Because fucking hell, I couldn’t bear to watch her suffer again.
“I understand your concerns. We’re going to be monitoring her very closely, especially given your history. But as far as I can see, everything looks good. Two strong solid heartbeats.”
The doctor explained a little more, gave us instructions, and then left us alone. I clutched Lucy’s hand, hardly daring to let her go.
“Jana called you,” she said.
“She texted, but I was already on my way back. Someone told me to go back.”
She smiled. “I’m so glad. I thought you were already on the plane.”
“I think Grandpa made sure I wasn’t.”
Lucy laughed through tears, and I held her close, our foreheads pressed together.
“They came back,” she whispered. “The two we lost; they came back. Don’t you think?”
I frowned. She’d said that earlier and I’d missed it. “Two?”
Lucy nodded. “The first was in Larsa. Cas…I never told you. When I saw our last night, I knew we were going to have a baby. Li’ili—I—was pregnant.”
I stared. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to, so many times. But it seemed like it would hurt you for no reason. And then we had the miscarriage last year and I saw how you tried to be brave for me and take all the pain. But you were hurting too. And I couldn’t do it to you again.”
“You were trying to protect me.?
?
She nodded. “I’m so sorry. I just…I didn’t want to break your heart.”
I shook my head, fighting tears. “We can’t protect each other, Lucy. I learned that lesson the hard way. We can only be there for each other, through the good and the bad. Okay?”
“You’re right. If you had missed this moment because I pushed you to get on the plane, I’d never have forgiven myself.”
“It’s okay,” I said, kissing her forehead, her cheek, her lips. “I’m here. And I think you’re right. They came back.”
“A boy and a girl,” Lucy said. “We’re having one of each.”
“You think so?”
“I feel it. I’d like to name the boy Garrett. After my father.”
I almost told her it was tempting fate to give a name to these little flickering heartbeats, but that was fear speaking, and we weren’t going to live in fear.
“And Aria for the girl,” I said gruffly. “For my sister.”
“Garrett and Aria.” Lucy’s smile was radiant. “Beautiful.”
But she was beautiful, and my heart was filled with so much love, I could hardly contain it. And it came with a certainty that I felt in my bones. In my soul. We’d live again and again, sometimes pulled apart, maybe losing each other for a little while.
But we’d always find our way back to each other in the end.
III
One hundred and fifty-one years later…
“I think you should do it, Mom. It’s been two years.”