Chapter 49


    Chapter 49: Call the Midwife


    Moana


    After I hung up with Ethan, I felt a bit lighter with the prospect of enjoying dinner with a friend. I met E


    out in the foyer after that, and we went over to the farmers’ market.


    “Come on, Moana!” E yelled excitedly, pulling on my hand as we crossed the street to the park that


    was bustling with people.


    She looked absolutely adorable in her little blue and white checkered sundress and her big, floppy sun


    hat with the blue ribbon that wiggled when she moved her head.


    The stone pathway around the park was lined with various vendor stalls as we entered. Much of it was


    produce and canned goods, but there were also stalls with soft pretzels, face painting for children,


    handmade toys and clothing, and more. I had just deposited my first paycheck from Edrick, and had


    some money put aside after paying off arge chunk of my student loans. I double checked before we


    left the penthouse this time to make sure that I had my wallet, in order to avoid a repeat of the theme


    park.


    As the morning marched on, E and I slowly made our way around to all of the stalls. I bought us both


    soft pretzels to eat on a bench together, smiling as I watched E happily swinging her legs next to me,


    then took her to get her face painted. After that, we stopped at the stalls with the handmade toys and


    clothing, where I bought E a little handmade stuffed duck. At this stall, there was a rack of womens’


    dresses for sale.


    E reached out her little hands and tugged on one of the dresses. It was a long, flowy dress in a sky


    blue color.


    “Moana, this is so pretty!” she said, pointing. “You could match me!”


    “I take it that blue is someone’s favorite color?” the attendant asked, looking at E with a big smile.


    E nodded matter-of-factly. “Mhm. I love blue.”


    “I’ll tell you what,” the attendant said, standing anding over to check the price on the tag before


    looking at me. “If you want to try it on, I’ll give you a twenty-five percent discount. I think this color


    would be lovely on you.”


    “Oh, I don’t know,” I replied, feeling my face get red. “I don’t really have anywhere to wear something


    like that.”


    “It’s just a cotton dress,” the attendant chimed in with a wink. “Besides, a pretty girl like you probably


    goes on plenty of dates with your husband.”


    I didn’t feel like correcting the attendant, and between her affectatious smile and E’s pleading look, I


    finally agreed. “Okay,” I said, to which E squealed excitedly. “I’ll try it on.”


    The attendant grinned and took the dress off of the rack, then led me over to the back of the tent,


    where there was a curtain in the corner. She pulled the curtain aside to reveal a tiny makeshift dressing


    room with a standing mirror.


    “Wait here, E,” I said, stepping inside and closing the curtain. I sighed once I was inside and held the


    dress up to myself; it was a pretty color, and the shape was nice. Maybe I could dress it down a bit to


    wear as an everyday dress, or to go out for lunch on my little crepe dates with E… Or, perhaps, I


    could wear it to my date with Ethan.


    I quickly slipped off my own in dress and slipped on the blue one. My eyes widened as I looked at


    myself in the mirror; it really was beautiful on me. It reached down to my ankles and the skirt flowed


    when I moved, but the waist fit snugly to show off my curves. It had two thin straps that tied on my


    shoulders with soft, silky ribbons.


    I stepped out of the dressing room and twirled.


    “What do you think?” I asked.


    “Oh, it looks lovely on you!” the attendant said as she sped her hands together. Meanwhile, E


    squealed again in delight.


    “Will you wear it today?” E asked, jumping up and down. “Please? I want to match!”


    I looked down at myself, wondering if I looked out of ce with nothing else on but my tote bag, my


    sandals, and my sun hat, but decided that it was worth it to make E happy.


    …


    When we arrived back at the penthouse, I began to feel ill on the elevator. I hardly made it to the


    bathroom before I began to retch. When I was finished, I stood and leaned over the sink, taking deep


    breaths to soothe my nerves as the feeling of nausea lingered and the pounding in my head intensified.


    Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat. I jumped and whirled around on my feet to see Selina


    standing in the doorway.


    “Oh, g-good morning, Selina,” I said, my voice shaking slightly from the recent vomiting spell in


    combination with the shock of seeing her standing there.


    Without speaking, she suddenly walked toward me and brusquely cupped my breast in her hand with


    her brow furrowed.


    “Hey!” I shouted, jumping back and smacking her hand away as my face went bright red. “What are you


    doing?”


    Selina frowned. “Your breasts are heavy. Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”


    My heart raced. I shook my head vigorously. “I already told you I have food poisoning. Why do you


    keep fixating on it?”


    Selina’s frown deepened even more and she narrowed her eyes. “I was a midwife for many years, you


    know,” she said. “I know a pregnant woman when I see one. But if you want to continue to lie to


    everyone, that’s your choice.”


    Without another word, Selina turned on her heel and left my room.


    I scoffed incredulously at the old woman’s forthright attitude. Of course she was correct, but I couldn’t


    bring myself to admit the truth… Especially not now that Edrick had been so tantly cruel to me over


    the past several days. I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted to bring a child into a situation like that,


    where it would no doubt be treated just as cruelly by its own father, and I didn’t want to tell anyone


    about the pregnancy if I was just going to have an abortion.


    After rinsing out my mouth with mouthwash, I walked back out to my bedroom and paused in front of


    the mirror. The blue dress really was beautiful. I turned this way and that in the mirror, admiring how the


    bodice fit so perfectly and how the skirt twirled when I moved — and then, without thinking, I turned to


    the side to look at my belly, and I imagined how it would look and feel eight months from now.


    I ran my hands over my belly and closed my eyes, imagining the feeling of the little one inside of me. I


    wondered if it would be a little girl like E, or a little boy. I wondered if the child would have red hair like


    me.


    I had always wanted children. Just… not like this.


    But I didn’t know if I could bring myself to end the pregnancy.


    …


    Later that night, after dinner, I put E to bed and returned to my room. I took off my dress and hung it


    in the closet, then walked over to the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.


    As I passed the bathroom sink, however, I did a double take and furrowed my brow.


    Someone — likely Selina — had ced a box of pregnancy tests on the sink.


    Part of me was somewhat annoyed at the housekeeper’s blunt way of doing things, but I couldn’t deny


    the fact that there was another,rger, part of me that was moved by her caring nature.


    Just then, for the first time in days, I felt Mina’s presenceing out much more strongly. While I had


    felt her here and there over the past few days, she had onlye and gone briefly with few words, if


    any. Now, she seemed stronger and more able to talk.


    “It’s his baby,” she said, matter-of-factly.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “Yes,” I replied out loud, keeping my voice low. “It’s definitely his.”


    “Are you going to keep it?” Mina asked.


    I paused for a moment, biting my lip thoughtfully before finally answering. “I… I don’t know, honestly,” I


    replied. “I want to. I’ve always wanted a little one of my own, but it’s just… It’s not the best situation to


    bring a child into.”


    Now, Mina was silent for a moment. I could feel an ache in my chest, and I couldn’t tell if it was more


    my pain or hers. Maybe both.


    “I’d like you to keep it,” she said. “But I understand that he might not ept the baby, or treat it well.


    Ultimately, it’s your decision, I suppose.”


    That, however, was precisely the problem. It was my decision, and the truth was that I didn’t know


    which decision to make. I knew that I couldn’t go on hiding this pregnancy forever. Selina already


    figured it out, and others would soon start to notice my belly growing.


    “Will you be mad at me if I decide not to keep it?” I asked Mina. She didn’t answer. In fact, while I was


    thinking to myself, I hadn’t realized that her presence had faded away at all.


    I realized one thing, though: I would have to make a decision as soon as possible.