four months later
I squeezed Marcy's hand as the cold gel spread over my stomach. Even though this was my third ultrasound, I never got used to the feeling. The technician pressed into my abdomen and dragged the probe back and forth. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but I noticed her furtively glancing into my eyes. I wish I had sunglasses on, but Marcy says I look ridiculous wearing them in the winter. ha.
Marcy rubbed her thumb on the back of my hand, comforting me. I looked at the screen but couldn't make out the black and gray shapes. I could hear a steady beat coming from the monitor. I bit my lower lip.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
The technician raised his eyebrows.
"Why do you feel something is wrong?" she asked.
"Dee always felt like something was wrong," Massie said.
The technician chuckled, heat rushing to my cheeks. I've been worried ever since I found out I was pregnant. I can't stop it.
I know Ben is dead. I killed him myself and the police found his body in the cabin. However, that didn't stop me from having nightmares almost every night. Ben's face is etched in my mind, every time I close my eyes I can see his face and Yulin.
Keep this child? A tough decision. When I imagined the child hoeing the fields, I contemplated an abortion imagining that the child was as sick and disturbed as Ben. When I arrived at the clinic, I signed the paperwork but left before they called my name. I can not do it.
Marcie would accompany me on every date. She is so happy to be an aunt,
"The doctor will see you soon," the technician said.
She wiped the gel off my belly and I took off my t-shirt. I sat on the edge of the paper-covered table. The technician gave me one last look and rushed out of the room.
Marcy took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. I rubbed it and then held my stomach. We sat in silence for a while.
My phone vibrated and an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. I rolled my eyes before hanging up and blocking the number. I spent the last four months of my life dodging countless calls from reporters.
"The other one?" Marcy asked.
I nodded.
"It never seems to end," I said.
"It will all end one day,"
"Life will return to normal soon."
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I will never live a completely normal life. As long as I have these eyes, nothing will be normal. I wish I could lie to new people in a year, since I've been back home my face has been plastered all over the news so most people know the truth.
Dr. Garcia walked into the room. He wore a white lab coat over his clothes, just like Oliver had worn before. My palms started to sweat,
How do I know if he is a member of the Gregory Club of the Caribbean?
I didn’t, and that’s what scared me.
"Hello, Diana," Garcia said. "Nice to meet you."
My mouth went dry as I stared at Garcia. He didn't look into my eyes, it was the first time I'd seen him. Has he gotten used to this kind of change in people? Did he attend that dinner? Was he a member of his own abduction experiment?
Why can't they have some kind of symbol? Tattoo? A mark? ring? Something that would let me know if they were a member of the Gregory Club.
Garcia cleared his throat because I didn't respond to him. My heart was pounding and I didn't know what to say. Marcy sat up straighter in her seat. My knees were bouncing and Marcy put her hand on my leg trying to comfort me.
"Everything looks good," he said. "Do you want to know the gender?"
"Yes," Marcy answered for me. "I always predicted it would be a girl."
Marcy said all the nausea I felt indicated it was a girl. She also predicted that I was a girl and had acne on my face.
"You're actually wrong," Garcia said. "Diana, you're having a boy."
"A boy?" I asked.
"correct."
The color drained from me and the color drained from my face.
I'm pregnant with a boy.
At that moment I was really shocked that a little Ben was growing inside me. Will this child be like his father? Ben killed his mother. Now that I have given birth to a boy, is my life in danger?
I couldn't focus as Garcia told me the information, but I knew Marcy was recording it. When Garcia stopped talking, I stormed out of the office. When I arrived at Marcy's car, I was barely wearing my jacket. Snowflakes were falling and I tried not to slip on the ice.
The car lights came on and I looked back to see Marcy walking out of the doctor's office. I slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door. My teeth bit my lip as I tried to hold back the tears. Massie got into the driver's seat, inserted the key into the ignition, and fiddled with the knobs on the dash, trying to get the heater to start.
“We need to start thinking about names,” Massey said. "I think Henry would be cute. We could name him after Grandpa."
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I blinked, tears rolling down my cheeks. Marcy shifted her weight in her seat so she could look at me. She watched me sob and shook her head.
"What am I thinking?" I asked. "I can't have a baby. I can't have his baby."
"Diana," Marcy said.
"I was so stupid for sleeping with him," I cried. "Why did I do this? I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Diana, look at me," she said.
"I can't raise this child—"
"Diana, look at me!"
My vision blurred with tears, but I looked at Marcy. She leaned against the steering wheel. She gave me a gentle smile.
"You are the bravest person I know," she said. "I don't know anyone else who could go through what you're going through. You're strong. You're going to be okay."
I let out a shaky breath, trying to control my sobs. I've never been a crier, but ever since I've been pregnant, I've had a hard time controlling my emotions.
"You're not alone," Massey said. “You have mom and me.
My gut tells me he will be ecstatic. He always told me that we were family. He would love a kid.
"Don't think so," Marcy said. "Don't even think about Ben."
"There's nothing I can do," I said.
Marcy sighed and turned around in her seat. I took a sharp breath to control my crying. I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
"What am I going to tell this kid?" I asked. "His father is terrible. I can't tell him that." Marcy pulled from the parking lot to the doctor's office. Her warm breath was clearly visible in the cold air, and I could tell she was thinking. No one has really talked about Ben since I've been home. Marcy scheduled therapy appointments for me, but I skipped more than half of them. I wanted to forget about Ben, but I couldn't now because his son was growing inside me.
"What if he looks like his dad?" I asked.
"He's not going to be like Ben," Massey said. "This baby will only feel love. He won't be completely insane." I rubbed my belly with my hands.
