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He looked again down the corridor where the examination rooms were Which one was Alexis in? he wondered Was she okay? What on earth could be wrong with her that they had to keep her so long?
Ruby’s fussing worked up a notch Raoul felt helpless He had no idea what to do
“Maybe she needs a bottle or a drink?” an elderly lady suggested from her perch on a seat near the door
Raoul re that Alexis had put in the trunk of the car “Good idea,” he said with a grateful smile to the woman and headed out quickly to the car park
He unzipped the bag with a bit of difficulty and spied Ruby’s drink bottle inside The baby nearly tipped out of his arrabbed her and secured her with one ar her the bottle He watched with relief as she ja over his shoulder, he closed the trunk and went back into the waiting room
Settled with Ruby in his lap again he kept an eye on the corridor People caan to grow heavier in his ar off to sleep He took the bottle fro and adjusted her slightly so she could lie more comfortably across his lap
He looked at her face as she slept, a face that was so familiar to him it made his heart ache to see Bree reflected there But there waspersonality beginning to show, too She felt so small in his hands, so precious How on earth could he keep her safe for the whole of her life? How could he keep the bad things fro to her, the disappointments, the setbacks?
The responsibility was crushing How did people cope? How did they balance love with care and obligation? He’d thought he and Bree had had the perfect mix of devotion and trust, until he’d found out that she’d kept the truth about her health from him They’d promised one another to love and honor each other, to care for one another in sickness and in health But she hadn’t honored his love for her when she’d withheld the risks of pregnancy froiven hiether
The all-too-faut She’d left him with the child he’d so wanted, yet was now too scared to love The sense of betrayal cut as deep today as it had when the medical team had rushed him from the delivery suite and when they’d eventually informed him of Bree’s death, despite all their efforts to prevent it She’d taken a risk to have Ruby and she’d paid for it with her life And he was angry So very angry
He lifted his head and looked around the waiting rooain that infuriating and painfully fah him Alexis was in a room in here somewhere and he had no idea why He’d been shut out because he had chosen to shut her out of that part of his life, as well If he’d tried to be more open with her, beco her hand, supporting her Being her partner
The idea resounded through his ain? He exas he had tried to keep at bay, had tried to ether But he couldn’t deny it any longer Alexis meant more to him than a convenient bed partner—way more
A sound froht his attention and he saw Alexis walking toward reception with a nurse at her side He got to his feet, carefully so as not to disturb the sleeping child in his ar the tail end of what the nurse was saying as he drew nearer
“The doctor will refer you through to Christchurch’s maternity services and you’ll need to take it easy for the next few days until the bleeding subsides Oh, and no sex until it’s stopped co hand on Alexis’s arm “Don’t worry too much, the ultrasound didn’t show up any abnormalities, but take care and don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns”
“Thank you, nurse,” Alexis said weakly, her face suddenly growing even ht there
He looked at her in shock, bile rising in his throat as he played the words he’d heard over in his ? Ultrasound? Maternity services? Just what the hell were they talking about?
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