Chapter 280: The Baby’s Appointment
Kayden
The sports media never slept. I realized that while sitting alone inside Leo’s private clinic room, my phone resting heavily in my hands as I scrolled through the internet.
Even after everything during the fate of Northern Avalanche, the internet somehow found enough energy to tear people apart all over again. Along with Miller’s name, Rhys and I were also trending.
Our names were everywhere.
I stared blankly at the bright screen while article after article flooded down the feed faster than I could properly process.
KAYDEN VALE OFFICIALLY BENCHED FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.
NORTHERN AVALANCHE CONFIRMS CONTRACT RENEWAL DESPITE OMEGA CONTROVERSY.
THE OMEGA WHO CHANGED HOCKEY FOREVER.
RHYS CALDER PROPOSES AMID LEAGUE CHAOS.
I rubbed tiredly at my face before scrolling farther down. The comments sections were somehow worse, and while half the world seemed to support me, the other half absolutely hated me. A frown formed on my face as I read through some of the reactions.
@avalancheforever: Kayden literally changed sports history and people are angry because he wanted the same opportunity as everyone else? Ridiculous.
@hockeytruth88: He lied for years. Why are people acting like that part does not matter?
@omegarightsleague: The omega restriction policy was discriminatory from the beginning. Kayden Vale exposed the hypocrisy of the world and professional sports.
@northernavalanchefan:Bench him permanently. Rules exist for a reason.
I frowned at that last one and wanted so badly to reply to them, but I ignored the comments, took a deep breath, and continued scrolling.
@stanleykingrhys: Rhys Calder proposing publicly while defending his omega against the entire league is honestly insane boyfriend behavior.
A smile formed on my face because they were right. Rhys stopped caring about what others had to say, and the ring on my finger was proof of that.
I swallowed hard, locking the screen briefly, only to unlock it again a second later. Apparently, torturing myself emotionally had become a personality trait recently.
Another headline appeared immediately:
INSIDE RHYS CALDER AND KAYDEN VALE’S ENGAGEMENT AFTER THE LEAGUE SHOCKER.
The attached photograph made my chest tighten painfully. They were the airport pictures taken after we returned from our vacation.
Rhys had his hand wrapped firmly around my waist, staring down at me like nobody else existed in the room.
Meanwhile, I looked completely overwhelmed standing beside him. Honestly, that photo probably summarized our entire relationship perfectly.
My fingers slowly drifted downward, resting unconsciously against my stomach beneath the thick fabric of my hoodie.
Flat. It was still flat enough that nobody would suspect a thing yet. But knowing there was actually a tiny life growing inside me still felt surreal every time I thought about it for too long.
A baby. Rhys’s baby. Our baby.
The thought alone sent a heavy wave of anxiety twisting through my chest. Because no matter how much happiness came with it, the fear came too—especially after everything Leo had already warned us about. It was why I was anticipating this appointment. I was ready to make sure our baby survived no matter what.
The sound of approaching footsteps outside the clinic room snapped me out of my thoughts. I immediately locked my phone and shoved it face down onto the chair beside me.
A few seconds later, the door swung open.
Rhys walked in first, and the moment I saw him, some of the tension in my body loosened without my permission. He waved as soon as he saw me, then he adjusted his dark hoodie. Hanging loosely over his broad frame, it made him look softer compared to the intimidating hockey captain the public usually saw.
I waved back at him before he reached my side.
Leo entered right behind him, quietly adjusting his glasses. Beside them stood a woman I had never seen before. She looked calm, completely professional, with deep brown skin and long braids pulled neatly behind her back. A white medical coat was draped over her pale blue scrubs, and her expression softened the moment her eyes landed on me.
"So this is the patient who has been stressing everybody out," she said dryly.
I blinked once, then slowly turned my gaze toward Leo. "She is definitely your friend," I joked.
Leo looked entirely unbothered. "Unfortunately."
The woman snorted softly before walking closer to my chair. "Dr. Amara Bennett," she introduced herself, extending her hand politely. "I’m an OB-GYN specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. High-risk pregnancies, basically. Leo told me your situation involves complex endocrine disruption, which is usually his favorite type of sentence."
I shook her hand carefully. "Kayden Vale."
"Yes," she said knowingly. "I know who you are, and the world does too, as you are always on the trending list."
A smile formed on my face even though I was uncomfortable that my whole life was out there. Amara didn’t linger on it; instead, she gestured calmly toward the examination table nearby.
"Come lie down for me first," she said gently. "I want to run an ultrasound before we discuss any treatment protocols."
Rhys immediately moved to my side as I stood up. His hand brushed lightly against my lower back as we walked toward the examination area together, grounding me without needing a single word. The overhead clinic lights suddenly felt too bright, and entirely too real.
I laid back against the table, staring at the ceiling while Dr. Bennett prepared the machine beside us.
"You nervous?" she asked casually, pulling on a pair of latex gloves.
"A little."
"That is normal."
Leo leaned against the counter nearby, maintaining his usual observant distance. At least he was back to his usual self after what went down with him and Miller.
Rhys stayed glued to my side, his fingers wrapped tightly around mine, squeezing reassurance into my palm.
Dr. Bennett lifted the edge of my hoodie slightly before squeezing a dollop of cool gel against my lower stomach.
I flinched instantly at the contact. "Oh goodness, that is so cold," I muttered under my breath.
"That is also normal," she responded, smiling.
The machine hummed softly a moment later, and the screen beside us flickered to life.
For several quiet seconds, nobody spoke.
Dr. Bennett’s expression remained unreadable as she carefully moved the transducer across my skin. When the silence started stretching a second too long, my heartbeat instantly sped up, and Rhys’s grip around my hand tightened to a painful squeeze.
Then finally, her voice softened. "There."
She pointed gently toward the blurry grayscale image forming across the monitor.
I let out a gasp as I stared at the monitor. It was tiny, so tiny that if she hadn’t pointed directly at it, I genuinely wouldn’t have recognized it. But it was there.
"Oh My God, Rhys, that’s our baby."
