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Virtue01 Review:
"Lovely chapter Maxon is so cute and attentive to America. She is not pregnant but that gave them the opportunity to talk about having children. I have always loved the way that America encourages Maxon when he feels that he will be like his father with his children. Thank you for the update your writing of this story is very detailed and natural."
WriterQueen123 Response:
Thank you for your encouragement! I really appreciate you.
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Thanks for commenting!
Guest Review:
"UPDATE PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSEEEEEEE"
WriterQueen123 Response:
I really do try! Thanks for the excitement.
Guest Review:
"Your Storys are soooo good! I wish I could write like you! Please write more often!"
WriterQueen123 Response:
Thank you! It means a lot to me.
PLEASE READ: Hi! Thank you all for your support. Congratulations on 30,000 views! I have some big news. I am starting a new story for the series To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I just read the books and got obsessed. Please check it out soon (the first chapter will be fully out in the next week) if you're interested and love the books as much as I do. I will still be regularly updating this story, but I'm feeling more distant from the characters because I read the actual Selection books over a year ago. I'm going to try to reread a little and get back in the mood to keep writing. I'm not taking an actual break, but I am going to be dividing my time a little more between my new story: Endlessly Yours, Lara Jean and this one. Thank you for your understanding. You mean the world to me and every sincere, thoughtful comment makes me warm inside. I am truly grateful to be a part of this community.
"Oh my God," I croaked, my heart racing. I felt nauseous and sore everywhere. Maxon was still sleeping, breathing softly in bed next to me. I rapidly crept out of bed and burst into our bathroom. I faced the toilet and barely had time to put my hair up before I heaved. The smell of my vomit made me heady. I washed up in the sink and took my temperature, panting.
It was too soon to be sick again. I had come down with strep throat two months ago; I wasn't ready to feel feverish and nauseous all over again. I had a very low fever of 101.2. As I handled the thermometer, I noticed that my fingers were swollen. My feet looked a little bloated too. I quickly cupped my mouth to stifle an excited shriek.
Could I be pregnant? Was this morning sickness? I was experiencing all the signs, including swollen limbs, fever, and nausea. Maxon and I had been trying in the past month, so I'd been off birth control. Butterflies flitted in my stomach, and an unintentional smile lifted my lips.
I had to see Dr. Ashlar right away. Though I still felt a little sick, I was too excited to care. I slipped into a warm, comfortable shirt and soft pants that I often wore in the morning. I tip-toed out of the room, careful not to wake Maxon. I didn't want to let him know that I thought I was pregnant until it was confirmed.
I knocked on the door of our hospital, and Celine answered with a smile.
"Good morning, Queen America," she greeted me, dipping down in a curtsy.
"Hello, Celine," I said. She flushed, noticing that I had remembered her name.
"Please come inside." Celine led me to Dr. Ashlar, who was studying something on a computer.
"Oh! Hello, Your Majesty," the doctor said warmly. He rose and bowed his head respectfully. I waved him down.
"Please, you know to call me America," I assured the two of them, embarrassed. "I have a question for you, Dr. Ashlar."
"Absolutely. Celine, would you please give us a moment?"
"Of course." She curtsied and headed out of the room.
"Dr. Ashlar..." I hesitated. "I don't know where to start. I think I might be pregnant." Dr. Ashlar nodded understandingly. "I threw up this morning and had a fever of 101.2 when I checked. I'm seeing some swelling around my joints, especially in my feet and hands. I've been off of birth control recently because Maxon and I decided we're ready to have a child." A blush rose to my cheeks. How would Dr. Ashlar react?
"That all sounds solid. Let me do a little check-up to see if you really are pregnant." The doctor rubbed gel on my stomach and performed an Ultra-Sound. He took a couple more measurements and tests as well.
Dr. Ashlar peered at his screen as the image from my Ultra-Sound popped up. After studying it for a couple minutes, he declared happily, "You are pregnant, Queen America." My heart jumped at the thought. I was going to be a mother soon! Tears brimmed my eyes, and I started laughing and crying at the same time.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Ashlar," I said, wiping tears from my cheeks. "I'm really happy."
"Congratulations," he answered. "Please come back in a couple weeks so I can check up on you and make sure everything's going smoothly."
"I will," I promised.
"Take it easy with physical exertion, too. You're early in the pregnancy, so it won't be affecting you too much yet, but you should still be careful. Don't put too much stress on yourself, either. Just relax and let King Maxon take care of you. You know about alcohol, as well." I nodded. He handed me a container of pills. "Take one of these if your cramps get painful or you have a high fever. If anything gets really serious, just call me up."
"Thank you again, Doctor," I said. "Also...please don't mention this to Maxon yet." I gazed at Dr. Ashlar hopefully, and he agreed.
"The news is yours and yours alone to share."
"I really appreciate it. See you soon!" I practically skipped out of the hospital, feeling like I was dancing on Cloud Nine.
"Good morning, darling," Maxon said as I jumped back in bed to snuggle next to him.
"Hi." I was laying next to Maxon, my elbow propped on a pillow so we could look at each other directly. We were inches apart, and a deep breath of his warm cologne calmed me.
"Where were you?" he asked, confused. Maxon ran his hand down my shoulder, sending a shiver up my arm.
"I ran down to see Dr. Ashlar. I wasn't feeling well this morning, so he just gave me some tips."
Maxon frowned. "You could've woken me up. I'm sorry you weren't well. Was it bad?"
"Nah. I just threw up a little, but I'm fine."
Maxon laid his hand over my heart, squeezing my tender chest a little. "Ow," I giggled nervously.
"Sorry," he chuckled. "Your heart's racing. Are you sure you're good?"
"I'm fine. It's just from walking back up." Maxon narrowed his eyes but didn't press me any further.
"If you say so." Maxon's birthday was coming up. I hated to keep him waiting, even just for two weeks, but I wanted to surprise Maxon. It would really make the day special. Also, I had no other gift ideas for a king.
"So, do we have any meetings today?" I said casually, subtly changing the subject.
"I have a meeting with my advisors addressing the castes. We're going to merge the Sevens and Sixes together in the next month. There's been no progress with the Southern Rebels. We've arrested and captured all their inside spies, so I'm assuming they've kind of fallen apart. Our guard is up around the castle, so we're safe." He sighed. "There's one thing that I've actually managed to possibly solve."
I didn't miss the creases that had recently formed on Maxon's forehead. This was all too much for a twenty-year-old. I gently rubbed my fingers on his forehead to ease the lines away.
"Maxon, you are a fantastic, inspiring king. You handled the Southern Rebel situation amazingly. You've managed to stay kind and sweet and loving to me, even when I'm annoying, on top of all the problems you're facing." Maxon smiled at this. "Now we're dealing with the castes. The problems that you are solving aren't yours, they're Illéa's. It's not your fault that the castes were formed hundreds of years ago, and now we're having issues. And yet, you're the only king in our history who is finally addressing and successfully tackling these matters. That's something you can be proud of forever, no matter what happens."
I slowly kissed Maxon, my eyes fluttering shut as his lips met mine. I drew circles on his muscular back as Maxon planted kisses below my jaw, then on my neck. I fingered his soft, golden hair while Maxon kissed my collarbone, making his way back to my lips. I couldn't think straight; I was completely immersed in the moment.
We finally came apart, grinning affectionately. My mind traveled back to being pregnant. We'd soon be a family of three. I couldn't help but lay a hand on my stomach, imagining a little baby resting there. My happy ending was really coming together. It wasn't imaginary; this was real. I couldn't dream up a fantasy better than my life. With all its ups and downs, this was perfect. And this would always be my story.