NOVA / ELIZABETH POV
My stomach was already showing and the regulars at the diner had noticed. Case in point— one of the bachelors sitting on a stool, his eyes glued to my bump instead of the nu.
I gently dropped the glass of water on the table in front of him to get his eyes off my stomach. Having people focus on my belly instead of my face was weirding out. I turned to go back to the kitchen when a sharp pain had bending over and clutching my stomach hard.
The pain was unbearable. Like sothing was eating from the inside out, twisting my organs into knots. And no matter how much I didn’t want this pregnancy at first, I would hate if my child died inside due to my carelessness.
"Elizabeth!" Mabel’s voice cut through the haze. "Soone get her a chair!"
But before anyone could move, I barely noticed the fact that I was now floating in soone’s arms. Hard, masculine arms carrying my weight like I was nothing. Before I knew it, we were at the clinic that doubled as a hospital on the outskirts of town.
The building was small, barely more than a converted house, but it was the only dical facility Petals Creek had.
"What’s your na?" The doctor asked in a warm voice. He seed older and friendly, like a father figure I never had. His grey hair and calm deanor assured that I was in safe hands with soone as experienced as him.
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Moore." I croaked out, my hands fumbling against each other as I prayed hard that I hadn’t lost my baby.
"Is the young man your partner?" He asked, pointing to the custor who’d rushed here, the one who was now standing by my bedside with a worried expression etched on his face like he actually knew .
"No. He’s a Good Samaritan," I said softly.
"Okay." The doctor nodded before facing the custor. "You’ll have to excuse us for a few minutes. Patient privacy."
He nodded imdiately, understanding, and closed the door of the small room behind him.
"Do you know how far along you are?" The doctor asked as soon as the door closed.
"I realized I was pregnant a few months ago, so I guess I should be four months along or so." I haven’t really kept track of the life growing in my stomach. Not with constantly looking over my shoulder, ensuring no one has been looking or asking around for a Nova Hart.
"Have you taken any prenatal vitamins? Been to any checkups?" He asked gently, but I could see in his face that he already knew the answer before I even opened my mouth. Still, I decided to humor him anyway.
"No." I mumbled in sha. The thing is, I’d refused to acknowledge the child growing inside . The logical thing to do would’ve been to abort since I’m not with the father and I barely have my life in order. But a part of just couldn’t terminate a baby that my body created.
A part of was in love with the concept of having my own person. My child. Soone I could love and grow up with like my mother never had the chance to do with . But another part of was scared of the bills, the sacrifices, the fact that I don’t know what path my life would take.
"Are you considering termination?" The doctor’s voice was soft, non-judgntal. "Because it’s already quite late for that, and there would be significant risks involved."
I nodded, tears blurring my vision. This was my last chance to get rid of this fetus, but I couldn’t summon up the courage.
"I’ll keep it," I croaked out with the little confidence left in .
"That’s a brave decision, Elizabeth." The doctor smiled. "Let’s start with an ultrasound and get you caught up on the shots you’ve missed."
I nodded and followed the instructions the nurse gave . Soon I was lying on the examination table with cold gel spreading over my slight bulge. The doctor placed the ultrasound wand on my stomach, and the black-and-white image showed sothing that wasn’t really clear.
"Is my baby okay?" My baby. The words sounded foreign but right as they rolled off my tongue. But the image on the screen wasn’t similar to the different ultrasound pictures I’d seen across the internet.
"Yes..." The doctor said, squinting and adjusting his glasses. He zood in again before releasing his breath.
"Is there sothing wrong?" I could hear my heart beating wildly in my ears. I can’t bear to lose what I just got, even though it took a while to accept its reality.
"Nothing wrong at all, Miss Moore. Your babies are doing just fine." He said it with a beautiful smile that eased the chaos in my head instantly.
"Babies? Did you say babies?" Tears were streaming down my face already. If only Grant was here. I’m very sure he would be over the moon. We never discussed children, but sohow I knew Grant wasn’t the type of man to abandon his child or ask for an abortion. For all his flaws, he seed to truly love children.
"Yes, babies. Twins, from what I can see. You need to take much better care of yourself now. They’re in good health so far, sa as you, but you need to be more intentional for a healthy delivery. Twin pregnancies carry more risks."
The doctor listed different tips and instructions, but all I could focus on was the ultrasound image of two hearts beating inside . Two hearts created with love by and Grant.
Two babies. Two lives that would never know their father.
The thought made fresh tears spill down my cheeks.
Soon I was in a car with the custor whose na I later discovered was Sam. He’d waited the entire ti I was being examined—over an hour—and patiently drove back to the diner where Mabel was already wringing her hands in anticipation.
When I assured her I was fine, she’d gone on in motherly affection about how I needed to rest more, how I shouldn’t be on my feet so much, how she’d adjust my schedule to accommodate the pregnancy.
"Twins, Mabel," I’d whispered. "I’m having twins."
Her eyes had widened, then softened. "Well then. You’re definitely cutting back on hours. Doctor’s orders."
Sam ca back later after I closed. He said he ca to pick sothing up, but sohow it was around the exact ti I was heading ho and he offered to give a ride so I wouldn’t stress myself further.
I didn’t have to give him directions. He knew where I lived, being a native himself. When he pulled up in front of the hardware store, he turned off the engine and reached into the backseat, pulling out a bag.
"Here. Take this."
I looked inside. Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, all fresh fruit that probably cost more than I made in tips all week.
"No, Sam. You’ve done more than enough, honestly." And that was true. He’d literally saved my baby—babies—today.
"It’s nothing, Elizabeth. Let’s just say I got this for your baby and not for you." He said it with the sa gentle tone and dimpled smile that probably made half the won in Petals Creek swoon.
"Babies," I corrected before I could shut my mouth.
His eyebrows shot up. "Twins?"
I nodded.
"Wow. Congratulations. You’re doing an amazing job, and this is more reason why you shouldn’t reject this. It’s healthy for them." He flashed another dimpled smile.
I took the bag, too tired to argue. "Thank you, Sam. Really."
"Anyti, Elizabeth." The way he said my fake na made feel guilty. Like I was lying to soone who’d shown nothing but kindness.
Which I was.
I climbed out of the car and watched him drive away before heading up to my apartnt. It was too soon to admire another man. Not when I wasn’t over Grant yet. Not when I was still carrying his children.
But I had a feeling I’d be seeing more of Sam around.
And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
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