Chapter 7

Nine Months Later

"I still don't get why I have to check in even before the twins are due," Mara muttered as Eddie handed back the form to the receptionist with a familiar smile, guiding his wife through the rooms in the maternity ward and stopping on their room. "Women have babies all the time—I don't think we have to worry this early. I don't feel anything, and I'm getting used to the kicking."

"Darling, we live really far from St. Mary's" Because he was a well-known employee, he managed to handle Mara and ask that he be the one to help her settle in so that they were alone. "And when they do start making their way out, I don't want to risk ending up taking you somewhere else other than the best place because we couldn't make it in time—here. I trust everyone in this hospital, and we are going to get through this together as safe as possible."

"Well, well," A feminine voice said by the door, and Eddie's smile dropped as he saw Alice looking at them with a tight smile. "I get to meet your wife for the first time, Eddie."

As if to send a clear message, Eddie placed a protective arm around his wife, pecking her on the forehead. "Darling, this is Dr. Hanes, the best pediatrician in the hospital."

"Hello, Mrs. Gluskin—do you mind if I call you Mara?" She asked sweetly. "I always make a habit of trying to be as close to my patients as I can. That looks like a nice and rather big tummy—are you having twins?"

Eddie knew this was an insult in disguise. Whether or not Mara knew this, he couldn't tell. She smiled and replied, "Yes, actually—twin boys."

"Oh," Alice said, surprised. " Well then—if you need anything, you're married to your nurse so he can get you anything. Eddie had Dr. Tanner's assistant forward your files to the hospital, and I'll go through your info just to check on any complications you might have. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to work—a woman's work is never done, you know."

She smiled at both of them before heading out, closing the door behind her. As soon as they saw her shadow behind the curtained window pass, Mara let out a snort and laughed. "A woman's work is never done," She imitated Alice's high-pitched voice. "Is this the whore-doctor you've been talking about?"

"Unfortunately, yes," He continued settling in her bags in the cabinets. "But you mustn't feel jealous or anything—she's good at what she does, so I asked her to personally see to your birthing."

"Am I supposed to feel jealous?" She asked coolly.

Eddie snorted. He admitted it to himself that Alice was beautiful—but so was Mara, and beauty wasn't the only thing he fell for. Seeing them in the same room, it was as though their beauty was like a clash of the past and present. Mara was "Audrey Hepburn" beautiful, the classical type of pretty that didn't require her to show so much skin, and knew the borderline between dressing like an old woman and dressing up like a scarlet woman, while Alice was the modern type of beautiful, with dyed blonde hair, borderline short skirts and low-cut blouses under her white coat. He knew that, had he been given the choice, he would choose Mara over and over again. "Never. You know there's only one girl for me."

"But unfortunately for you, at this rate, I'll get to love more than one boy." She grinned hugging him as he continued to organize their belongings in the room.

"Only if they have blue eyes and brown hair like everyone says they will," He teased, kissing her and savoring the moment. "What a perfect family we'll be."

"Hey, can we talk?" Alice's head popped through the door, whispering loudly. Eddie had managed to get Mara in St. Mary's care by using employee perks after working for over two years, but he still had to attend his shift. It was just after eleven at night, and after his shift ended, he had gone to check on Mara, who was fast asleep on her bed. Out of routine, he placed a hand on her belly and felt a kick. He wondered which one did it, and if they knew it was their daddy they just kicked.

He nodded, noticing the urgency in her voice and lack of flirtation, but she had tried to get his attention that way many times in the past, making him wary. He motioned for her to come in, and she quietly entered.

"Was your wife a gymnast or something when she was twelve or something?" She asked sharply as she reached him. Eddie was surprised, nodding fast. Mara was the Daltons' only daughter, and were proud of every small accomplishment she had, devoting one wall in their home to showcase every trophy, medal, and certificate she earned. When they started dating, the Daltons let Eddie into their home to boast of Mara's achievements, and took pride in a whole shelf filled with gold trophies from her competitive gymnast days until high school.

"I've seen her trophies in her parents' house," Eddie admitted. "She was a gymnast ever since she was eight—"

"Did she do it as a summer thing or was she competitively practicing it?" She cut him off.

"Well, I'd say competitively, considering all the trophies," Eddie mused, and observed Alice's eyes grow big in the dark. "But her parents said she stopped around high school, when she was fifteen." He added quickly. "Said she wanted to be a teacher and she didn't want to be a gymnast as an adult."