"The relationship between nature and nurture?" I asked.
"Exactly," Massie said. "Your child will not be born evil."
. . . . Four years later. . .
Marcy dimmed the lights, candle flames dancing in the air. Henry smiled broadly as he watched me carry his birthday cake to the table. He sat on his mother's lap and clapped his hands. The whole family sang Happy Birthday to my son.
When Du was done, Marcy said, "Make a wish," as we all finished signing. "But you can't tell any of us what it is or it won't work."
Henry closed his eyes and leaned against the cake to blow out the candles. It took him several breaths to blow out all three candles. I turned on the light and he gasped when he saw the cake was in the shape of a dinosaur. Over the past few months, he had developed a fascination with prehistoric creatures. He clutched a stuffed T-Rex to his chest.
"Mom!" he screamed. "It's a bird of prey."
I was impressed that at his age he could identify different dinosaurs. he is very smart.
I jumped when David put his arm around my shoulders. We've been dating for the past six months. He knew the truth behind my eyes but never asked. He never acted like I was a weirdo. He looked at me like I was beautiful.
David curled me into him and pressed his lips to my temple. I smiled and put my hand on his chest. Mother helped Henry cut a piece of cake that was too big for him. He'll be jumping off the wall in no time. "Well done, honey," David whispered in my ear. "he likes."
Henry ran towards us. White frosting covered his face. David bent down and Henry ran into his arms. David lifted him off the floor and put him on his hip. I picked up the napkin and tried to wipe the cake off Henry's face.
He looks a lot like Ben. He has the same black hair and bright blue eyes. Even the way his lips smile reminds me of Ben.
I never talked to David about Ben. I didn't talk about him with anyone. Henry once asked him about his father, and I didn't know what to say. I always change the topic to something else, usually dinosaurs. Henry never pressed the subject of his father, but I knew he would eventually discover the truth.
. . . . Six years later. . . .
Marcy helped me straighten my veil while Henry ran around my old bedroom. He got ready with David but he kept complaining until he could get into my room with me. Marcy kept fussing with my hair and clothes, trying to make everything perfect. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My dress is very simple, off the shoulders, with a sweetheart neckline and a lace veil. Marcy convinced me to put my hair up. I usually wear my hair down to try to hide my eyes.
Six years later, I'm still not used to seeing the vertical slits and dark green color in my eyes. My favorite pair is a pair of sunglasses, but Marcy would be mad if I wore them to my own wedding. Plus, David made me feel normal. He looked me in the eyes like nothing was wrong.
"It's time!" Marcy shouted, clasping her hands in front of Hachoct. "It's time!" Marcy folded her hands on her chest and exclaimed.
She was wearing a dark red dress. She was my only bridesmaid so I let her choose whatever dress she wanted. I knew she would choose something too extravagant for a backyard wedding.
Marcy put my arm around hers and I grabbed Henry's hand. We walked out of my room. I tried not to trip over my clothes as I walked down the stairs. I stopped wearing heels and put on my favorite pair of Converse. I don’t want to sink into the grass of my childhood yard.
The soft sound of the violin filled my ears. David's best friend Carter was waiting for us by the sliding glass door. Marcy smiled and took his arm. He opened the door and they walked down the deck and down the aisle my mother had built out of flower petals.
I knelt down in front of Henry. He clutched his stuffed T-Rex in his hand. I brushed the black hair from his forehead. The older he gets, the more he looks like Ben.
"Are you married to dad now?" Henry asked.
Henry started calling David daddy last year. None of us prompted it. We were sitting on the couch watching a Disney movie when Henry said this. David was so moved that he tried not to cry. When he started talking, I was relieved that he stopped asking about Ben.
I wish Henry was David's. Henry's dark hair and blue eyes make it difficult to pretend that David is his biological father. David is blond and has hazel eyes.
"Yes," I said. "Dad and I are getting married and we will officially become a family."
a family.
David would hold me while I struggled and cried in the middle of the night. He never asked me what made me so sad, but I knew he knew.
Ben is dead, but his memory lives on in my mind.
I stood up and took Henry's hand. Marcy had the lovely idea of having Henry walk me down the aisle. My father has not contacted me since I returned home. His daughter is missing and he doesn't care at all.
I opened the door and walked out onto the deck with Henry. The small group of attendees, including my family and David's family, stood up and turned to face us. Mom covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes were moist. Most people would be in awe seeing Henry in a little suit. Henry was so excited to see David that he tried to run over and drag me down the aisle.
I looked at David and my chest tightened. He bit his lower lip, a tear rolling down his cheek. Tears stung in my eyes, I didn't dare to blink or cry. David wiped the tears from his cheeks and smiled. He took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Henry broke free from me and ran forward to hug David, who bent down and put his arms around him. He carried him to my mother and she held him in her lap. David took my hand and pulled me to the flower arch my mother had created. He squeezed my hand and I tried not to hug and kiss him.
I barely listened to the priest. I was too focused on David and trying not to cry. I stole a glance at Henry and saw him smiling and clapping his hands. My mom had a hard time catching him because he wanted to run to us.
The guests cheered when the priest pronounced us husband and wife. David grabbed me and soaked me, then kissed me. I put my arms around his neck and held him close.
This is the happiest thing in my life. Neither Oliver nor Bethany nor Ben had the power to ruin my future. I overcame everything and emerged a winner.
Fuck those doctors.
"The first part finally has a painful and happy ending. Maybe you want to see something below!" The story of how the mysterious cat immortal traveled between the human world and the cat world, how to cultivate immortality, and how to solve crimes. The story of the pet fairy world?
Finally thank you, wait and see, haha! 》
