AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grace paused before replying. Was it really so much of a surprise? Given how she'd felt these last few days, it wasn't really. But there was so much more to this now.
Qazim, for a start. How would he react?
Not only Qazim, she told herself.
How should she deal with this news?
"I just really needed to know that I can travel tomorrow," Grace said abruptly, trying to retain control of herself.
It sounded so mundane to speak about travel now that she'd been given this confirmation. She didn't want to address the issue of what she was going to do about this.
Not now.
Not right away. Her mind was a crazy jumble of chaotic thoughts.
She needed time to think.
"Can I travel?" Grace asked the doctor, realizing that wasn't the question she really wanted to ask.
"Of course, you can," the doctor confirmed. "There's really nothing wrong with you. Just take sensible precautions with your food and make sure you drink plenty of water. It is still very early."
Of course, Grace told herself. That was sensible advice. Just what she needed now. The reality of what she'd just been told hit her suddenly.
A wave of emotion surged through Grace. Her throat tightened and her heart began beating furiously, even quicker than before.
This couldn't be true. Surely there was some mistake. But, even as she had that thought, she knew there was only one reality that really mattered.
She was carrying Qazim's child.
The sheikh's baby was inside her.
Their baby.
That thought made her throat tighten with emotion even more and she took another sip of the cool water.
The doctor continued to observe Grace carefully, seemingly intent on assessing Grace's initial reaction for any signs of distress.
Grace tried to make sure her features were as impassive as possible, an unreadable blank, but she knew it was futile to pretend she wasn't shocked.
The young female doctor obviously had no idea of who the father was, and she was clearly not going to discuss that with Grace.
Grace and the doctor talked a while longer about the results of her test and Grace's immediate needs. Grace thanked the doctor and left the consulting room.
Grace walked along the corridor, feeling unsteady on her legs. Her mind was a maelstrom of warring thoughts and surging emotion.
Suddenly the plain white corridors of the Medical Center felt claustrophobic. Grace knew she had to get outside, had to get some clear air in her lungs. She made her way to the reception area. It was busy with people. She wanted away from this place, away from the crowd.
She needed to think. Needed to figure out what she was going to do.
And just what was that? How was she going to deal with this? This was the last thing she'd expected. The last thing she wanted, wasn't it?
In a corner of her mind, there was a thought that there might be something wonderful about this. If she only gave herself permission to see the good side of this, there might be something amazing about the fact that she was carrying Qazim's child.
What would he say? How would he react?
She knew she'd have to tell him. Keeping something like this from him wouldn't be right. But, she was due to leave tomorrow. In forty-eight hours she'd be back in the States. And then what?
Thoughts tumbled in her mind. She couldn't make sense of anything. The shock was still rippling through her.
