I already know he’s going to follow up with his other favorite question: Can I get you anything? But before he can get to it, the door swings open and Dr. Popov walks in with her clipboard in hand.
“What the fuck, Em?”
She stops short at Uri’s bark, her eyes going wide. “What’s wrong?”
“You were supposed to be here to check on her forty minutes ago.”
She exhales. “Jesus, Uri—I have other patients here, you know. One of them went into labor. Emergency Cesarean.”
Uri rolls his eyes. “You couldn’t have fobbed off the job on some other schmuck?”
“Uri,” I snap before turning to Emily. “Ignore him. I was happy to wait.”
Pursing her lips, Emily gives Uri an amused glance and floats over to my bedside. “How are we feeling today, my love?”
I’m getting really sick of that question.
“Fine. I feel fine. A little tired, but that’s to be expected.”
Emily consults her clipboard. “Okay, so everything’s looking good. You’re definitely cleared to leave today. However—”
“‘However’？” I interrupt before she can finish. “‘However’ is not good!”
Uri grabs my hand and gives it a little squeeze. It’s amazing how fast that tiny gesture succeeds in calming me down.
“No need to panic. This is just something you need to be aware of,” Emily reassures me, looking between Uri and me. “The scans show that your babies are sharing a placenta. That’s totally normal for identical twins, but it does mean that we will need to monitor you closely going forward. Especially considering the recent episode that brought you here.”
“Is this a reason for concern?”
“Not at all,” Emily insists. “It just means you need to be careful. Take it easy. Put your feet up. Avoid stress at all costs.”
I snort through my nose. “Yeah, okay.”
“Alyssa.” The seriousness in her voice catches my attention. She looks me dead in the eye. “I mean it.”
I nod. “Okay. I hear you.” The only problem is actually executing her advice. It’s all well and good for people to tell me to relax. It’s a whole other ballgame actually relaxing.
Especially when nothing is resolved. Lev is still confined to his upstairs room, suffering from nightmares when the sun’s down and a boatload of daytime traumas. Polly is still missing. And I have no idea what’s going on between Uri and me.
“Is bed rest necessary?” Uri inquires.
I look up at him with alarm. Is he serious? I’ve already been going crazy down in that basement. Now, he’s trying to prevent me from leaving the bed. Oh, hell no!
“Bed rest is drastic,” Emily demurs quickly, probably having noticed the panic on my face. She gives me a little wink. “We don’t need to resort to that just yet. Alyssa is young and healthy. A little light exercise might actually do her and the babies good. By ‘exercise,’ I mean, like, a walk around the garden twice a day. That should do it.”
“Okay. And what about sex? Is that advisable in her condition?”
My jaw drops, but Uri doesn’t show the slightest trace of discomfort. You’d never know the man hated my guts just a few days ago.
“Sex is fine,” Emily confirms with a nod. “Just nothing too wild or strenuous. We don’t want to shock the system.” She clears her throat and stands. “Okay, I’m gonna sign off on the release paperwork. I’ve also scheduled another appointment for next week to make sure things are progressing smoothly. Until then, take care of yourself. If you experience any more bleeding or pain, call me immediately.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
Emily gives me a reassuring smile. “You’re gonna be fine, Alyssa. Trust me, in a couple of months, you’re gonna be bouncing two beautiful healthy babies in your arms and all this will feel like a distant, annoying dream.”
And just like that, I picture it. Me, lying in a hospital bed just like this one, trying to juggle two babies and the growing realization that I am forever tied to Uri Bugrov and the world he lives in.
For better or for worse.
Jesus.
I may be in way over my head.
I’ve found myself in a new room on the first floor of the house. It’s got big French doors that are thrown open in the morning so I can walk out onto my own private patio, complete with a sitting area and a bench swing. After the darkness of the basement, I’m surrounded constantly by light. It’s a blessing.