Page 51 of Twins for the Secret Prince
“No. You passed out because you were so dehydrated. We’re getting some fluids into you now.”
Eva saw that there was an IV drip attached to her arm. “Dehydrated? Are you sure?”
Ali nodded. “I’ve run some tests. I’m sure.”
Through her daze, Eva suddenly realized what the doctor had said. “What are you doing an ultrasound for?”
Ali’s green eyes were filled with concern as she looked at Eva. “I know this might come as a shock, but one of the tests I did was a pregnancy test. It was positive.”
Eva had no words. She stared at the doctor, waiting for her to say she was joking. But Ali just continued to stare at Eva, her face full of compassion, waiting for the news to sink in.
“That’s impossible,” Eva said finally.
“Do you remember when you had your last period?”
Eva’s brain churned under the pressure of trying to remember, but she couldn’t. Had it really been more than a month ago, and if so, how much longer? She shook her head. “I can’t remember. I think I lost track.”
“Not to worry,” Ali said, looking at the monitor. “This ultrasound will help us figure things out.”
Eva shivered as the cold gel was applied to her stomach, followed by the plastic wand. She couldn’t believe that this was actually happening.
“I’m just going to turn the volume up,” Ali said.
Eva strained to hear; all she could make out was the sound of overlapping thumps of some kind, but she had no idea what she was listening to. As a smile broke out on Ali’s face, Eva suddenly understood.
“Are those heartbeats?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Yes, they are. Two of them. Congratulations, Eva, you’re expecting twins.”
Eva just stared at Ali, speechless, as her eyes filled with tears.
“I take it you weren’t expecting this news?” Ali said gently. Eva shook her head. “I know it can come as a shock. Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?”
Eva shook her head again, not because she didn’t have any questions, but because she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t stop crying. Ali handed her a box of tissues and waited patiently as Eva absorbed the news.
“You’ll need to start taking better care of yourself,” Ali said. “Get a good night’s sleep every night, and nap when you can. You will have to up your calorie intake and make sure you drink plenty of water. You can’t let yourself get dehydrated again.”
“I didn’t know,” Eva sniffed. “I honestly didn’t know.”
“Eva, it’s okay. Everything is fine,” Ali said, covering Eva’s hand with her own. “I’m just telling you that from now on, you need to put yourself first, which is what your babies need.”
Hearing those words, Eva burst into tears. Choking sobs wracked her body as the full impact of the news hit her. She’d been pushing herself so hard, battling her way to the job of sergeant major, and once she’d been promoted, she hadn’t let up because she didn’t want anyone to say that she wasn’t up to the job. And she hadn’t known that the whole time her body was experiencing this incredible miracle while she’d been pushing herself so hard.
She cried tears of guilt, but they were also tears of joy. She’d always known she wanted children but hadn’t allowed herself to believe she’d be a mother any time soon. And here she was, pregnant with not one but two babies! It was a shock, yes, but Eva knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was thrilled about this news.
“Is there anyone you’d like me to contact, to ask to come and be with you right now?” Ali asked.
Eva looked at her through her tears and shook her head. “He’s not here anymore,” she managed to say. “He was here — that’s how this happened — but now he’s gone away.”
A fresh wave of sadness hit, and she began to cry again. It felt so painfully unfair that Pieter had gone back to Laagestein before she’d found out about the pregnancy. She couldn’t make the relationship with him work, had very likely driven him away with her coldness, and now he was living on a completely different continent.
“I’ll have to tell him,” she said, sniffling. “He deserves to know.”
“Yes, he does,” Ali said, squeezing her hand.
“I was awful to him. I drove him away,” Eva said, weeping.
“You never know what might happen,” Ali said kindly. “In my experience, news like this has a way of bringing people back to each other.”
