“Can you go over what bed rest entails?”Luka asked.
He pulled out his phone and typed notes as Dr.Lopez offered advice, suggestions, and orders.Luka asked questions, but I couldn’t follow them.
Somehow I was at a crossroads that led in both directions to potential doom: stay to keep Bree safe or leave because that was the only way to keep Bree safe, and risk her health.
I remained quiet as we exited the hospital and headed back to Luka’s condo.Once we stood in his place, a million thoughts bombarded me all at once.
“My job—” I said, my voice unsteady.
“Will be there when you’re ready to go back,” Luka said in a calm tone that didn’t match the frustration in his eyes.“I’ll even fly over there with you.Just don’t shut me out.Don’t count me out.Okay?”
“O-okay.”
“Good.”He huffed a breath.“I thought I’d have to argue with you more.”
“I’m too tired to fight.”
“Then let’s get you in bed and tucked in.”
“Luka?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He seemed to deflate even as he kissed my forehead.“You’re not alone now, Millie.We’re a team.”
“A team.I like that.”My lips curved upward.“I’ve never been part of a team before.”
“Well, you are now.”Luka winced.“I need to ice my nuts some more.”
“Bruised?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry—”
“I’m not.Making sure you and Bree were safe was worth it.But that doesn’t mean I want it to happen again.”
We shuffled through the week—andI meanshuffled.I took everything easy because I was worried any sudden movement would pop Bree out of me prematurely.Luka shuffled because of his bruised balls.
But by the end of the week, he moved with his normal effortless grace, whereas I was growing to scary-large size and could no longer bend over to put on my shoes.Not that I needed shoes often.
Luka enjoyed pampering me.In fact, he seemed to revel in the opportunity.He bought a big cookbook filled with healthy recipes, and he’d sit with me after his morning workout with Cruz to develop the day’s menu.I found out he was good at cards, especially canasta.That was a game my grandmother had taught me—and Alyssa had taught Luka.
He always gave me time to make my work calls.I was still working, but I knew my bosses weren’t happy about my move to America and my lack of ability to be in the office now that drilling had started.
I was seeing Dr.Lopez every week, and today was the second visit since my trip to the ER.
“You both are doing well,” Dr.Lopez said with a grin.“While I expect baby Bree to show up early, the bed rest has bought us time to get her lungs more developed and add some much-needed fat to her little body.If you manage another three weeks, Millie, we’ll consider Bree full term.”
“At thirty-seven weeks?”Luka asked, clearly skeptical, though I remembered Dr.da Silva had said the same at my last visit with her.“I read that before, but why do you push for forty, then?”
Dr.Lopez offered us a breakdown of the baby’s growth rate, which Luka studied with fierce concentration, as if willing Bree to stay inside me longer.
He drove us back to his—ourcondo.It was strange to consider that I once again lived in Houston, though for the first time with a man.
He helped me into bed, fiddling with the sheet and gnawing at his lower lip.Finally, he settled his hip on the edge of the bed and stayed there, with me, until I fell asleep.
