Alicia knew she had a point.I wasn’t going to tell her yet. I was coming around to the idea myself.Her wife could findout after she had confirmation. Passing out and having tender breasts did not count as confirmation yet. The only reason Alicia knew those signs were even possible was because her fancy and fast phone brought that information to her fingertips.
“I shouldn’t have said anything yet.” Alicia rolled the hospital blanket beneath her palms. “I only said it to take your mind off worse things.”
“Alicia.” Danica’s hand encircled the back of Alicia’s neck, gently turning her head toward her. “It’s a serious matter. If you’re actually pregnant, we need to be careful. Besides…” a smile snuck onto her face. “This is a great thing.” Her kiss was unexpected, but welcomed. “I love you, precious. I wouldn’t have asked you to become my wife, business partner, and mother of my children all at once if I didn’t love you and think you could handle it. Whatever you need, you know you can get it from me.”
“Thank you.” Was that the wrong thing to say? Alicia didn’t know how else to respond. “But there’s no confirmation yet. The doctor agreed that it was too early to make a diagnosis.”
“If you think you might be pregnant, I’ll believe you, but that means some changes, right? No more alcohol, for one.”
Alicia rolled her eyes. “To think, I didn’t even care for those drinks last night.”I was so stupid going drinking when I’m literally having medical procedures to get pregnant.All Alicia had cared about was blowing off some toxic steam.
“I’ll speak to our chefs to make sure you don’t get something you’re not supposed to.” Danica was lost in thought now. “Even if you’re not pregnant, we need to remodel the room we want to be the nursery. I’ll have Ms. Clayborn contact an interior designer.”
“Not her brother?”
Danica scoffed. “Does it matter?”
“Just saying. One of your assistants seems to be mostly working for your father now.”
“It’s always been like that. My father is always stealing my assistants. Why do you think I have two?” Danica scratched a tiny pimple hiding beneath her concealer. “Are you trying to say something about Mr. Clayborn?”
“No, just…” Alicia had never wanted to bring this up, since it happened seemingly so long ago now, but now she had to. She spoke of what happened the first time she came to her office, and her father-in-law had Mr. Clayborn drag her into that conference room for some threats. “Tell me there isn’t something there, Danica. It’s bad enough your father is against me. I don’t need one of your assistants conspiring against me, too.”
“I’ll kill him.”
Alicia snatched her wrist before she could whip out her phone. “Don’t. You have to know how dangerous that is. I mean, not actually killing him… wait.” What were words?
“I know what you mean.” Danica pulled her hand from Alicia’s grip. “I’ll keep my eye out for him. He’ll also be far away from any sensitive meetings of ours. As for his sister…”
Alicia’s eyes widened. “I have no reason to suspect her.”
“They’re related. If you haven’t noticed, Alicia, blood tends to be thicker than water around here. Add to the fact that they’re twins…”
“All right. I get it. Thanks for fueling my paranoia some more.”
Danica kissed her wife’s hand before smoothing down her hair. “I know I’m the last woman in the world who would ever saystay positive, but if one of us stays positive, perhaps the three of us will make it out alive.”
“The three of us?”
For the first time since she said something about it, her wife put a hand on Alicia’s stomach. “You heard me. If I thought I would go insane if someone laid a hand on you before…”
Alicia put her hand on top of hers. She hadn’t wanted to express her innermost feelings right now, but a sudden sob wracking her body betrayed her.
“I’m scared,” she confessed. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
The safest place in the world was in Danica’s arms. Alicia clung to her jacket as she held her tight, her sobs muffled by her soft chest. “You can do this,” she said with that demanding tone she first fell for. “You will do this. You will be changing the world before I even have the chance to catch up with you. I saw the potential in you the moment we met.” She cursed their unfortunate situation. “If anyone in the world can fill the role of Mrs. Moreau, it’s you, Alicia. You’re going to be one of the most powerful matriarchs in this country.”
She didn’t feel very powerful right now.
Chapter 12
Alicia was not allowed back at the office until Monday. She was discharged Friday morning and went straight home, where her wife had oh-so-nicely summoned not one, but a team of interior designers to start going over nursery ideas.
In truth, Alicia was not in the mood to consider her gestational fate. There was no confirmation that she was pregnant yet, and quite frankly, she didn’t want to get her hopes up or… worse… have more panic attacks over the fact she might be having her first baby.
Is this what I want to bring a son or daughter home to?Alicia sat in the middle of the biggest guest room, currently occupied by a king-size bed and three designers giving their opinions on how to turn the well-lit room into a charming yet sleek nursery. Alicia heard their words, but did not retain them. She was too caught up in the fury she kept abated in her heart.
A baby. Not only her first, but the child who would become the heir to a vast, imposing fortune. So much responsibility rested not only on Alicia’s shoulders, but her child’s. Herunbornchild’s. Which was better? A son, so nobody would ever contest his place in the family? A daughter who might fit in better with the new family dynamic? Alicia wished there were a way to influence the sex of a baby. Yet if there were, millions of women would have figured it out thousands of years ago.We would’ve all died out because no girls were ever born.
