“Interesting.” She watched him over the rim of her iced tea glass. “Not that you’d follow tradition but given all the troubles you had with your father politically and what you’ve worked so hard to overcome because of him, I would have thought you’d want to distance yourself from him as much as possible.”
“An interest in affairs of state too?” Feraz couldn’t shake his feeling that this was a whole new woman before him. Roxanne, for all her beauty and fun, had never cared a thing about his work or his country, unless it benefitted her in some way. But now, she seemed to have a good grasp not only on the current government issues he was dealing with but also his family history dynamics. “I’m impressed, rohi. Where did this sudden knowledge of Djevian politics come from?”
“I…um…” She looked away again, the color intensifying in her cheeks to a delightful deep rose shade. His protective instincts soared and Feraz reached over to take her hand, the urge to reassure her nearly overwhelming. Finally, she glanced up at him. “With the pregnancy and all, I read. A lot. You’re my husband. Shouldn’t I know about the things that are important to you?”
“Yes, you should.” He smiled, tracing tiny circles on her inner wrist with his thumb, loving how her pulse beat in time with his own. “I just did not realize you’d cared, that’s all.”
Roxanne opened her mouth to answer, but the server swept back in with a tray full of delectable-smelling dishes. Reluctantly, Feraz let go of his wife’s hand and sat back as they were served lunch, family-style. Heaping dishes filled with fluffy, fragrant steaming hot falafel and the chilled roasted cauliflower salad drenched in savory tahini sauce. He served his wife first, then filled a plate for himself. He’d not dined meatless in a long time, but this was delicious.
“Good?” he asked around a bite of veggie and hummus.
“Excellent.” Roxanne dug into her food like a woman starved. She devoured her portion of falafel cakes then went back in for seconds, much to Feraz’s delight. Feeding her and caring for her made him feel good.
“How about Aram Redmond?” she asked around a bite of salad.
“I’m sorry?” Feraz frowned.
“For the baby’s name. Aram after your father, Redmond after mine.” Roxanne sipped her tea then smiled. “I’d like that.”
Feraz couldn’t help grinning himself, feeling for the first time in a long time like maybe his marriage and his future wouldn’t be such a train wreck after all. “Yes. I’d like that too.”
* * *
Two hours later, Isabella took a seat on the exam table in Dr. Shira Hassan’s office. She felt beyond stuffed from lunch, but she’d checked with the office ahead of time and they’d ensured her no fasting was necessary for this wellness appointment. It was to be just a quick meet and greet, followed by a weight and blood pressure check and a listen to the baby’s heartbeat. Unless he was having any problems, they should be in and out in no time.
Which was good, and bad. Good because she didn’t like spending any more time in doctor’s offices than was necessary. After the endless trips to the hospital for her father after his stoke, then later with her mother’s cancer visits and lab tests and scans and chemo appointments, she’d had enough of the medical system for a lifetime.
But it was also bad because she’d enjoyed getting out of the palace today and seeing some of the city. More, she’d really loved her time with Feraz. Turns out he was funny and snarky, two things her sister had never mentioned about him. And he was kind of a nerd too. He loved to read and research obscure stuff almost as much as she did, though she was careful not to let on to her bibliophile ways too much. She was supposed to be Roxanne, after all, and the only time her sister picked up a book was if she needed something to stand on or to squish a bug with.
Still, with Feraz at her side now and his warm hand holding hers, all of this felt almost real. Almost like they were a normal married couple in love. Almost like her fondest wishes were coming true. Which was dangerous, because none of this was real and all of it would come crashing down around her the minute Feraz got wind of her deception. The best she could hope for was that her façade would stay intact until after the baby was born. Then he would file for divorce—or not, considering his real wife was dead and Isabella was an imposter.
She shuddered thinking about how much pain that would cause Feraz.
Part of her wanted to tell him now and get it over with, throwing herself on his kind heart and tender mercies and pray that he wouldn’t throw her out on her behind. But the other part of her, the part that sounded just like her mother’s voice inside her head, told her that to run at this point would be cowardly and stupid. And that if she wasn’t brave enough to stay for herself then she should consider the child she carried. A child that was half Feraz’s. A child that deserved to live a life of privilege and royalty as was its birthright.
“Cold?” Feraz said, standing to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her into his side, mannerly as always. And damn if that didn’t make Isabella shiver all the more. Not from the temperature, but from the growing knowledge that she wanted him. Not just as a provider but as a husband, in every sense of that word.
“Ah, welcome.” Dr. Hassan said as she strode into the room then closed the door behind her. She shook hands with Isabella and Feraz both, then quickly flipped through the chart. “I just finished speaking with my colleague, Dr. Phillips, back in the States and she filled me in on your case. I’m so glad you chose me as your care provider for this pregnancy.”
The exam proceeded as normal from there, with the usual measurements and such. Then Dr. Hassan picked up the little handheld Doppler machine from the counter and had Isabella lift her shirt. The doctor squirted a tiny dab of gel onto her lower stomach then pressed the flat black end of the monitor to her skin. Soon, the room filled with the steady thump of the baby’s pulse.
“This sounds really good, guys,” Dr. Hassan said, smiling at both of them. Then she moved the monitor slightly to the left and the sound seemed to double. “Oh, what’s this?”
Dr. Hassan’s frown increased as she turned off the Doppler machine. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to perform another quick ultrasound before you go.”
“Is everything all right?” Feraz asked, his tone concerned and his grip tightening on Isabella’s hand.
“Yes, yes. Sometimes these machines are too sensitive and can distort the heart sounds. I just prefer to be safe rather than sorry. And since this is my first time examining your wife, I want to be a thorough as possible.”
Feraz looked down at Isabella and she nodded. “Okay. Can we do it now?”
“Let me just grab the tech. Be right back.” Dr. Hassan left the room and returned a few minutes later with a short Arabic man in green scrubs. He took a seat behind the ultrasound machine while Dr. Hassan lowered the lights. Isabella forced herself to take deep breaths and stay calm. She’d not had any problems since leaving New York. And sure, she’d been a bit more swollen than usual and none of her clothes fit, but that had to be because of the flight.
“Okay, Ms. Nazrani,” Dr. Hassan said, wheeling her stool up beside the exam table and taking the ultrasound probe from the tech. “This gel will feel cool on your skin and you’ll feel me pressing down to see the baby, but this should only take a moment. Please don’t worry. I’m sure everything
is fine.”
Isabella nodded and squeezed Feraz’s hand, more grateful than she could say for his strong support beside her. She watched the monitor, wincing slightly as the freezing gel hit her skin, then stared at her tiny unborn baby on the screen. He was active as always, flaring his little fingers and toes and kicking his legs. Feraz was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the monitor along with her, bringing her hand to his lips for a kiss, the sweet gesture making Isabella’s heart flutter.