surrender.
“I mean you no harm!” he shouted.
Rovik paused.
Kenneth dismounted his bike and trudged toward Norman’s body. Anguish painted on his face. “I’m sorry, Emily. I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t. I’ll tell you everything if you allow me to bury my father. And Dwayne. And the rest of them.”
Emily and Rovik looked at each other.
Rovik nodded at Kenneth. “Start talking, kid.”
Epilogue
Seven Months Later
Emily sat gingerly on an uncomfortable chair in the crowded hospital waiting room. She had her first ultrasound appointment for her pregnancy and she was anxious. Knowing who she really was and Rovik as her husband, she worried that she might carry a giant egg instead of a baby. Rovik and his parents assured her she would have a normal, human pregnancy, given that Emily was wingless, thoroughly domesticated.
Still, she couldn’t brush away her nervousness. Five months after she and Rovik got hitched in Vegas, she missed her period. After a trip to a gynecologist, the doctor confirmed her pregnancy. Rovik was elated. His parents were ecstatic, especially his mom.
Her new husband noticed her discomfort and stroked her hand. His lush brows arched. “You okay?” he asked. He had been very attentive since she found herself with his child.
“I have to pee,” Emily grumbled. “I swear if the nurse doesn’t call me within the next five minutes, I’ll—“
“Emily Stromheim?” called a woman dressed in scrubs. She poked her head around the door, scanning the motley patients in the room. She carried a hard pad and furiously scribbled on it. The nurse broke into a smile when she caught Emily getting up from her chair. “Oh, there you are, sweetheart. You did drink the liquid and haven’t gone to the bathroom, right?”
Emily tottered to her with a pained step. “Yes.”
“Good. We need you to have a full bladder so we can have a nice reading.”
Emily grimaced.
“I know, I know, it’s uncomfortable. But it won’t take long.” The nurse cringed with sympathy.
“I hope so,” Emily muttered. “I almost wet my pants.”
The nurse looked at the towering Rovik appreciatively. “And this gentleman with you is?”
“He’s my husband.”
“Awesome. Please follow me, then.” The nurse bounced happily into the narrow hallway and showed them to an exam room at the end. She knocked on the half-ajar door quietly. “Marcia, I have Emily Stromheim. Do you need a minute or are you ready?” The nurse then nodded to Emily. “She’s ready for you guys.”
Emily and Rovik pushed in. The nurse closed the door behind them.
The ultrasound technician was a pleasant-looking middle-aged woman but she dressed as if she were a twenty-year old. Beneath her white lab coat, she was swathed in a red sequined top that guaranteed to make a disco ball jealous. She lifted her gaze from the monitor and beamed.
“Emily Stromheim? And you’re Mr. Stromheim? Good. I will need you to bare your midsection before we start.”
“Do I need to take my clothes off?” Emily hoisted herself on the examination table.
“No, you don’t have to. Just push your pants to your hips.”
Emily lay on her back and did as asked. The tech covered her lower part with a blanket. She proceeded by lathering gel on Emily’s stomach and pressed the hand-held scanning device under her belly button.
The screen came alive. “This is your bladder,” said the technician, she moved the wand around, “And here’s your little baby.” She triangulated the picture and zoomed on it. “If you look at here, that’s the heartbeat.” She fiddled with the keyboard and seconds later, the sound of a heartbeat filled the exam room.
An immense relief flooded her. She caught Rovik’s eyes. He smiled. He knew just how worried she was with this pregnancy. Rovik was a hatchling. She couldn’t imagine how his mom managed to squeeze him out. It must’ve been such an ordeal. She was getting used to who
“I mean you no harm!” he shouted.
Rovik paused.
Kenneth dismounted his bike and trudged toward Norman’s body. Anguish painted on his face. “I’m sorry, Emily. I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t. I’ll tell you everything if you allow me to bury my father. And Dwayne. And the rest of them.”
Emily and Rovik looked at each other.
Rovik nodded at Kenneth. “Start talking, kid.”
Epilogue
Seven Months Later
Emily sat gingerly on an uncomfortable chair in the crowded hospital waiting room. She had her first ultrasound appointment for her pregnancy and she was anxious. Knowing who she really was and Rovik as her husband, she worried that she might carry a giant egg instead of a baby. Rovik and his parents assured her she would have a normal, human pregnancy, given that Emily was wingless, thoroughly domesticated.
Still, she couldn’t brush away her nervousness. Five months after she and Rovik got hitched in Vegas, she missed her period. After a trip to a gynecologist, the doctor confirmed her pregnancy. Rovik was elated. His parents were ecstatic, especially his mom.
Her new husband noticed her discomfort and stroked her hand. His lush brows arched. “You okay?” he asked. He had been very attentive since she found herself with his child.
“I have to pee,” Emily grumbled. “I swear if the nurse doesn’t call me within the next five minutes, I’ll—“
“Emily Stromheim?” called a woman dressed in scrubs. She poked her head around the door, scanning the motley patients in the room. She carried a hard pad and furiously scribbled on it. The nurse broke into a smile when she caught Emily getting up from her chair. “Oh, there you are, sweetheart. You did drink the liquid and haven’t gone to the bathroom, right?”
Emily tottered to her with a pained step. “Yes.”
“Good. We need you to have a full bladder so we can have a nice reading.”
Emily grimaced.
“I know, I know, it’s uncomfortable. But it won’t take long.” The nurse cringed with sympathy.
“I hope so,” Emily muttered. “I almost wet my pants.”
The nurse looked at the towering Rovik appreciatively. “And this gentleman with you is?”
“He’s my husband.”
“Awesome. Please follow me, then.” The nurse bounced happily into the narrow hallway and showed them to an exam room at the end. She knocked on the half-ajar door quietly. “Marcia, I have Emily Stromheim. Do you need a minute or are you ready?” The nurse then nodded to Emily. “She’s ready for you guys.”
Emily and Rovik pushed in. The nurse closed the door behind them.
The ultrasound technician was a pleasant-looking middle-aged woman but she dressed as if she were a twenty-year old. Beneath her white lab coat, she was swathed in a red sequined top that guaranteed to make a disco ball jealous. She lifted her gaze from the monitor and beamed.
“Emily Stromheim? And you’re Mr. Stromheim? Good. I will need you to bare your midsection before we start.”
“Do I need to take my clothes off?” Emily hoisted herself on the examination table.
“No, you don’t have to. Just push your pants to your hips.”
Emily lay on her back and did as asked. The tech covered her lower part with a blanket. She proceeded by lathering gel on Emily’s stomach and pressed the hand-held scanning device under her belly button.
The screen came alive. “This is your bladder,” said the technician, she moved the wand around, “And here’s your little baby.” She triangulated the picture and zoomed on it. “If you look at here, that’s the heartbeat.” She fiddled with the keyboard and seconds later, the sound of a heartbeat filled the exam room.
An immense relief flooded her. She caught Rovik’s eyes. He smiled. He knew just how worried she was with this pregnancy. Rovik was a hatchling. She couldn’t imagine how his mom managed to squeeze him out. It must’ve been such an ordeal. She was getting used to who
Similar Books
