Sofia must’ve fallen asleep for a little while because the next thing she knew, Maxim was fully dressed. He bent down, giving her a kiss. “Rest well,” Maxim said. “I’ll have someone bring a tray of food up.”
Sofia nodded. Long after Maxim had left, Sofia stared up at the ceiling. Usually, Maxim and she ate breakfast together. Sometimes, Lev and some of the men would join them. Then Sofia would take a walk around the grounds before heading to her office to do some freelance work.
Today, she didn’t want to get out of bed at all. It surprised her to see Lev bringing her a tray of breakfast.
Mrs. Penn was an excellent cook, and normally, Sofia loved her blueberry pancakes.
The sight of them made Sofia run to the bathroom. After puking her guts out for the second time this morning, she brushed her teeth and returned to the room.
Lev hadn’t left. He looked concerned. “I told Yuri to head to the pharmacy after his errands, but I’ll do it myself,” Lev said.
He was about to leave the room, but Sofia touched his shoulder.
“Wait,” she said, biting on her lower lip.
Sofia had started to wonder if this wasn’t a normal stomachache at all but something else. When she had taken a quick nap while her husband dressed for work, she dreamed.
She could only remember fragments of her dream, but she remembered a sweet face looking back at her. A baby boy with her thick head of curls and Maxim’s solemn gray eyes.
Was the dream a sign? Some kind of omen?
“I want to go with you,” Sofia said. “I might need something else apart from stomach medicine.”
“Something else?” Lev prodded, furrowing his brows. “What are you keeping from Maxim?”
“I’m not keeping anything from him,” Sofia immediately answered. Lev suddenly grabbed her shoulders.
“Sofia, what is wrong? Do you have some kind of terrible illness or ailment you don’t want my brother to know?”
“Lev, relax. It’s nothing like that. It’s just—” Sofia hesitated. She could trust Lev with this. “I might be pregnant.”
“Pregnant.” Lev looked at her with silent wonder.
“It’s not confirmed yet. I don’t want to tell Maxim unless I’m sure, you understand? So, I really need to come with you to the pharmacy. Okay?” she asked him.
“Understood. I will protect you with my life,” he responded.
“I’m sure, but Lev? This is secret between us for now.”
“I will keep your secret,” Lev said with a nod.
****
With shaking hands, Sofia took out the box containing the pregnancy kit from the brown paper bag.
The trip to the pharmacy didn’t take long. She’d been so out of it, Lev had to lead her by the arm. He had even asked a nearby employee where they could find what Sofia needed.
Lev had played the role of big brother and taken her to a café afterward to relax. Sofia remembered ordering an iced tea to settle her nerves. The tea helped a little. An hour later, they were back home.
Sofia had locked herself in the bedroom while Lev anxiously waited outside. She was probably just making a big deal out of this for no apparent reason.
Maxim would be happy about the news, right? An heir had been part of the marriage arrangement they had made. Of course, Sofia never expected to fall for Maxim. They had begun as strangers. Sofia had been content, playing the role of Maxim’s wife, but when had it all stopped being an act? How would a child change the dynamics of their relationship?
“You’re not even sure if you’re pregnant. Stop being a wuss and do it,” she reminded herself.
She entered the bathroom and read the instructions on the box. Simple enough, but she went over them again just in case.
Why was she prolonging this, anyway? Sofia did her business and looked at the pregnancy kit. When nothing appeared on the tiny screen, Sofia breathed out a sigh of relief, or was that one of disappointment? Then two black lines suddenly appeared.