Chapter 2 · The Voyage Without Return

"It's not my water breaking. It's water from the glass." I steadied myself against the bed and stood up.

Edward took a step closer, about to help me, but when he saw the broken glass, he hesitated and withdrew his hand. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

He grabbed a broom, swept up the mess, then went over the floor with disinfectant spray, twice.

He never asked whether my contractions had stopped.

It wasn't until I lay back down that he finally sat beside me.

"Sophia lives alone, and she wasn't feeling well. I couldn't leave her stranded," he said.

"I never asked you to leave her," I replied.

"Then who are you giving the cold shoulder to?"

The baby gave a strong kick.

I pressed my hand to my belly, taking a few seconds to catch my breath. "Are you still coming to the prenatal check-up tomorrow morning?"

Edward glanced at his watch. "Nine o'clock, right?"

"Eight-thirty."

"I'll be there on time."

*****

At 8:20 the next morning, he was already dressed and ready.

I grabbed my prenatal check-up bag when my phone buzzed with a photo from Sophia.

She was sitting in the hospital, getting an IV, with a bandage on the back of her hand.

Sophia texted me. [Claire, I'm sorry. My stomach hurt last night, and now I've got a fever. Edward keeps insisting on staying with me for my check-up, and I can't get him to leave. Please don't be upset.]

When I looked up, Edward was already on the phone. [Don't cry. I'm coming over right now.]

I asked, "What about my prenatal check-up?"

"Have the driver take you."

"I need a fetal heart monitor today. The doctor said the baby has the cord wrapped around its neck twice, and it's best if someone from the family is with me."

"Sophia might have acute gastritis, and she is all alone."

"I'm alone, too."

Edward frowned, "Isn't the driver someone?"

I gripped the prenatal check-up bag, my knuckles slowly turning pale.

He softened his voice. "It's a routine check-up. Send me the results when you get them. I'll come over after I finish up with Sophia."

I only half-believed him. Because after the check-up, I ended up waiting for him in the hospital hallway for two hours.

The fetal heart monitor results weren't good. The doctor told me to come back in the afternoon for another test, and kept warning me not to get stressed or be alone for too long.

*****

At 12:30, Edward finally called, "How did it go?"

"The baby's heart rate slowed down a few times. I have to redo the test this afternoon," I said.

"Then grab something to eat."

"Are you coming?"

"Sophia is allergic to the meds. She has been shaking during the IV. I'm waiting for her family to show up."

In the background, a nurse called out, "Sophia's family?"

Edward answered right away, "Here."

I didn't say anything.

He seemed to catch himself and explained, "That's what hospitals call whoever is with the patient."

"Get it," I replied.

"Claire, don't let your mind run wild."

"You don't need to come for the afternoon check-up."

He paused for a couple of seconds. "Are you saying that because you're upset?"

"No, the driver will be with me."

Wasn't the driver a person, too? He was the one who taught me that.

*****

When I went back for the afternoon check-up, the baby's heart rate managed to return to normal.

The doctor admitted me to the hospital. "It's best if you get admitted early for observation. Is your husband not here today?"

"He is busy taking care of someone else," I replied.

The doctor gave me a look and didn't ask anything else.

When I got home, there was a pink suitcase sitting in the living room.

Sophia was wearing the slippers that Edward had bought for me, carrying a glass of water out from the kitchen.

Those slippers were a special gift from Edward.

He always said anything worn by someone else shouldn't ever make it into the bedroom. But now, Sophia was barefoot, walking across the living room carpet, grinning as she held the glass up to his mouth.

"Edward, the doctor said you have to make sure I drink water, but I can't. If you take a sip first, I'll drink, too," she teased.

Edward lowered his head and drank right from the rim of the glass she was holding.

He only straightened up when he noticed me standing there.

"Sophia's apartment is getting some fire safety work done, so the property manager said she can't stay there for the next three days," he explained.

I asked, "So?"

"The guest room is available. She can stay here for a few nights," he said.