He heard Alice whispering to herself, which sounded a lot like cursing, as she paced the room. It made him feel worried, but he did not want to open his mouth in fear of what she could say next. Alice was a flirt, but when it came to her job, she was always dead-serious.

"Okay, I'm just gonna say this in layman's terms," She said quietly but in a frustrated voice. "Mara can have kids but there's something odd about that uterus of hers—now that I know she's a gymnast, I get it.

"You see, I took the liberty of calling her childhood doctor since his number was on Dr. Tanner's file, and I found out that Mara was born pre-mature—and now that I think about it, we wouldn't have this problem if she stayed away from the balance beams. One of the effects of being born pre-mature is that you have a chance of having physical development problems growing up, and by the looks of her childhood info, her physical development is considered delayed—standing up after 24 months, walking after 36, menarche at fourteen, and so on.

"But add in the fact that she did competitive gymnastics before and during puberty—it would have been less worse if she just continued until she turned eighteen so her body could adapt—and she is practically willing her body to develop into a woman's body at a snail's pace. And while, externally, she looked like she was growing up right on track, I now have enough reason to believe that her reproductive system did not fix itself in the most convenient way—both for her and her child, let alone twins."

"So…we can't have children?" Eddie asked nervously.

"I said she can." Alice said impatiently. "But…I'm not gonna beat around the bush—the best case scenario is that Mara will experience a really painful childbirth, since her uterus is kind of small. Even under an epidural she might find it hard to breathe since the pressure of twins pushing through her will be a lot. But…compared to the average woman, Mara has a bigger chance of dying on the table—suffocation, blood-loss if the twins struggle to come out…"

She let the words drift, not wanting to continue. Eddie felt like the world was collapsing on him. "So…what do you suggest?"

Alice took a deep breath. "As a doctor, I can give you two options: risking it, or have an abortion."

"And as Dr. Alice Hanes?" Eddie said bitterly.

"As an honest friend," Alice said fiercely. "I'm saying that if you love your wife, you'll be smart to remember that there's only one of her, and many years for Mara to get herself fixed before she tries for a baby again now that we know the dangers of childbirth in her position."

Eddie understood the message clearly.

"We'll risk it," The two nearly jumped to see Mara's hardened face looking blankly in the dark.

"Mara…" Alice started. "We could give you an epidural, but if you agree, you need to know what you're getting yourself into."

"I know what I'm getting myself into," Mara said coldly. Eddie had never seen Mara this mad other than the time she found out about what his father and uncle had done to him.

Eddie approached Mara, hugging her as tears slowly crept to her eyes. "It's all right, my darling. I wouldn't even think of getting rid of our children. Go back to sleep—I'll continue talking to Dr. Hanes outside. I love you."

He kissed her once more before walking away, Mara looking at them as they exited. Alice looked sadly at her, before making her way outside to the hallway, just a few feet away from the room.

"Alice, you forgot to mention that Mara could get a C-Section," Eddie pointed out.

"C-Sections aren't covered in employee perks," Alice said sadly.

Eddie sighed in frustration, scratching his head. "Fine, then I'll check out to a hospital I can afford to let them operate on her."

"Don't you get it?" Alice yelled. "She'll still be in certain danger. I'm not trying to advertise the hospital's services, but if you try going to a public hospital or something, she's more fucked than she will be if she stays here."

"Keep your voice down!" Eddie gritted to his teeth. He inhaled, trying to get the anger out of him, before he continued. "Right—how much do I need to pay for a C-Section here?"

"Honestly—more than what you make." Alice said. "And you might be one of the best nurses here, but let's face it—Mara's due to give birth in less than four days and it'll be a week before you can get an answer on a company loan."

He and Mara had a savings account reserved for the twins' college fund, but he knew it wouldn't be enough at this point. At that moment, he realized there was one thing he could do out of desperation. He knew he wouldn't like it, and it was a slim chance that probably wouldn't work, but if it meant keeping Mara and his sons away from risking anything fatal, he would willingly do it.

"I'll get the money somehow," He muttered under his breath. "Just make sure she's fine."

His last hope for Mara's safety was to sell his maternal grandfather's watch, an expensive golden Rolex. It was tucked in a box in his bedroom.

It was in the bedroom in his father's house.