Artur lowered his head, fingers rubbing his eyes. My heart skipped a beat when I heard the diagnosis, too. Fear was creeping in again because I couldn’t afford to lose this baby.
“Can you fix it?”
He shook his head. “What we can do is manage it.”
“So you’re telling me that I could lose them?” His voice dripped with fury, his face a mask of anger.
“I’m telling you that with the right management and care, we can save them both.”
Artur combed his fingers through his hair, frustration creeping in.
The doctor further explained, saying, “She must rest. No stress of any kind. We’ll need to keep her under constant monitoring. But if her condition deteriorates, then I’m afraid we may be forced to deliver the baby early to save at least one of them.”
With a broken heart, I wiped the tears from my eyes, my lips quivering in fear. He glanced back at me and saw that I was awake already.
“Hey,” he called softly, rushing over to meet me.
“I’ll leave you alone.” The doctor dematerialized.
“How’re you feeling?” he asked, his voice gentle as he sat on the edge of the bed.
I forced a smile. “Better.”
He paused, eyes boring into mine. “How much of that did you hear?” He was referring to his conversation with the doctor.
“Enough to know the complications.”
“Thereareno complications.” He held my hand, his gaze unwavering.
I flashed him a faint smile. “I heard what the doctor said, Artur.” My voice was weak, barely above a whisper. “It’s okay.”
He looked me dead in the eyes. “I don’t care what the report says. I’m not losing either of you.”
His optimism was admirable. But beneath the surface, I saw fear and unease.
Chapter 26 – Artur
My wife’s condition was getting more and more stable by the week. As the doctor had instructed, I made sure she wasn’t stressing about anything. Nothing at all.
Every day, the doctor would come by the house to monitor her progress. And so far, she was responding to treatment just fine. Although she was in a better condition than before, a part of me was still scared for her safety.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do if anything bad happened to her or the baby. The mere thought of it alone always made my heart skip. And at this point, I just had to remain positive.
I told myself every day that she would get through this. That I wasn’t going to lose any of them. We’d survived worse before. This condition wasn’t going to separate us.
Celine was now in her third trimester, and at any moment, the baby would arrive. She’d come so far that even the doctor admitted she was healthier than before. The chances of having any complications during delivery were slim.
Wonderful news!
One night, I was returning late from work, tired and exhausted from an important meeting. The road was lonely, and the crescent moon was hanging somewhere in the sky full of stars.
I was traveling steadily, thinking about my wife and the baby we’re expecting, when I spotted something suspicious. Headlights beaming behind me. At first, I wanted to shrug it off, but then I realized that those two pale eyes had been tailing me for a while now.
Through my rearview mirror, I noticed the vehicle was getting closer, its engine roaring through the night. My eyes squinted, knowing this was no coincidence at all. I was being followed.
I tightened my hold on the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator. The minute I did that, the vehicle behind me surged forward, headlights brighter. Closer.
No more pretending. The driver floored the car, chasing after me at high speed. I didn’t panic, just kept my cool as my car shot through the night like a missile. The engine growled in response, the speedometer climbing into the three-digit range.