Page 18 of One Last Time

Yeah.

He loved her, too.

More than she would ever know.

TEN

“Here, let me help you—”

“I got it,” Haven whispered.

The nurse gave her a small smile, but nodded all the same and backed off to let Haven climb up on the uncomfortable procedure table on her own. The table with the stirrups ready for her feet and a view of the wall of mirrors opposite to her current position. Those mirrors were a lie, though, because she knew they were windows into the procedure room for the doctor and other staff that would be involved today.

“We’ve gone over the checklist, so you know everything that’s going to happen from here,” the nurse said, “but the doctor did want to confirm a few things that we’d spoken about at your last appointment.”

Haven laid back on the table—or did they consider it a bed?—and stared up at the ceiling overhead. “Now?”

“We can wait until after, if you’d prefer.”

Well …

“Let’s just get it over with,” she replied.

Then, her husband would come in.

They could get this started.

“You’re firm on this being the last round, correct?”

Haven let out a shaky exhale. “Yes.”

“You were informed that the embryos we’ll be implanting today are—”

“Yes.”

The nurse glanced up—Haven caught it out of the corner of her eye but didn’t bother to turn and look straight on at the woman. What did it matter?

They had done this already.

Many times.

She was tired of the same fucking questions. Exhausted from the lack of results. Stressed out to the goddamn max about this day because it was the last one. Excuse her for not wanting to go through yet another round of questions and answers that had already been asked and answered.

“Would you like your husband to come in, now?” the nurse asked, her tone softer.

Haven nodded but said nothing.

“Okay. I’ll go get him.”

“Thank you.”

Before long, Andino came to sit on the stool beside Haven’s bed. He rested his chin on her arm while his fingers found hers and wrapped tight. She turned her head and caught his gaze. His little smile had her answering it with her own.

“Hey,” she whispered.

That gaze of his—always so intense and full of love when it leveled on her—took her to an entirely different place. She loved him for that.

More than she could explain.