It’s been a week since I stayed at Declan’s apartment. Declan has occasionally offered to help, but I politely declined. He was so kind to us, despite his frequent refusals.
I didn’t want to be a burden to him. Trisha always encouraged me to tell her what I was going through. It revealed vulnerability, and I didn’t want to appear too weak for pity.
Of course, I didn’t share my thoughts with Declan. I simply told him that I still had savings for our daily needs. I said it with conviction so he wouldn’t think I was lying.
“The food was delicious.” I popped the pasta into my mouth.
“I saw that you had a big appetite, so I bought an extra portion.” Declan spins his fork on his plate.
“Thank you, Declan. You’re so kind. I haven’t had a chance to repay you.”
“You can repay me by accepting my invitation to dinner, Godiva.”
I choked. Trisha quickly held out a bottle of water for me. I cleared my throat and looked at Declan. I bit my lip and thought of an excuse to turn him down.
My heart felt bad for him as well. His eyes remained fixed on me without blinking for a few seconds. I took a deep breath, trying to neutralize the rumbling in my heart.
I thought hard, but it was difficult when we were staring at each other. I crumpled the hem of my blouse. How could I refuse his invitation this time? He’s been so kind to me.
“Fine, I’ll agree, but solely for now. I feel bad for your wife.”
“I guess I should clarify the situation. I’m not married yet. There was some confusion about our relationship. I admit I was a mess at the time.”
Declan shared with me that his fiancee had schizophrenia, leading to the cancellation of their wedding due to lack of support from Declan’s family. Declan wanted to keep his daughter until she was born into the world. He took custody of her while her mother was in rehab.
Just like Declan, I will keep my baby. Regardless of our problems, she has the right to be born. The circumstances that have befallen me will not weaken me.
“Why does your face look pale? I think you should go to the doctor.”
“I’m fine.” I lied.
Declan fingered my forehead. I was a little sweaty, but I didn’t feel hot. I hadn’t looked in the mirror to see how I looked all the time I’d been in this apartment.
My gaze swiveled slightly as Declan took his hand away from me. I didn’t even hear what he said. My ears were ringing so loudly that I couldn’t distinguish his voice from the sound of boiling water from the electric kettle Declan had bought yesterday.
I hold my head. At a time like this, I really needed someone to support me. Castor’s shadow instantly appeared in the corner of the room. He looked at me solemnly, as if he wanted to tell me something.
When my head felt like it was going to burst, I groaned and then gripped Trisha’s hand that was supporting my body. My teeth chattered so hard that my jaw ached. Cold sweat covered my face and ran down my neck.
“You’re not doing well. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Furthermore, I only felt that my body became lighter. I felt like I was on a merry-go-round, spinning rapidly. What was going on with me?
“Mother, aren’t you going to help me get through this?” I mumbled softly.
“Hush… don’t speak anymore. I’m with you, Godiva.” Declan’s faint voice slowly faded away.
I wasn’t even dreaming when my eyes closed.
I woke up to a warm touch on my hand. To my left, Trisha buried her head in both hands. I thought she was asleep.
To my right, Declan stood with his back to me. He had his cell phone in his ear, and I couldn’t hear his voice clearly. I whimpered softly; only then did he notice and turn to me.
I lifted myself up, trying to sit, but Declan’s hand held me back first. “Godiva, stay lying down.”
“How…”
I hesitate for a moment to ask Declan how my baby is, but curiosity kills me. I pressed my lips together and looked at Trisha. She was still asleep, and then my eyes shifted to Declan.
“Your baby, they’re fine. The doctor took care of it.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“You have a viral infection in your stomach. An unhygienic food pattern caused it. Your babies are surviving even though they are only four weeks old. The doctor said he will check on you in an hour. You really worried me earlier. Your friend was just as panicked as I was.”
I reflexively touched my stomach and let out an internal sigh of relief. By the Moon Goddess-I felt something moving inside my stomach. By pressing a little harder, I could still feel the movement in the palm of my hand.
“What’s wrong, Godiva? Does something hurt?”
There was no way I was explaining this to Declan. He might think I was rambling instead of believing anything I said. My identity as a werewolf might scare him.
“It’s okay.”
I lowered my arms to my sides before Declan could probe any further. I pretended to be thirsty and asked him for some water. Luckily, Declan didn’t ask again afterward because our conversation didn’t continue.
Declan took more phone calls and talked for a long time with the caller. I hear them talking about hotels, apartments, and resorts. Listening to him talk, I felt bored.
If Trisha hadn’t fallen asleep, we would have talked about everything. I always told her that she was the most polite and kind person I had ever known. Receiving my appreciation, she responded with a smile.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I overslept.” Trisha woke up with a hoarse voice and bloodshot eyes.
“Hush, Declan’s here,” I said, putting my forefinger to my lips.
No sooner had I said that than a doctor walked into the room. A nurse walking behind him walked over to the other side of the gurney to check the IV connected to my arm. The doctor took a notepad from the end of the gurney and read it.
“Mrs. Fletcher, we will remove the IV, and you can go home in an hour. Your husband can pick up the medicine I gave him to strengthen the womb and vitamins for the mother. Having twins will require more energy. Keep eating regularly, with small portions, but often. Good luck with your pregnancy,” said the doctor as he put the medical chart back to the end of the bed.
“Uhm, doctor. He’s not my husband,” I said quickly to clear up any misunderstanding.
“Yes, doctor. I am not her husband.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was mistaken.”
The doctor briefed the nurse in a medical language I didn’t understand after he removed the IV tube from my arm. With a nod from the nurse, the doctor took his leave of me and Declan. With his stride, the male doctor left the room, followed by the nurse.
This was my third time in the hospital, and I wanted it to be my last. Henceforth, I had to become a strong she-wolf to continue living. Assisted by Trisha, who guided my way, I walked slowly to the hospital lobby.
I thought of the twins inside my womb. My heart sank as I remembered their father. If only things hadn’t ended up the way they did, maybe they would be beside me right now instead of Trisha.
Our trip was quite short, as the hospital and apartment weren’t too far away. Although we didn’t have long conversations, I tried to keep things lively by talking about the surroundings.
When we arrived at the apartment, Declan walked around the room. His hands would occasionally point at the floor and walls, and he’d quietly deafen me. I watched his movements until he finished and approached us.
“I’ll lend you some furniture. The condition is that you can rent them and you can pay me back anytime-no time limit; that’s because I can already guess that you’ll refuse if I give them to you for free. If you have to wait for you to work and earn money, it’ll be too much for you with your pregnancy. Believe me, I understand the situation.” Declan pointed at me.
To be honest, I couldn’t argue with him this time. Instead of continuing to refuse his help, it would be quicker and easier for me to accept his help on the condition he offered earlier.
“But I still have one more condition…”