I exhaled, not expecting that, but I looked into his sad, blue eyes, determined to make him see that my words were true: I’d always want him. “Do you remember what you said to me? That you’d always be there for me, no matter what?” I said and squeezed his hand.
“I do…”
“Well, I want you to know I feel the same. I’ll be by your side no matter what.” I took a breath. “I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that it doesn’t upset me that one day we can’t have a baby together, but Harvey, my love, can’t you see, you can and will be a father?” I said as I moved his hand onto my belly, the little bump that had started to show around my middle.
“I didn’t want to presume…” he said, shaking his head and looking in wonder as he stroked the bump.
“We both need you,” I said.
“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life looking after the both of you.”
“That sounds like an oath.”
“It is,” he confirmed.
21
Sara
“Ready to go home?”
Harvey nodded from the wheelchair, and I grabbed a duffel bag filled with his belongings Sadie had kindly brought. I swung the strap around my shoulder, not minding the hefty weight as I steered him from the hospital room.
“You sure you can carry that?” Harvey asked.
I nodded and flashed him a reassuring smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Stop worrying.”
“But you’re pregnant,” he scowled up at me. “You’re not supposed to carry anything heavy.”
“Well, it’s not that heavy.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. It was killing him being in the wheelchair, helpless, but the hospital’s bureaucratic rules dictated that he remain there till we were outside.
I rolled him past a group of doctors and nurses who waved at us, asking a few questions here and there before we walked out. The heavy scent of bleach and antiseptic faded as we stepped out of the building. Harvey sprang up as soon as the main entrance door swooshed closed.
“Finally!” he said and grabbed the duffel off my shoulders.
“Careful, your wrist.”
We found our way to my car and got in. Harvey’s hand sneakily found its way onto my thigh as we drove. I still couldn’t believe it: my stepbrother and I were actually going to do it, be together, raise a child. It was insane.
I pulled the car to a stop at a traffic light and turned my head to the side to see Harvey staring at me, an intense emotion flaring in the depths of his blue eyes.
“What?” I asked. “Do I have something on my face?” I pulled down the driver’s mirror to check and reached out to touch my face, convinced I had a spot on my chin.
He shook his head. “Nope, you’re fine.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?” I pressed.
He smiled; his mouth looked soft and inviting. “Because you’re a beautiful woman. And I’m never going to get used to you being mine.”
My fingers caressed his whiskered cheek; the pad of my thumb grazed along his jawline.
“I want you with me always,” he said. His expression turned sober, his mouth losing its smile as he regarded me seriously.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I said.
“No,” he uttered, “I want you always with me. No matter what happens, Sara, I want you with me. For the rest of our lives. Forever.”
His sweet words set off a stinging feeling at the back of my eyes. “Forever seems an awfully long time,” I said, teasing.
He shrugged, “I don’t take no for an answer, babe.”
“In that case, it looks like I have no choice. Oh, well,” I joked.
“Good.”
“By the way. What was it that you wanted to tell me? Back in the office, I mean,” I said, my forefinger stroking his hand on top of my thigh.
“Oh, that. I’d totally forgotten. Good thing you reminded me.” He chuckled softly, then his voice turned serious. “Eric never meant to leave you, Sara.”
“What do you mean?” I asked and quickly found a place to pull over.
“He didn’t kill himself. The mechanic who took a closer look at the car, the second one, told me that there was a fault with the brake line. So it was an accident. And I’d already contacted the insurance company that morning. I threatened to take legal action, because I found out that Bluelife has a bit of a history of not investigating cases thoroughly. Anyway, they’ve agreed to pay the life insurance.”
Rolls of tears began to pour down my face. “Thank you for doing that. And thank you for looking after me these past few months. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”