"When we get back, you will be caught up with your work, and that's who you are-" she hastened to add. "And I will be agonizing over whether or not I will have children." She placed a long finger over his lips. "I want us to promise each other that no matter how distracted or how busy we become or even pressured, we will find time for each other. There will be no neglect."
He cupped her face between his palms, expression sober. "That's a promise I intend to keep."
Chapter 7
"Are you sure?" Eliza could scarcely breathe as she stared at the doctor seated across from her. "I'm pregnant?"
Dr. Forsythe pleated his fingers on top of his desk and leaned forward, a smile on his face. He and his team had taken a special interest in this beautiful young woman's case, and it was not only because she was a celebrity with a powerful husband. Eliza Bell-Copeland was the real deal. Over the past four months, dealing with her had shown them why her fans loved her so much. She was kind and compassionate and didn't have a fake bone in her body. They speculated that it was due to her very humble background.
"The embryo transfer was a success." He cleared his throat. "I'm surprised your husband is not with you."
"I wanted to do this alone because I want to surprise him."
"And you did not want to give him false hope," the doctor intuited.
"That too." Her golden-brown eyes searched his face. "There's something else. What is it?"
"In order to ensure success, we hedged our bets by injecting your husband's sperm into several of your eggs."
"Of course."
He took another breath. "Which means there might be more than two that were viable."
Her hand flew to her chest. "You mean..."
"You might be looking at triplets or even quadruplets." He took another deep breath. "I don't have to tell you how difficult this is going to be or how taxing." Leaning forward, he pinned her with an intense stare. "I want to prepare you for what is to come. We will be monitoring you very closely, of course, but over the next few months, it will be rough."
"I've been reading up on multiples..." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I was daring to hope for triplets, but four babies..." She shook her head. "I have no idea how my husband will take that news. Four will mean a C-section and a hell of a lot of complications."
The doctor nodded. "It's a high-risk pregnancy, and you might not be able to carry all of the embryos to full term. I hope you're prepared for everything that's about to happen. There will beunbelievable stress on your body." His eyes flickered over her slender frame, and he felt a frisson of fear for her. "There's a fear of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and postpartum hemorrhage."
"And the bad news?"
He laughed, his face relaxing at her droll remark and attempt at humor.
"I'm just preparing you, Eliza. Your husband all but threatened me..."
"I berated him for being such a bully." She took a deep breath. "If anything happens to me, he'll never forgive me." She looked at him squarely. "You think I'm being foolish to put my life at risk like this."
"I think you're a brave young woman who wants something so badly, you're prepared to do anything to accomplish it."
She nodded gratefully. "He won't think so. He's agreed to come on board under extreme duress, but this is going to send him over the edge."
She sighed, pressing a hand to her flat stomach. "I've read up on all the risks and complications. I know that things can go wrong, but I'm prepared to go through with it. I want to be a mother, Dr. Forsythe. It's my greatest desire other than being a wife to my husband. A lot of women in my line of work would scoff at the lengths I'm willing to go through to make it happen, or the fact that I want 'to put myself out.'"
She made air quotes with her fingers. "But I want to. My mother abandoned me without a backward glance and never came back for me. I know a therapist would have a field day diving into the reason behind this, but I know it has nothing to do with what they call abandonment issues. I just think that I will make a very good mother, and if four babies is what I get..."
She blew out a breath. "Then so be it. I just want to convince Samuel that this is going to be a walk in the park."
"Only it won't be," Dr. Forsythe reminded her with a gentle smile. "I admire you, my dear. I've watched your performance on the small screen for years and admired your tremendous acting skills. The way you draw people in with your credible performance is certainly a gift from God. I also understand your need to want a family.
"But this won't be easy. The next few months will test your faith and your spirit. It will also put a strain on your marriage. Your hormones will veer crazily over the months, and at the end of about four to five months, you will be required to be on bedrest. Your activities will be curtailed. There is also the possibility of depression." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm just laying down the facts as they present themselves. I want you to be prepared."
"I intend to be."
"And your husband?" he asked frankly. "When he first came here, he was very reluctant to even talk about the process."
She linked her hands together, expression pensive. After the trip back from the cottage, things had been better between them. They spent as much time as possible together, and she had traveled with him to Europe to scout out locations for a period piece he was interested in producing. They had ended up staying in a delightful villa in a little fishing village in France. They were in a very good place, and she hated to lose that. But this was going to change everything. She felt it in her bones.
