Page 26 of Midnight Sanctuary

“It looks like we have twins on our hands.”

My hand drops my bracelet. My jaw drops right along with it. “I’m sorry… Did you just saytwins?”

Dr. Grigory turns to me with the first glimmers of a muted smile. “I did. You’re having two babies, Alyssa.”

I let out a breath that comes out as a sob and a gasp all rolled up into one. “I’ma twin,” I say softly.

“It does tend to run in families. Congratulations.”

I can’t rub my belly because of all the ultrasound gunk lathered all over it but I look down at myself and I experience a rare moment of happiness. It’s a welcome respite from the last few weeks.

Twins.

My God.

Ziva, wherever you are… thank you.

“Can you tell if they’re going to be boys or girls?” I ask excitedly.

Dr. Grigory pats my knee. “I’m afraid it’s too early to tell. But another month and we should be able to discern.”

“Twins,” I repeat again, looking once more towards the screen. I can see the tiny little peanuts floating around in my belly. “Twins, Ziva.”

I grab my Z link again. It’s probably silly but it feels like a sign. A sign that I’m not alone. That Ziva is here with me—guiding me, helping me, protecting me. I’m not completely alone, even if it feels that way more often than not.

I turn towards Uri, excited to see his reaction. But all my joy curdles in my chest when I notice the deadpan scowl on his face. It’s utterly emotionless. He may as well have been told that his brake pads need to be changed.

“Thank you, Doctor,” he rumbles at last before gesturing to his men to help the doctor pack away his equipment. “We can wrap this up.”

It takes everything I have in me not to bury my face in the pillow and scream.

Before he leaves, Dr. Grigory prescribes some prenatal vitamins for me, as well as medication to help with the nausea. He makes me promise to eat well and drink lots of water and then he leaves with a crisp parting nod.

The security follows, hauling out the equipment the exact same way they hauled it in. I look up, hoping to catch Uri’s eye—but he doesn’t so much as glance at me before the door shuts in my face.

The complete lack of reaction from him leaves me feeling cold and restless. Had he been hoping that I wasn’t pregnant?

Of course he was.No man wants to have a baby with the woman who accidentally caused his sister to be sold into sex slavery. But some naïve part of me actually believed he would be happy.

Idiot.

I lie back down in bed and stare up at the ceiling. A couple of stray tears squeeze out of my eyes but I wipe them away quickly.

I can’t let my happiness be dictated by his. It’s pretty clear that despite these babies, our futures are on separate paths, veering away from each other.

That’s okay. I’ll be happy about these babies all on my own if I have to be.

But even as I try to convince myself of that, the worry still nags in the back of my head. Even if Polly is found, will he forgive me? What if Polly is never found? What then? Will he grow to hate his own children like he hates me?

I don’t know anymore.

I don’t know anything.

12

URI

Twins.

---