Patrice for you when we're ready." Harry closed the door as he left.

"It's nice to see you again, Madelyn. I was surprised to hear from you after my last visit from Mr. Conroy. I guess some things have changed in your life." Dr, Binder settled onto the stool with wheels in front of the small desk and began scanning through the patient file on the laptop she'd brought with her.

"I don't understand. You saw Jack?" confusion laced Madelyn's voice.

"Bear with me a moment while I just review a couple of things in the files." She continued to scroll, changed windows, and scroll some more. "Ah. Yes, here we are. You are listed as Jack's primary contact and the only other person I am at liberty to speak with regarding his health. I did see him not long ago. He indicated you were still together and trying to conceive. We ran some tests since he said you were not yet pregnant. I see you've updated some contact information on the forms you filled out today and your husband is no longer listed as a contact."

"That is correct. Jack is no longer my husband. I put Harry down in case there is an emergency or you can't get a hold of me."

"And Harry is the man I just sent away?"

"He is. We have been involved for several months and that's the reason I needed to speak with you."

"Please forgive my confusion. Where does Harry fit in? Is he trying to help you conceive? Is he a partner? When Jack's tests revealed low motility and his sperm count to be so low as to consider him sterile, I sent him information on alternatives to traditional conception, as well as adoption information. His phone call to the office after receiving the packet I sent, indicated it was not well received and he had already gotten a second opinion."

"I can only imagine," replied Madelyn dryly.

"I reassured him that you were perfectly capable of getting pregnant. Although, in my opinion, it is unlikely he could be the genetic father."

"Oh boy, I bet that went over well," Madelyn's eyes were wide.

She quickly summarized the end of her marriage to Jack and Harry's arrival in her life.

"You were right to leave him, Madelyn. I wish more women were able to cut ties as quickly and cleanly as you did. And your Harry sounds like a good person. If you do still want to have a baby, I encourage you to move forward sooner rather than later. After age 35 and the closer we get to 40, the more likely we are to encounter birth defects such as spina bifida and trisomy 21 or Down Syndrome. Ovulation can also become less regular, making conception less likely. Alternately a phenomenon called egg-dumping can happen, meaning we release more than one egg at ovulation, resulting in multiples later in life."

"I do definitely still want to have a baby, but I'd rather wait until we are more settled."

"How does Harry feel about it?"

"I think he has baby fever. He says he's ready to start a family now. I don't want to hold him back from reaching his other dreams, though."

She quickly explained his plans for the newly opened Next Generation restaurant.

"Timing is rarely perfect when it comes to planning a family, Madelyn. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith. I'll leave that discussion to you and Harry. Let's go over this assessment form and do an exam. Then you can have Harry join us if you'd like. You stated on the form that your last period was 5 weeks ago and you had unprotected intercourse in the last 24 hours. Is that correct?"

"Yes. two months ago my period was lighter and shorter than usual. We had sex without birth control the day before it was due to begin. It started later the next day. It was very light and lasted only a couple of days. The period I had five weeks ago was nothing but spotting for a day. That's definitely not like me."

"I know you were using the Fertility Awareness Method to predict when you could get pregnant the last time we visited. Are you using any other birth control method now?"

"We're not. I've become adept at tracking my fertility cycle, I check my basal body temperature and mucus daily using the app you showed me to record daily observations, and have relied on that for Natural Family Planning. " https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/contraception/fertility-awareness-based-methods-of-family-planning

"With a very high level of precision and commitment to abstaining or using a barrier method during ovulation, Fertility Awareness methods can be highly effective in preventing pregnancy, that does still leave concerns about STI's. Condoms are always the best bet there."

"I am aware. Harry and I have discussed disease We are exclusive and not concerned. We have committed to a long-term relationship and agreed to wait, at least a while, before planning a baby. He was going to use a condom since I should be nearing ovulation and we neglected to do so last night. So... here we are."

"I understand. Do you feel safe with Harry? Has he ever threatened you physically? Or hurt you in any way?"

"Oh, God, no! He is everything I've ever wanted in a partner and thought I'd never have. I trust him completely."

"And what if you were pregnant today? Have you considered how you might want to handle that possibility?"

"It seems incredibly unlikely that I would be pregnant, but Harry doesn't want me to feel like I don't have control over my own body and wants me to have access to emergency contraception after last night. On the off-chance that I am pregnant, Harry and I would need to talk. He is more anxious to start a family than I am, but again, my hesitation is primarily because I don't want to be a burden on him before he's been able to launch his professional life."

"He sounds like one of the good guys," Dr. Binder said with an approving smile. "As I said over the phone this morning, I can certainly offer you emergency contraception as well as something to use until you want to pursue pregnancy, but we do need to confirm that you have not already conceived at an earlier date. There are some things you mentioned in your intake form that can be symptoms of pregnancy."

"But I've had periods. Sure, they were unusually light and spotty, but they happened," Madelyn cringed at the sulky tone of her voice.

"I don't disbelieve you, but I also know that when there is deep penetration with intercourse, the cervix can be bumped hard enough to bleed. Bleeding also often occurs when a fertilized egg implants, causing some of the uterine lining to slough off. About half of all women experience spotting during their first trimester of pregnancy. You also stated you have been quite tired and struggling with headaches and some nausea."

"That was due to the car accident and resulting concussion," more impatience crept into Madelyn's words.

"They could be, or they could be first-trimester pregnancy symptoms. It's my job to either confirm or rule out a pregnancy. Let's do a pelvic exam to see if there have been any internal changes and check general health. By then, Patrice should have the results of your urine test logged into the computer."

The obstetrician excused herself from the room while Madelyn removed all of her clothing and slipped into the not-so-chic clinic gown and sat on the end of the exam table, waiting. When Dr. Binder returned she performed a standard physical assessment and pelvic exam.

"Your cervix is in a high position and closed tight, it has a bluish color, as does the rest of your vagina, Madelyn. We often see that in pregnancy as a result of increased blood flow."

Madelyn shifted uncomfortably and pushed back in the stirrups on the table. Holy shit! Could she actually be pregnant already? Her legs trembled, her brain swirled and she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning.

"Okay, we're all done and you may sit up." The doctor snapped off her gloves then washed up. While her patient dressed, she refreshed her computer, looking for the urine test results. Madelyn dressed, then sat, glassy-eyed in the chair next to the desk. "Based on my exam, I would estimate you to be at least 6 weeks pregnant. Add to that, the two episodes of spotty bleeding and the headaches, and I would change the estimation to closer to ten weeks."

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

"Breathe, Madelyn. I need to find today's labs to be certain. If the test agrees with me, we will do an ultrasound to confirm your dates. Ah-ha! Here is the test and it is a positive result. Madelyn, you are definitely pregnant."