Page 21 of Vengeful Embers

“Tara?”

I fly at the door. “Irina! I’m in here. I’ve been locked in!”

A moment later, the door creaks open. A nurse stands behind it, flustered.

“We usually lock this for cleaning after appointments—oh no, I didn’t check?—”

Irina steps in, fury lighting her eyes. “Are you kidding me? You didn’t check?”

“I’m so sorry?—”

“Just... leave,” Irina snaps. She turns to me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I’m not. My nerves are shot. “Did you see the doctor?”

She nods, her eyes wet. “Yes. And Tara—you're perfect.”

My heart jerks. “What?”

“For the surrogacy!” she squeals and throws her arms around me. “You're viable! Everything is a green light. He says we need to move quickly—implementation has to happen by the end of the week.”

I pull back, blinking. “Really?”

She beams. “Yes.”

I hesitate. “Because... I don’t know. The doctor didn’t look pleased when he told me to go to his office.”

“He’s just that way,” Irina assures me. “He’s a brilliant man, but he has the bedside manner of a stapler.”

We leave through the back entrance, the same way we came in—discreet, no curious stares or questions.

“I’d rather keep this quiet until we’re well into the second trimester,” Irina says as we walk. “Like we did with my other pregnancies.”

I nod. “I understand.”

She glances at me. “You do?”

“I do,” I say honestly. “Also... please don’t tell anyone about what I found in my dad’s puzzle box. Not even my mom.”

“We already knew that,” Irina says softly. “It stays between us.”

Six days later, I’m back at the hospital with Doctor Abrupto.

Today is implantation day. I lie in a quiet, sterile room with soft lighting, waiting for the procedure. I’ve been given something to relax me. I feel floaty, warm, and a little emotional.

There’s a small photo of Irina and Gavriil sitting next to my bed. A token from Irina.

“To help the baby know it’s loved right from the beginning,” she said.

The procedure doesn’t take long, though it feels momentous.

By late afternoon, I’m ready to leave. I expect Irina... but it’s Gavriil who appears in the hallway outside my room.

“Surprise,” he says, offering a crooked smile.

“You didn’t have to come,” I say.

“I wanted to.”

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