Christabel went to the doctor.
Not for her.
For the baby she hoped to carry.
And the news she received changed everything.
---
The waiting room was white.
Sterile. Quiet. The kind of quiet that made her heart pound.
Damien sat beside her.
His hand was on her knee.
Steady. Warm. Present.
"You're nervous," he said.
"I'm terrified."
"You've faced worse."
"Not like this."
"What's different?"
She looked at him.
"This time, I have something to lose."
---
The nurse called her name.
"Christabel Moreau?"
She stood.
Damien stood beside her.
"Together?" he asked.
"Together."
---
The exam room was small.
A table. A chair. A machine she didn't recognize.
The doctor was a woman. Gray hair. Kind eyes. The kind of face that had seen everything and judged nothing.
"Mrs. Moreau, I'm Dr. Chen. I've reviewed your medical history."
"Thank you."
"You had a difficult first pregnancy. Postpartum depression. Anxiety. Sleep deprivation."
"Yes."
"Those are risk factors for subsequent pregnancies."
"I know."
"Are you sure you want to do this again?"
Christabel was quiet for a moment.
"I'm sure."
"Can I ask why?"
She looked at Dr. Chen.
"Because I want my daughter to have a sibling. Because I want to prove to myself that I can do it. Because I want to be the mother I wished I had."
---
The exam took an hour.
Blood tests. Ultrasounds. Questions.
Damien held her hand.
He didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
He was just there.
When it was over, Dr. Chen sat across from them.
"Your body is healthy. Your hormones are balanced. There's no medical reason you can't have another baby."
Christabel's heart leaped.
"But?"
"But pregnancy is unpredictable. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. You need to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?"
"For the possibility that it might be hard again. For the possibility that you might need help. For the possibility that you might not feel the way you expect to feel."
---
Damien leaned forward.
"We'll be ready."
"You say that now."
"I mean it now."
Dr. Chen looked at Christabel.
"What about you?"
Christabel was quiet for a moment.
"I'm scared."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Fear means you understand the stakes. Fear means you're taking this seriously. Fear means you're not pretending."
"Then what do I do?"
"You prepare. You build your support system. You talk to your therapist. You talk to your husband. You make a plan."
---
The drive back was quiet.
Damien held her hand.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about all the things that could go wrong."
"Then think about all the things that could go right."
"Like what?"
"Like holding another baby. Like watching Lena become a big sister. Like building a family that's ours."
She looked at him.
"You make it sound so easy."
"It's not easy. It's worth it."
---
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was chattering now. Full sentences. Questions. Demands.
"Mama, why the sky blue?"
"Because God painted it that way."
"Why God paint it blue?"
"Because it's a happy color."
"Why blue happy?"
Christabel laughed.
"I don't know, baby. It just is."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asking questions."
"She's curious."
"She's yours."
"She's ours."
He walked to her.
Put his arm around her.
"What did Dr. Chen say?"
"She said we can have another baby."
"She said we should be prepared."
"She said it might be hard."
"It will be hard."
"I know."
"Are you ready?"
She looked at him.
"I'm getting there."
First Line of Chapter 158 (Teaser):
"The one hundred twelfth week, Christabel stopped taking birth control. Not with a ceremony. With a quiet decision. And the waiting began."