Page 93 of The Diávolos: Part Two
“Have you been safe?” Lydia asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you been using protection?”
Then, it dawns on her. For six months, Peter and Iris have been having sex without contraceptives, and she hasn’t been keeping track of her cycle. Lydia notices her inner panic.
“Iris…please tell me you’ve been doing something to avoid any…accidents.”
She shakes her head.
Lydia frowns and leans back in her seat. “And he hasn’t brought it up either?”
“No.” Iris wouldn’t be able to get protection, anyway, given her situation, so Peter would’ve had to be the one to encourage it.
“When was the last time you got your period?” Lydia questions.
It takes a second for Iris to remember. “In November.”
“Iris! That was two months ago.” Now, Lydia is the one panicking.
Her eyes widen. “Oh my God, do you think I’m…pregnant?”
“I don’t know. They don’t really teach us this stuff here, given that we’re supposed to be celibate and all.”
“Lydia, I can’t be pregnant six months before my initiation! I’ll never be able to get sworn in. Where will they send me?”
Lydia grabs both Iris’s hands in hers. “It’ll be okay. Does he love you?” Iris nods. “Do you love him?” She nods again. “Then, you’re in this together and you’ll figure it out. The first step is to tell him. He’ll be able to get you checked out by a doctor. I’ll try to see what I can do. In the meantime, do not tell anyone else.”
“Of course not! I’d never tell anyone about this.”
“Good. Now, hurry to class. I’ll come see you tonight.”
That same night, Iris visits Peter to tell him about their dilemma.
He kisses her as soon as he sees her. “My breath of fresh air,” he murmurs against her lips.
Iris smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“What’s wrong, darling?”
She clears her throat, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “I…I think I’m pregnant.”
Time feels frozen as Iris waits for Peter to respond. She had a feeling he wouldn’t take the news well. How will he explain getting a sister pregnant in his own establishment? Let alone a place that forbids any kind of sexual behavior. Iris knows that some of the women are intimate with each other, but at least there’s no risk of pregnancy.
Instead of saying anything, Peter simply kisses her forehead and walks away. And, like a fool, she doesn’t call out to him and just watches him disappear.
Lydia knocks at Iris’s door, but Iris doesn’t have the energy to let her in. She’s spent the last hour crying into her pillow. “Come in!” she yells, her voice muffled.
“Iris! What happened?”
“Nothing. That’s the problem!” she cries, sniffling.
“What do you mean?”
“I told Peter I was pregnant, and he just…walked away. He didn’t even say a word. He just left me there, helpless!” The more Iris thinks about that moment, the more upset she becomes, and sobs even harder.
“My sweet girl,” Lydia soothes as she rubs her back. “You have nothing to worry about. Dean Kouvalakis spoke to me shortly after you did.”
