Page 59 of Cartel Devil

“Paola.” I blurt the answer like yanking off a Band-Aid.

He stares at me for a moment before nodding. “Does she know?”

“She guessed even though I mentioned needing a dentist, an optician, and a dermatologist.”

“Do you want to call now or wait until you’re by yourself?”

“The office might not be open that early.”

His brow furrows.

“I hoped you’d spend the night again, Joaco. You get up so early that I’d be alone by the time the office opens. And no, I don’t want to do it alone. I—I don’t want to do any of this alone.”

He pulls my seat belt across my lap and fastens it for me. He stares at me, and I sense he wants to lift me onto his lap because he doesn’t let go. But he lets me stay in my seat. I wonder if he would if I wasn’t pregnant. I pull out my phone and unlock it, then pull up Paola’s text. I dial the number and put it on speakerphone. It rings three times.

“Good afternoon, Braxton OBGYN.”

Braxton? Interesting. Like Braxton Hicks contractions?

“¡Qué mierda de vida!”

I look up at Joaquin as he mutters under his breath. He reaches toward my phone, but I pull away. That sounded a lot like che vita di merda—fuck my life in Italian.

“Hello, this is Patrizia Vizzini.”

“Ah, yes. We expected your call earlier.”

“Sorry. Something came up at work.”

“We close in thirty minutes, so unfortunately NP Diaz can’t fit a new patient in.”

My ears are ringing. My gaze slowly rises to meet Joaquin’s. He’s so pale, I fear he might pass out.

“Diaz?”

“Yes. Margherita Diaz. Apparently, the woman who referred you to us was very specific.”

“Ugh, does the nurse practitioner know I was referred to her?”

“I’m not sure. She’s been really busy today.”

“Is—is she—like—a gynecological nurse practitioner?”

“That’s technically a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. And no, she’s a nurse-midwife who’s also a nurse practitioner.”

“Oh, okay.”

Joaquin looks like he might cry. He’s retreated into the corner of the backseat while still watching me. He looks desperate to be anywhere but here listening to this call.

“We can fit you in first thing in the morning. Can you be here by seven-thirty? There’s some paperwork you need to complete. If you want to complete it through our portal, you can come in for eight o’clock.”

“Yeah. I mean, yes, I can be there, and I can do the paperwork online.”

“Do you know where our office is located?”

I’m still observing Joaquin, so I see him close his eyes before he nods.

“Yes.”