Page 80 of Mortify

I hang up to find Regnor fully dressed, jaw clenched.

"He showed up at your work?"

"Looking for me. Making threats about Tuesday—that's when Bjorn has physical therapy. You know he's threatened to hurt him before."

"Motherfucker." He pulls on his cut. "Get dressed. You're coming tokirkjawith me."

"Women aren't allowed inkirkja."

"They are when their psycho ex is making moves." He cups my face. "I'm not leaving you alone. Not for a second."

I dress quickly in jeans and one of his t-shirts that hangs loose enough to hide my slowly changing body.

The common area is already busy when we emerge—kids eating breakfast, women chatting over coffee.

Normal morning chaos that feels surreal given what's happening.

"Everly!" My mom waves from the kitchen. "Come help me with breakfast?"

I glance at Regnor, who nods. "I need to talk to Tor beforekirkjaanyways. Stay with your mom, yeah?"

He kisses my forehead and heads off to find Tor.

I join Mom in the kitchen, where she's making enough scrambled eggs to feed an army.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, studying my face. "You look pale."

"Morning sickness is brutal," I admit, taking over stirring duty so she can start more toast.

"Gets better after the first trimester." She hip-checks me gently. "Usually."

"That's what everyone keeps saying."

We work in silence for a moment before she speaks again.

"You know, I couldn’t believe it when I was pregnant with your brothers."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. Kraken and I had thought because of my age that ship had sailed." She smiles at the memory. "But fate gave us something beautiful together."

"What did you think of it, when you found out I mean?"

"That my life was about to change into something even more amazing than I thought" She laughs. "But also that I was terrified, yet somehow couldn’t wait to be a mother. Sometimes the craziest parts of our lives are the things we never expect."

"This feels bigger than crazy," I confess. "This feels insane."

"Because of the baby?"

"Because of everything. The situation with Dylan, the threats, living here..." I gesture vaguely at the club.

"But not Regnor?"

I think about this morning—him holding my hair, bringing me remedies he'd researched, the careful way he takes care of me.

"No," I say softly. "Not Regnor."

"Then the rest is just details." She plates the eggs for both of us, "Hard details, yes. Dangerous ones, certainly. But if the core is solid—you and him—you can weather the rest of what life throws at you."

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