"Lara, are you okay?"
Yes, I just like puking my guts out first thing in the morning, I wanted to call out. Instead I went with a less sarcastic answer. The stench of vomit made me wrinkle my nose. I was just about to get up from the floor when I felt the bile rising in my throat once again. I gripped the toilet as I empty the little contents I had in my stomach.
Once I was sure that I was done, I struggled to my feet and stumbled over to the basin to brush my teeth. My eyes locked on my reflection before I could turn away. I could hardly recognize myself. Somehow through it all I've managed to lose the slight tan I had picked up. I had lost a lot of weight even though I've been eating three meals a day. If it wasn't Valeria, it was either David or Devon who made sure that I ate.
Ethan has kept his word by staying away from me. It was hard to stay completely away from him since I lived in his house, but he hadn't tried anything again.
My eyes dropped to the crook of my neck. I reached up and tugged the shirt out of the way. The bite was almost completely healed. I hated the fact that it was going to scar. It would always be a reminder of what I had lost. It would always be a reminder of the man I craved but couldn't have. A part of me actually longed to have him near; to have him touch me and hold me and look at me with love. It was wrong of me to long for another when Silas's ring was on my finger.
There was a soft knock on the door a second before it opened. I pushed the shirt back in place to cover the bite. My eyes darted up to the person who entered the bathroom. Valeria gave me a small smile as she hovered near the doorway.
"Hey."
I managed to give her a small smile.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I snapped and then softly added; "Thank you for asking."
"I have a favour to ask you," she said softly.
I watched as she held up a small white and pink box. She moved closer and hesitated at my side.
"Have you peed yet?"
Colour flooded my cheeks at her personal question. In the few weeks of staying here, I've come to the conclusion that these people were very straight forward and wasn't very shy. David had told me that it was because of their shifter blood.
"No."
"Good." She opened the box and pulled out a blue test-thing. "This is a pregnancy test."
"But I had a miscarriage," I whispered.
She turned toward me with a small smile. Valeria reached out and gently gripped my shoulders. "I know. Although we might think we know everything there is to know, there's always something new to learn. I've seen it a few times with some of the older women. It's rare but there might be a possibility that you're still pregnant."
Hope flared but I instantly pushed it down.
"I'm not a doctor and I have little to no medical knowledge, but I know for a fact that you're suffering from morning sickness. I asked David to make an ultrasound appointment for you. Please take the test."
I blinked back the sudden tears that filled my eyes. It couldn't be possible. The doctor had explained things to me. I had lost the baby. Was she right? I pressed a shaky hand to my lower stomach as I stared at the test she held out to me. Could I dare hope?
***
"This is going to be a little cold, but it'll warm up," Doctor Ali warned before she spread the gel over my lower stomach.
I flinched but like she had said, the gel warmed quickly. My heartbeat increased when she pulled the machine closer. Much to my shock, the pregnancy test was positive. I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing. It could just be a false positive. Only an ultrasound would confirm the pregnancy.
"Okay, let's see what we have here." She moved the chair closer and then pressed the wand against my stomach over the gel.
I gripped the sides of the narrow bed tightly and glanced over to the wall where David stood. Valeria was called away when we arrived at the hospital. Although she didn't tell me what had happened, I could tell that whatever it was, was very important. David had offered to go with me and I had jumped to accept his offer.
I was scared.
"I've been told that you suffered from a miscarriage," Doc Ali said softly. "It's rare for this to happen but not all women are so lucky. Sometimes the fetus only makes it up to around eight weeks before another miscarriage occurs."
I had to swallow a few times before I could find my voice. "So you're saying that even if I'm pregnant, there's a chance that I'll miscarry again?"
Her eyes darted over to mine for a second. "Not necessarily. With the right care, you'll be able to carry the baby full-term."
If I was in fact still pregnant, I prayed that I wouldn't lose the baby again. I didn't realize how much I wanted a baby until I thought I lost one. So what if Silas and I weren't married yet? We loved each other and that was enough to start a family, right?
I opened my eyes and stared at David. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his attention completely focused on the screen of the ultra-sound machine. Was it normal for your to be in-laws to do the things my in-laws have been doing for me? I was sure that your father-in-law wasn't supposed to be with you when you have an ultra-sound, but I was happy that he was here. Although I wished that it was Silas instead.
"There," Doc Ali suddenly exclaimed.
David instantly straightened. His eyes flickered to mine briefly before focusing back on the screen. I sucked in a breath and finally found the courage to turn my head towards the screen. All I saw was a blob of black and grey but David and Doc Ali seemed to be seeing more than me.
"You're pregnant."
"How far along?" David asked softly.
"It's hard to tell for sure," she muttered. "If you can give me the dates, I can make some calculations."
"Dates?"
Doc Ali gave me a smile. "The last date you and your mate had sex; or a date close to that."
Colour flooded my cheeks as embarrassment flooded me. Now that was something you didn't discuss in front of your father-in-law. David cleared his throat but thankfully didn't comment on the doctor's words.
The doctor moved the wand around a bit and frowned. I watched as her brows dipped into a deep frown, which made dread fill me.
"Is something wrong?"
"What doctor treated you before?"
My eyes darted over to David.
"One of the new ones," he answered her. "Doctor Fire or something like that. His surname almost sounded like he was saying fire when he introduced himself."
"I think he needs to ask for his license back." She shifted the wand again and then pointed at the screen. "See that there?" She pointed to an oval shaped circle on the screen. "That's the embryo and now that I have a better view, I'd say you're about five weeks pregnant."
Shock washed through me, followed by excitement and then worry.
"But she was bleeding, I saw it."
"And I had some gramps," I added softly.
"The bleeding could be caused by a lot of things. I can't give you an exact explanation at the moment. I just scanned over your file when I was called." She pressed a few buttons on the machine and then moved the wand away. "I just want to take your measurements and weigh you."
The doctor handed me a paper towel to wipe the gel away. I pushed my shirt back down after wiping my stomach clean and then sat up. My eyes darted around the room as I waited for her to grab everything she needed. Without realizing it my hands drifted down to my stomach. Five weeks pregnant. I had a human being growing inside me.
Silas and I created a life.
I swallowed the lump that suddenly filled my throat. We were going to have a baby and he might not even make it. What if I lost him? I wouldn't be able to raise a baby on my own! We weren't married yet and I didn't even have a job. Then there was the worry of my mother. I couldn't move from place to place once the baby's born. The baby needed a stable home with a mother and a father to give it all the love it needed.
"Lara?"
I blinked rapidly but it only made the tears spill over. David stepped closer and placed his hand over mine on my stomach. The small action only made me want to cry harder.
"No matter what happens, we will be there for you and this baby. Silas is a fighter, sweetheart. He will be okay." He bent his knees slightly so we were more eyelevel. "If it comes to it that we have to decide to turn of the machines. If we lose him, you will always be welcome here. You're part of the family, Lara. Both of you."