Page 38 of Daigo

He smiled at her earnest response. "You have no idea what the promise is."

"It doesn't matter."

"I don't want to be scared like that again."

"All right." She took in a breath, her hand tightening on his. "I can only promise to be extra careful from now on."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I've been asleep for a week." She arched her neck and felt the tears blurring her vision. "I thought I had lost my babies. I thought-"

"Shh." Bending, he brushed his lips on hers. "I told you that everything was going to be fine, didn't I?"

She nodded and sniffled, trying to hold back the tears. "You stayed."

His brows winged up. "Where else would I be?"

"Daigo?"

"Hmm?" He was still searching for any sign that she was in pain.

"I love you so much, it hurts here." Using her free hand, she pressed it against where her heart was thudding. "I didn't know I had the capacity to love so much. It fills me up and then some. Sometimes I think I cannot contain it."

His intense dark eyes glistened, and for a few seconds, words failed him. "You're not the heart of me, you're my heart. Nothing and no one will ever change that."

They were both so caught up in the moment, it took the clearing of the doctor's throat to make them aware they were not alone.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to examine the patient," Dr. Middleton told them with a smile.

"I'm staying," Daigo told her firmly.

"I would expect nothing less."

Lifting his wife's hand, he kissed her knuckles before stepping back for the medical team to do their job.

*****

"I want to go home."

"And I want a shower and a shave," he countered mildly. "Badly."

"Darling, you have influence. Can't you insist that they discharge me?" Her soft, pleading look went to his heart, but he stood firm.

"One more day, Shelby-Anne. I'm not a doctor, and if they're saying they want you here for another day, then you're going to suck it up and stay another day."

She pouted. "I hate hospitals."

"It's a clinic." He grinned when she glared at him.

"I don't have time for semantics. It's snowing, and it's the weekend. We should be home, making a snowman."

"If we were home, we would be sitting in front of the fire, not out in this mess."

"I feel fine." She hurried on before he could say anything. "My blood pressure is at the normal rate. The ultrasound looks good. I'm fine," she repeated. "I just want to go home."

Setting aside the laptop he had had brought to him by one of the drivers, he gazed at her steadily. "You gave me quite the scare. When you first approached me with this IVF deal, what did I say to you?"

"Which time?" she asked sulkily, plucking at the sheets.