Page 74 of Only ever you-Ana & Byron
Ana laughed outright this time at his audacity, burying her face in his chest. "Fine. But only if you promise to come to every scan in your boxer shorts."
He laughed too, low and warm. "It's a deal, love."
In the warm glow of the dining room later in the day, her parents paused at the threshold, exchanging glances. Byron slowed beside her, hand on the small of her back. Her father offered a tight smile, her mother's eyes brimmed. They already knew something was wrong and were bracing themselves.
Ana turned and took a steadying breath. "Mom, Papa, there's something I need to tell you."
Byron dipped his head in encouragement. And as Ana began to speak, her voice clear, the four of them gathered close, the lake's whispering hush pressing against the windows like a witness to their truths and to the fragile, blooming peace between them.
***
"Promise me you won't blame me later, if things go sideways."
It was night, and they had decided to call it a day early. Her parents were going to stay until they knew what was going to happen. In the end, it was like a heavy burden had slipped off her shoulder now that everything was out in the open.
He kissed her forehead. "Ana, if things go sideways, we'll cross that bridge then. Right now, my only promise is this, you and our baby come first. Always."
She exhaled, letting his words settle into her chest like warm sunlight. He leaned forward, his lips brushing hers in a gentle kiss which was a poignant vow made in the hush of the dark.
When they finally pulled apart, Ana rested her head on his collarbone. "I love you," she whispered.
He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too. And I love this baby already. How far along are we?"
"Around nine weeks."
Outside, the sun sank lower, painting the lake in molten gold. Inside, they sat together in that glow, two broken hearts daring to hope they could mend and build something new, one step at a time.
***
Chapter thirty-one
Chapter 30
The late afternoon sun slanted through the window as Cadi and Gray gathered their things by the door, Tomos at their heels, chattering excitedly about the playground they'd visit afterwards .
They'd been in touch with Ana and Byron through every test and every appointment, asking the right questions, "What's the chances of quadriplegia?" "What can we expect postoperatively?", taking notes, waiting patiently for every appointment.
Ana's parents had left earlier. They had done their best to appear cheerful and not show the worry that had drawn new lines of tension on their faces. They would be back early in the morning.
Today, the neurosurgeon, a woman who knew Gray from his own spinal surgery rotation, had spent nearly an hour with them. They'd agreed the safest window was the second trimester, balancing the baby's development with the risk of the fragment shifting or causing infection in Ana's vertebrae if they waited until after birth. It was a relief to have a plan.
Weeks ago, Cadi had stormed off in anger, hurt that Ana hadn't confided sooner, only to then return in tears to hug her until both of them trembled with relief. Ana lay awake beside Byron in the narrow hospital bed. They had been instructed to come a day early for some tests. In the darkness, she felt him smiling against her neck, though the faintest tightness of his shoulders betrayed his tension.
"Yer will be hungry tomorrow," he murmured in his slow drawl, voice half-laughing. "Too bad you've gotta wait till after tomorrow."
She cursed softly into the pillow. "Hey, shut it, will ya, you stupid fart?"
He chuckled and hugged her tighter. "I'm glad to have my foul-mouthed Ana back-none of that subdued nonsense from before. Don't know why you ever thought I'd baulk at being with you over a bit o' shiny metal. I want you any way I can get. Don't you know how long I've waited for you? I even had to grow taller than you to get into your bloody pants."
Ana grinned in the dark. She felt more herself than she had in months, bossing him about bedtime -"You need your rest, Mister Pacing-at-midnight!,” and teasing him.
The baby's ultrasound had been a dream. Byron's hand over hers as they watched the screen flicker. Then, the thunder of the baby's heartbeat, strong and steady, boomed through the room.
"That's fuckin' awesome," Byron whispered, voice cracking. He had stared at the print-out of the sonogram for the longest time before slipping it into his wallet like a sacred talisman.
Ana kissed his cheek. "No more secrets, right?" she said.
He nodded, eyes bright.
