Page 85 of Sin and Redemption

I took a whiff. “You smell good. Stay in bed with me.”

Sara let out a laugh and wriggled her way out of my hold. “I’m going to take a shower now. You don’t have to come with me if you’re too tired.”

She slipped out of bed. I opened one eye a slit and watched her move into the bathroom. Groaning, I sat up. I wouldn’t miss this appointment for anything in the world. I’d accompanied Sara to every appointment so far, and today, we might find out the gender.

I got myself a strong coffee in the kitchen before I moved back to the bedroom to grab clothes. Sara was still in the shower, shaving and doing whatever else she deemed necessary before seeing her doctor.

I downed my coffee and felt a tiny bit more prepared for the day. Sleepless nights weren’t new to me, but the things that usually got me awake quickly—sex, a hard workout, or a fight—were all out of the question now. Sara came in a few minutes later, dressed in underwear. By now, I had managed to put boxers on.

“The coffee didn’t help?”

I shrugged. “It did, but it’s not enough.” I told her what usually got my blood pumping, then asked, “I assume there isn’t a chance of you waking me up with a quick round of sex?”

Sara pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “I won’t have sex before a doctor’s appointment!”

I pushed to my feet and headed over to her for a brief kiss. “That’s what I thought. Do you want a coffee? I need another one.”

Sara shook her head with a smile.

Fifteen minutes later, we were on our way. Sara fumbled with her purse and worried her lower lip.

“Everything will be okay.”

“I know,” she whispered.

When we arrived at the practice and Sara had to lie down on the examination couch, anxiety filled her face. I took her hand.

She squeezed my fingers tightly when the doctor began the ultrasound. Almost immediately, the heartbeat sounded steady and reassuring. I released the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. Sara beamed up at me, then she turned back to her doctor, who watched the ultrasound monitor in concentration. “My suspicion about the gender seems to be confirmed.” She glanced from Sara to me. “Do you want to know?”

Sara nodded, then gave me a questioning look. “I don’t like surprises,” I said.

The doctor pointed at the spot between the baby’s legs on the screen. There was something. “A boy?” I said. Sara had guessed it was a girl, female intuition apparently.

“That’s the umbilical cord,” the doctor said.

“It’s a girl, right?” Sara whispered as if she could actually make out anything on this screen.

The doctor nodded. “Congrats.”

Sara closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. She let out a sob. The doctor got up. “I’m outside if you need me.”

Seeing Sara cry reminded me of the moment she’d found out we’d lost the baby, but this time, it was obvious joy. I perched on the edge of the examination couch and wrapped an arm around her. She peered up at me through teary eyes. “I had a feeling she was a girl. I’m so happy everything’s as it should be.”

“I told you everything is going to be okay. Nothing will happen to you or our little girl.”

Our little girl. It was still hard to believe that Sara and I would be parents soon, that the pain of the past would eventually lead to this kind of happiness.

I wouldn’t allow anyone to destroy this.

Maximus carried my suitcase into his parents’ house. He’d asked me to move in with them for a week or two after the events of last night. He would be very busy at work and wanted to know I was protected. My first instinct was to move in with my parents, but Maximus was right. They still had Alea and Inessa. Plus, I actually liked the idea of getting out of the city for a bit. Whenever I looked out of our window now, I saw the gruesome murder scene.

Since I’d grown used to the dogs, I really enjoyed the time we spent at his parents’ house.

“Our dogs are the best alarm system in the world. They are loyal and unbribable. And if someone’s ever trying to attack, we’ll have the advantage of knowing these woods,” Maximus said when he dropped me off.

That was probably true, but I missed being in my own home after a week. Meeting with Isa or Greta, or visiting my family was more difficult too, so I convinced Maximus to split my time between the apartment and his parents’ house. That way, I wouldn’t bind too many resources by staying in the apartment all the time.

Things soon calmed down, and Maximus had more time for me. We resumed our old life of living in the apartment during the week so I could spend the day with my family or friends, as I’d put my art history studies on pause for the foreseeable future, and spending one night of the weekend at his parents.

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