"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Gregory," Xenia cried in the man's chest.
The man released Xenia and cupped her face with his hands, "mon amour, comme je t'aime. Je suis desolé. Pardonne-Moi, Je ne savais pas." [I'm sorry, my love, I didn't know. Please, forgive me].
Within a few seconds, the man vanquished all the angst bottled up in the woman who cried as he hugged her. Once again, his arms were the shelter she needed.
"Tu me manques, tu me manques tellement," [I missed you, I missed you so much] cried the woman.
Like Gregory's, Xenia's mouth never overflowed with sweetness, but some things needed to be said and others necessary to be heard.
Gregory didn't want to lose her. Baby, or not what mattered was Xenia's well being which he wouldn't jeopardize. He remembered Margaret's words; she has her scars.
Back then, Gregory promised to accept Xenia whole as she was. That night more than all the other times, as he hugged Xenia under the eyes of his sleepy-eyed butler, Gregory vowed once again to cherish her.
They were the lucky ones, part of the broken pieces which found the matching puzzle in this lifetime.
"Parle-Moi." [talk to me]
The night was long, as Xenia expressed her fear concerning carrying a child. For Xenia, the issue didn't just have a child; it was the whole process.
"It's not you; it's me, Gregory. Every time I think of it, I justㅡ."
Tears, so many fell. They accompanied the description of an instant that was supposed to be a pinnacle of a woman's life but a tragedy for Xenia. The woman suffered then, and she still suffered now as all the gloom of the pregnancy surfaced.
"Do you want to see someone, talk to someone—."
Gregory didn't know how to bring up the idea of seeing a specialist; the truth was Xenia wasn't the only one who needed to speak. Gregory, too, had many issues. Xenia encouraged him to speak up about the things he experienced when he was in the army.
Talking helped Gregory, and he hoped it could be useful for Xenia too.
Gregory wiped Xenia's tears with his hands, "tell me what you want; tell me how I can help you, Xenia."
"J'ai besoin de toi, de toi seul." [I only need you, you alone].
"D'accord, d'accord."
Time and each other was all they needed.
Years back in Novalab, Mark said Xenia was self-efficient. It was a silly theory; there isn't a person on earth who doesn't need someone else.
The couple finally decided to see a therapist together. To their surprise, they discovered things about each other they didn't even suspect.
Both were aware of having trauma, but none knew how much it impacted their existence.
Gregory had his father, the infidelities, his mother's lifestyle, war, death, even his position in Ashton&Ashton weighed on the man. All these things made him anxious and afraid of showing his emotions. In his profound being for a long time, Gregory believed people would take advantage of him if he showed any weakness, and so he filtered, only displaying a quarter of who he was.
Her mother's relationships marked xenia, she spent years alone because she refused to waste time in dead-end stories, but she was also scared to meet another Mark. Distrust was Xenia's biggest problem, but what was worse was she didn't trust her intuition. Xenia became the worst enemy, always scolding and shaming herself for not being as perfect as all the other women in her entourage.
The woman forgot how other women struggled just as much: appearance, work, relationship, family, equality; every woman has her problems.
What came out of all the therapy sessions was their bond was solid. Every day, Xenia and Gregory tightened the links of their relationship.
Xenia hoped someday they would give Cinderella a whiplash with their love story.
XY XX
"Vous êtes sure madame?" [are you sure madame?]
"Oui, Docteur." [yes, doctor].
Xenia was in Dr. Dahan Gynechologist's cabinet.
The operation only took a few minutes, but Xenia was sure of what she was doing.
Taking out her IUD wasn't a sacrifice; it was a gift that Xenia gave willingly. Xenia wasn't doing it to reward, but as a token of all the love she held for this man, her man, the one Xenia choose to become the father of the children God would grant.
Xenia wasn't alone anymore; she lived and breathed love. Gregory's, Sia's, and all the people who encouraged her to surpass her phobias.
When Xenia came out, it was Niki's arms that awaited her. The true friend, eccentric but real, Xenia was glad to have Niki as she saw her as a Fairy Godmother. Astoria, the apartment, Aurelie's wedding, Niki, was always there to encourage her.
"Niki, are you an Angel?" Xenia asked as she pulled away from her arms.
"Yeah, this halo kinda weighs," the blonde woman replied with her blue laser beam eyes while swiping a hand across her forehead.
"I love you, Niki."
"Okay, where's that, Dr.Dahan? What did he do to you in there? Yo, Doc, give my friend back."
"You are a thug, Niki."
Niki winked, "I love you too, XeXe."
The two women walked out of the cabinet. Niki locked her arms with Xenia, "we should go shopping or something."
"I won't buy a thing; it would be stupid to have something I won't fit for a least a year."
"Wow, you are going to do it."
"Yep," Xenia smiled.
The appointment was a secret, and Xenia hoped she would have an announcement to make in the months to come. There was a lot of work to do; she had to get a baby on the way.