Chapter 47


    Chapter 47: Secret Kindness


    Moana


    “Wake up, Moana! Wake up!” I awoke the next morning to the sound of E’s voice and the feeling of


    the bed shaking beneath me. The sun was shining blindingly bright through the window, and outside, I


    could hear the sound of the city bustling below. I could hear the sound of distant music; I had


    completely forgotten, but there was supposed to be an event in the park across the street today, and


    E was excited to go.


    “Come on!” E eximed as she jumped up and down excitedly on my bed. “Wake up! Let’s go


    outside!” I groaned, feeling my stomach turn from the bed moving beneath me. If E continued her


    jumping, she would make me throw up.


    “Give me a minute, E,” I said, but she wasn’t listening. She was too busy jumping and giggling and


    chattering about getting ice cream at the park.


    I didn’t think before I spoke next, and as soon as I did, I realized how my voice sounded. I felt so


    nauseous from being jostled around that I didn’t consider how I might havee across as being


    mean. “E,” I said firmly, “stop jumping on the bed. Right now.”


    E suddenly fell silent. Almost as soon as the words escaped my mouth, I knew that I had made a


    mistake. Without another word, E sniffled and quickly jumped off the bed, running from the room


    before I could stop her.


    “E, honey, I’m sorry,” I said, forgetting my nausea as I quickly climbed out of bed and went after her. I


    walked next door to her room, but when I tried to turn the doorknob, I realized that she had locked


    herself in.


    I sighed and knocked on the door. “E?” I called. “I’m really sorry for snapping at you. Pleasee


    out.”


    Through the door, I heard a sniffle, followed by a muffled “Go away!”


    “What’s going on?” Selina’s voice suddenly said from behind me.


    I sighed and turned to face the housekeeper. “I wasn’t feeling well and I snapped at E for jumping on


    my bed,” I admitted. “She locked herself in and won’t talk to me now.”


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    Selina let out a sigh herself. “Children can be so fickle sometimes,” she replied. “She’ll get over it.” I


    nodded and went to return to my room to get dressed for the day, but Selina stopped me. “Something is


    going on with you,” she said, lowering her voice. “I can tell.”


    I frowned and shook my head. “I’m just sick with food poisoning,” I lied. “E jumping on the bed made


    me nauseous–”


    “You’ve only eaten the food I’ve prepared, and I never prepare spoiled food.” Selina’s voice was stern,


    but not entirely cold. I didn’t know what to say; she was right about the food, but I couldn’t bring myself


    to admit my pregnancy just yet. If I was being honest, I still wasn’t certain if I would tell anyone, as the


    possibility of aborting the pregnancy was still on the table.


    “I… I had a snack from a food truck the other day,” I lied again. “It probably came from there.”


    Selina didn’t seem to believe me. She narrowed her eyes and stared at me for a moment, but didn’t say


    anything else. With a nod, she turned on her heel and returned to her work. I let out a sigh of relief


    before returning to my room to shower and get ready for the day… and to take another anti-nausea pill.


    …


    E wound uping out of her room not long after I was finished getting ready. I apologized for


    yelling at her and she apologized for disturbing my sleep so unceremoniously, and we went on with our


    day. I even kept my promise of taking her to the park for ice cream; the fresh air actually helped with


    my nausea, and we spent the entire day outside without realizing it. By the time we came back, it was


    already dinnertime, and after we ate I sat with E on the floor next to the coffee table and helped her


    with her coloring.


    At some point, however, I must have fallen asleep without realizing it.


    I woke up an unknown amount of timeter to the feeling of someone watching me. As I cracked my


    eyes open, I realized that I wasying on the floor. Edrick was standing over me with his arms folded


    across his chest.


    “Wake up,” he said, his voice sounding annoyed. “Why did you fall asleep on the floor? It’s hardly


    appropriate.”


    I groggily pushed myself up onto my palms and started to stand. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “Where is E?”


    “I already put her to bed.” Edrick sounded even more annoyed now and began to walk away before I


    could apologize again. Suddenly, as I started to stand, I felt another bout of sicknesse over me;


    this time, it presented itself not only in the form of nausea, but in the form of a pounding headache. I felt


    myself stumble as I tried to get to my feet.


    I started to fall, but Edrick quickly realized what was happening and leaped forward, catching me in his


    strong arms. I lingered there for a moment, half because I was unable to right myself due to how fast


    my head was spinning and half because the warmth of his embrace was tooforting for me to want


    to tear myself away.


    My face went red. “I… I’m sorry,” I stammered, attempting to stand again as Edrick silently stared down


    at me with his steely gray eyes. His look of annoyance had changed to one of concern, although I could


    tell that he was trying to hide it. “I just got a little dizzy…”


    As I tried to stand again, however, the dizziness only returned. I felt myself fall into Edrick’s arms again,


    and then I suddenly felt him lift me up as though I weighed nothing.


    “Here,” he said, walking over to the couch andying me down. I felt my body rx into the plush


    pillows, but at the same time, I already missed the feeling of his arms around me.


    I started to speak and tried to push myself up to a sitting position, but he shushed me and gently


    pushed me back down. “It’s alright. Just sleep here.”


    …


    I wasn’t sure exactly how long I was asleep. All I knew was that, almost as soon as Edrickid me


    down on the sofa, I found myself slipping into sleep without fuss for the first time in days. The


    pregnancy must have been exhausting me more than I expected it to.


    When I woke up, the living room was dark, illuminated only by the soft glow of the city lightsing in


    through the window. As I blinked the fogginess out of my eyes, I came to realize that I was lying


    beneath a warm nket with a soft pillow under my head. Had Selina or one of the maidse and


    tucked me in?


    I slowly sat up and looked around, realizing very quickly that it wasn’t Selina or either of the maids that


    had taken such care to make mefortable…


    Because as I looked over at therge armchair across from me, I saw Edrick sleeping soundly.