Royal 3 (Book three in my Selection Series)

Epilogue

"Darling, are you sure you don't want to sit down?" North asks me, holding one of my hands and supporting my waist.

"No, I'm okay." I shake my head. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to survive three more months of this. I put a hand on my extended stomach and realize how bad my feet actually hurt. "On second thought, it couldn't hurt."

North chuckles softly and helps me to a seat. He sits by me and watches me closely, just like he always had.

"I'm alright, stop worrying." I lean to him and kiss him on the cheek. "Our baby girl is okay."

I could never forget the look of happiness on his face. North smiles and puts a single hand on my stomach. I was only six months along but I was smaller than I was for my first pregnancy. The baby kicks near his touch and I can't help but laugh.

"Do you think that means she likes you or not?"  I ask him.

"I hope she likes me, but I think if not I'll manage to persuade her otherwise after she's born." He shrugs and looks up as Emily comes toward us with Miles and James.

"Was he giving you any trouble?" North asks her, picking Miles up and setting him on his lap. Miles was only four, but he had an incredibly outgoing personality. He was our firstborn, but we'd waited two and a half years after our wedding to have him.

" Not at all." Emily laughs. James and Miles had been friends since they were born. James was Emily's firstborn son too, named after Aaron's father. Aaron and Emily has been legally married since a few months after we were, but they just went to a courthouse. After they had been married a few years, she accidentally got pregnant. I wouldn't forget the day when she called me, hysterical.

•••

The phone in my room rang and I went over to it and picked it up.

"Hello?" I ask, forgetting to look at the number that was calling.

"Rose? Rose, I need help." I hear Emily on the other line, crying. Emily didn't like to cry, she barely ever did.

"Emily, what's happened?" I ask. "Are you okay?" She was beginning to make me hysterical.

"I'm pregnant." She breathes quietly into the phone.

"You're pregnant?" I repeat, scared suddenly. Her last pregnancy had made her almost die and decreased her chances that she'd ever even get pregnant again. "You're less than an hour away, come here immediately."

"I can't drive right now." Her voice shakes. I pause for a moment.

"It's Aaron's?" I ask and turn to North who just watches me. I wasn't sure if he understood what was happening.

"Yes." She whispers.

"Get him to drive you. We have the best doctors here and we need to make sure everything is okay." I tell her seriously.

"I can't, I don't want to tell him. Not yet, anyway." She responds.

"You don't have to tell him. If you don't get him to bring you, I'll call him myself." I threaten. "I'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay." She says softly and hangs up. I look at North, who stands up to greet me.

"She's pregnant. Last time it almost killed her and I just can't—" I stop talking and focus on trying not to cry.

"She's going to be okay." He tells me and comes toward me, holding onto my hand tightly. I don't respond, but I just shut my eyes. After a few minutes I pull away.

"How are we going to tell her?" I ask quietly, putting a hand on my stomach.

"After she figures out her pregnancy is fine, then you can tell her that she's not alone." He smiles and hugs me tightly. I nod and imagine us raising kids at the same time. I couldn't wait.