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She knew

“There is no heartbeat,” he said quietly “I am so sorry”

For a moment she couldn’t breathe For a moment she felt as if she’d just vanish into thin air

There was no heartbeat

The little life inside her was gone

She shook her head, and then again, unable to look at the doctor or Alexander This time when she turned to face the wall, she stayed that way, even after the doctor and his nurse had gone

She gripped her hands into fists, trying to keep fro This was her fault All her fault

“Josephine,” Alexander said, putting a hand on her shoulder

She shrugged hi”

“I knohat you’re thinking,” he said “I knohat you’re saying to yourself, and it was such a little ”

“Please go Please leave” She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the scalding tears

“The doctor wants us to go into his office for the procedure he mentioned—”

“I don’t want to do it”

“I know, and I don’t want you to be put through it, either, but he believes it will be better for you, less risk of an infection”

“Alexander, no”

“I hate this, too, cara, but we need to keep you well We need to do what’s best for you now”

The procedure on Wednesday night was horrendous, and Josephine slept in on Thursday, having cried herself to sleep the night before

She didn’t want breakfast Thursday et up, too spent, worn-out, wrung out, cried out Queen Serena came by her room just before noon to tell her how deeply sorry she was, and shared that she understood Josephine’s grief because she had miscarried, too, and that Josephine should feel free to co

Josephine got through the short visit without breaking down, but once Serena had gone, she curled into a ball and cried again The last six weeks had been a gigantic roller coaster and this last drop was too

Worse, there was no reason for Alexander toher because of the baby, but now that there was no baby he was free

She’d freed hi, she threw back her covers and got out of bed She should go That’s what she should do She should just go and put this whole nightmare behind her

Josephine was in the ht with her when Alexander entered her room From his expression, she knew that someone fro to leave

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, taking in the clothes she’d put in the pile to leave at the palace and the sarong and blouse and swimsuit she would take back to Greece with her

She wiped tears away “I want to see ain”

“Your father is on his way here for the wedding”

“We’re not gettinganother simple blouse “There is no reason for him to come”

He crossed the room and closed the door that divided the bedroo room where her staff had collected “You can’t run away every ti her “You have to be stronger than your fear”