Fears and Fears

As Ashley sat in her office, sipping her coffee and going over her schedule for the day, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been growing inside her for weeks. It had been a few months since she'd lost Emma, and a few weeks since she'd found out she was pregnant again. She was 12 weeks along now, and while she was grateful for the new life growing inside her, she couldn't help but feel like she was still grieving for the one she'd lost. The past few weeks had been a blur of emotions, as she tried to navigate her way through the complex feelings of happiness and sadness. She had returned to work part-time, trying to find some sense of normalcy in her life, but it wasn't easy. Alev was working too, and while he was supportive, she knew he was worried about her. Today was her first appointment with her OB-GYN, and Ashley was nervous. She had been putting it off for weeks, but she knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. As she looked at her schedule, she saw that she had a patient coming in at 10 am, and then her appointment with the doctor at 11 am. But as she sat there, waiting for her patient to arrive, Ashley couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She had been feeling off all morning, and she couldn't explain why. She tried to brush it off as nerves, but deep down, she knew it was more than that. Her patient arrived, and Ashley put on a smile, trying to focus on the task at hand. But as she went through the appointment, she couldn't help but feel like she was going through the motions. She was preoccupied with her own thoughts, and she knew she wasn't giving her patient the attention she deserved. As soon as the patient left, Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. She had 45 minutes before her appointment with the doctor, and she knew she needed to use that time to collect herself. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. What was wrong with her? She was a healthy woman, carrying a healthy baby. What did she have to be afraid of? But as she stood up to get ready for her appointment, Ashley couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. She felt a sense of dread growing inside her, and she knew she needed to talk to the doctor. She made her way to the exam room, her heart pounding in her chest. What would the doctor say? Was everything okay with her pregnancy? As she sat down on the exam table, waiting for the doctor to come in, Ashley couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety. She was scared, and she didn't know what to expect. The doctor knocked on the door, and Ashley smiled weakly. "Come in," she said, trying to sound brave. But as the doctor came in, Ashley knew that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't even imagine.