Thin Lives (Donati Bloodlines #3) by Bethany-Kris Page A

boss.”
    Jesus.
    That was becoming the story of Calisto’s life.
    Literally.

 
    Emma
     
    “All done here,” the doctor said, tapping Emma’s knees gently.
    It was her sign that Emma could finally get up off her back, make her lower half decent again, and take a breath.
    Having her cervix checked hurt and was uncomfortable enough. But having it regularly checked for even the slightest of changes was much worse.
    “You’re not opening,” the doctor explained, pulling off the gloves and tossing them in a waste basket.
    Emma’s relief was palpable. “Not even a little bit?”
    “No, but you are thinning.”
    Shit.
    A woman’s cervix needed to do two things to properly aide in delivering a baby. One was to dilate—to open. The other was to thin out, and that was usually helped along by the pressure of the baby’s head pushing down on the cervix.
    Emma couldn’t afford for either of those things to happen. Not yet.
    It was too early.
    At thirty weeks, Calisto’s son had a much better chance of surviving outside of Emma’s womb as a preemie. But she still had weeks to go at just twenty-five weeks. But the facts still remained the same, and those were scary. It was still possible for the baby to suffer from other consequences because of an early birth. Health issues or learning delays.
    She wanted to keep this baby in for as long as possible.
    “Can we put the stitch in?” Emma asked.
    The doctor spun her stool around so she could face Emma. Quickly, Emma readjusted the sheet on the bed to better cover her lower half and bare legs.
    “It’s a dangerous procedure as it is, Emma,” the woman explained. “And doing it too early could cause several other complications, including forcing you into active labor, which we can’t turn back, or even sepsis from infection. That is not a risk I want to take with you and this baby.”
    Emma wrung her hands together. “What should I do?”
    “What you have been. And you’re doing great. Rest. Get lots of food in you for energy. You’ll need it during the birth. Fluids, fluids, and more fluids. Keep track of the movements of the baby in case you notice any changes. More importantly, keep track of any changes in your body. Pain or otherwise. If I can help it, you will carry this child to term, or as close as I can get you. Do not push yourself beyond what you can handle. Okay?”
    It helped to have her doctor be so upbeat and encouraging.
    Most times, it felt like Emma was going to drown in her own anxiety where the baby and pregnancy was concerned. Her doctor was always optimistic.
    “Okay,” Emma said. “I got it.”
    “And try not to get stressed out while you’re at it.”
    Emma laughed, and her doctor just smiled. She really hadn’t meant the laugh as a joke, but apparently the woman took it as one. Unfortunately, stress was inevitable.
    How could it be any different?
    Emma was Affonso Donati’s wife, after all.
     

     
    “Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
    Ray slid in between Affonso and Emma, forcing her to take a couple of steps away from her husband. It wasn’t that she minded being further away from Affonso’s side, but it did irk her how Ray took every chance he could to dismiss Emma’s presence.
    She wasn’t sure why he did it, but it started when Affonso had returned home after Calisto’s accident all those months ago. It was possible Affonso had explained to his underboss about the affair that had gone on between Calisto and Emma, but she didn’t think that was likely.
    Affonso was all about image. Admitting his wife had slept around with his illegitimate son wouldn’t help how his people looked at him.
    Affonso sighed, and scrubbed a hand down his face. His gaze cut to Emma, and she just as quickly looked away. He’d taken to drinking heavily during the evenings again, and the subtle signs were starting to show. While her husband was still dressed impeccably, and his demeanor was as cold as ever, it was the smaller things she took note of