Sophia quickly put the glass down. "If it bothers you, Claire, I can stay at a hotel. The doctor said I shouldn't be alone while my stomach is acting up, and I'm a little scared."

Edward looked at me. "It's only three days. You're not seriously going to say no to something this small, are you?"

Chapter 2

"It's not my water breaking. It's water from the glass." I steadied myself against the bed and stood up.

Edward took a step closer, about to help me, but when he saw the broken glass, he hesitated and withdrew his hand. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

He grabbed a broom, swept up the mess, then went over the floor with disinfectant spray, twice.

He never asked whether my contractions had stopped.

It wasn't until I lay back down that he finally sat beside me.

"Sophia lives alone, and she wasn't feeling well. I couldn't leave her stranded," he said.

"I never asked you to leave her," I replied.

"Then who are you giving the cold shoulder to?"

The baby gave a strong kick.

I pressed my hand to my belly, taking a few seconds to catch my breath. "Are you still coming to the prenatal check-up tomorrow morning?"

Edward glanced at his watch. "Nine o'clock, right?"

"Eight-thirty."

"I'll be there on time."

*****

At 8:20 the next morning, he was already dressed and ready.

I grabbed my prenatal check-up bag when my phone buzzed with a photo from Sophia.

She was sitting in the hospital, getting an IV, with a bandage on the back of her hand.

When I looked up, Edward was already on the phone. [Don't cry. I'm coming over right now.]

I asked, "What about my prenatal check-up?"

"Have the driver take you."

"I need a fetal heart monitor today. The doctor said the baby has the cord wrapped around its neck twice, and it's best if someone from the family is with me."

"Sophia might have acute gastritis, and she is all alone."

"I'm alone, too."

Edward frowned, "Isn't the driver someone?"

I gripped the prenatal check-up bag, my knuckles slowly turning pale.

He softened his voice. "It's a routine check-up. Send me the results when you get them. I'll come over after I finish up with Sophia."

I only half-believed him. Because after the check-up, I ended up waiting for him in the hospital hallway for two hours.

The fetal heart monitor results weren't good. The doctor told me to come back in the afternoon for another test, and kept warning me not to get stressed or be alone for too long.

*****

At 12:30, Edward finally called, "How did it go?"

"The baby's heart rate slowed down a few times. I have to redo the test this afternoon," I said.

"Then grab something to eat."

"Are you coming?"

"Sophia is allergic to the meds. She has been shaking during the IV. I'm waiting for her family to show up."

In the background, a nurse called out, "Sophia's family?"

Edward answered right away, "Here."

I didn't say anything.

He seemed to catch himself and explained, "That's what hospitals call whoever is with the patient."

"Get it," I replied.

"Claire, don't let your mind run wild."

"You don't need to come for the afternoon check-up."

He paused for a couple of seconds. "Are you saying that because you're upset?"

"No, the driver will be with me."

Wasn't the driver a person, too? He was the one who taught me that.

*****

When I went back for the afternoon check-up, the baby's heart rate managed to return to normal.

The doctor admitted me to the hospital. "It's best if you get admitted early for observation. Is your husband not here today?"

"He is busy taking care of someone else," I replied.

The doctor gave me a look and didn't ask anything else.

When I got home, there was a pink suitcase sitting in the living room.

Sophia was wearing the slippers that Edward had bought for me, carrying a glass of water out from the kitchen.

Those slippers were a special gift from Edward.

"Edward, the doctor said you have to make sure I drink water, but I can't. If you take a sip first, I'll drink, too," she teased.

Edward lowered his head and drank right from the rim of the glass she was holding.

He only straightened up when he noticed me standing there.

"Sophia's apartment is getting some fire safety work done, so the property manager said she can't stay there for the next three days," he explained.

I asked, "So?"

"The guest room is available. She can stay here for a few nights," he said.

Sophia quickly put the glass down. "If it bothers you, Claire, I can stay at a hotel. The doctor said I shouldn't be alone while my stomach is acting up, and I'm a little scared."

Edward looked at me. "It's only three days. You're not seriously going to say no to something this small, are you?"