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Pregnancy outcomes/deliveries – Miscarriages: 2

And an unexpected question that hit her hard:

Are you planning to get pregnant in the next year?

She hadn’t known that a medical questionnaire could traumatize her. How had the twelve years of her marriage just flown by? She’d focused on spending a lifetime with Gideon and how many years they would share. But some milestones had expiration dates, and being confronted with that reality on a standardized form suddenly made that achingly clear.

Eva pulled into the familiar long driveway dappled by a canopy of stately old trees flanking each side. The serene drive tothe exclusive mental health facility where she’d moved her Aunt Katherine after her mother’s death was her last chance to fortify herself for the hours ahead.

A former mansion of the Gilded Age, the main building still contained many of the trappings of luxurious wealth. Expansive rooms were warmed by fireplaces, framed by elaborate molding and cornices, and filled with elegant furnishings. Cottages were spaced out across the sixty acres of the property, each serving as a private residence for a patient.

Katherine had several full-time staff members looking after her because of her childlike emotional state. She’d locked away her trauma in some dark corner of her mind and couldn’t remember it, but certain situations could trigger her, so she was insulated from any possible cause of stress. Even the shows and films she watched and the books she read were vetted to ensure no violence was depicted.

Parking in the circular drive, Eva got out of the car and retrieved the gift bag from the backseat. She was momentarily startled to catch her mother’s reflection in the car’s window, then remembered herself. That quick shock was fortuitous when the front door opened, and Katherine stepped out to greet her because she was more prepared for the blow of seeing the mirror image of her late mother, which hit her with the same brutality every time.

“You’re early today,” Katherine said as Eva ascended the two wide, shallow steps to her. She threw her arms wide in welcome. “Happy birthday to us!”

“Happy birthday, Kathy.” Eva smiled through the sting of tears and embraced her aunt, the sensation so very similar to being held by her mother.

Eva’s birthday was many months away, in February, but Katherine didn’t know her as Eva; she saw only her sister Lauren. A possible self-defense mechanism, her doctor said.Meeting new people was frightening for her, and it had been decided that learning of her sister’s death might shatter her fragile emotional and mental states.

However, Lauren’s letters to her sister had been filled with mentions of her daughter, so Katherine knew about Eva. Because of that, Eva talked about herself in the third person, which gave her the freedom to say things she might not otherwise have the courage to. She also kept up the handwritten letters her mother had been so religious about sending, and the correspondences were like journal entries, snapshots of her life, and the fictional activities of her late mother.

Pulling back, Katherine gripped her by the shoulders and studied her. “No fair. You don’t age.”

“My husband takes good care of me,” she said, examining Katherine as closely in return.

Different circumstances and lifestyles meant Katherine was no longer exactly identical to her sister, who’d used a variety of cosmetic surgeries and treatments to maintain her youthful appearance. Katherine was aging naturally and had a minimal skincare routine, which Eva knew from the itemized list of expenses she received monthly. Barefaced and living as serene a life as possible, her aunt was radiant and lovely. Thankfully, she also still spoke with a rural Texas accent, which her sister had trained herself to drop. Eva couldn’t imagine how she would feel if Katherine not only looked like her mother but sounded like her, too.

“I’m glad you found a good one,” Katherine said, linking their arms and pulling her into the cottage. “I think they’re very rare.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

They entered the light and airy living room and settled together on the pretty floral loveseat. Katherine loved pink flowers, so a designer had been brought in to transform the cottage into her dream. Taking agency over the space had helpedher make the transition to New York, which had nevertheless been a rough adjustment for her. She required routine and familiar people and places, no surprises, and very little change.

Katherine blended the past and present in unique ways. In her mind, she and Lauren were both still teenagers, but Lauren was also married with a daughter old enough to be married herself. These two vastly different eras in a lifetime existed concurrently in Katherine’s mind.

“Good morning, Mrs. Stanton.”

Eva turned her head to find Katherine’s housekeeper carrying over two glasses of orange juice on a tray. “Good morning, Penny.”

“And a happy birthday to you both,” she said, smiling at them. “I made a hummingbird cake for the occasion.”

“Did you, Penny?” Katherine’s face lit up. “That’s my favorite!”

“Must’ve been a good guess, then.”

“Oh, stop. You knew that.”

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