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Steph leaned back in the passenger seat of Hannah’s car as the familiar sights of Marco Island passed by. The sunny streets, lined with palm trees, felt different now. The world had shifted, taking on a new dimension she couldn’t quite grasp.
As they pulled up to Scott House, Steph felt a mixture of relief and trepidation. Her family’s support was unwavering, and she knew she could rely on them if needed during this unexpected journey. Only Steph wasn’t too sure what that journey would be right now.
She turned to Hannah and managed a weak smile. “Thank you for everything today, Han. I’ll see you soon.”
Hannah reached out and squeezed her sister’s hand. “Take your time, Steph. I’ll let everyone know.”
With a heavy heart, Steph stepped out of the car, took a deep breath, and began the short walk to the pool house. The lush garden surrounding her was in full bloom, a riot of colors and fragrances. For a moment, the beauty of her family’s home provided a soothing backdrop to the tumult of emotions inside her.
Entering the pool house, the memories of the past flooded her mind. The spacious living room was adorned with photos, capturing moments of laughter, love, and family gatherings. Steph’s gaze settled on one particular picture, a snapshot of her twin sons, Jack and Liam, from a few years ago. They were inseparable, their faces radiating pure mischief and joy. She sighed, thinking about how they’d react to the news of a new sibling.
But as her fingers brushed the photograph’s surface, her mind wandered back to a time of profound struggle that had cast a long shadow over her life.
Fourteen years ago, her life had nearly been shattered during her first pregnancy. What should have been a time of excitement and anticipation turned into a harrowing ordeal. She remembered the terror, the uncertainty, and the relentless pain.
Steph was in her twenties, blissfully in love with Max, and full of dreams. The anticipation of becoming parents had filled their days with joy. But then came the complications. The medical terms had blurred into a dizzying maze of confusion, and the doctors’ faces had lost their reassuring smiles.
Her high-risk pregnancy had escalated into a nightmare. Max, a firefighter and paramedic at the time, was her pillar of support through the turbulent months. But even his unwavering strength had faltered in the face of a situation neither of them was prepared for.
She remembered the day they rushed to the hospital. The emergency room was a blur of frantic doctors and nurses. The twins were coming prematurely, and the risks loomed large.
Steph had been on the verge of losing both her children, the very thought, a devastating weight on her heart. The memory of their fragile, newborn forms filled with tubes and wires was etched deep within her soul.
The twins’ survival was a miracle, but the experience had taken a toll on Steph. It wasn’t just the twins’ lives that had been under threat as Steph suffered from postpartum hemorrhage that nearly took her life. It was not just her body that had been scarred; it was her spirit. While she’d heard all the beautiful stories of pregnancy and childbirth from family and friends, all Steph could remember was the terror and pain. And now, faced with the prospect of another high-risk pregnancy, those old fears resurfaced like relentless ghosts from the past.
Steph made her way to the bedroom, her heart heavy with the burden of these memories. She lay on the bed, the room bathed in soft, golden light from the large window overlooking the garden. Her thoughts drifted back to the present, to the tiny life growing inside her, and she wrestled with the uncertainty of her marriage.
Max, once her rock, had been slowly drifting away since the incident that forced his early retirement as a firefighter. Their relationship had become fragile, teetering on the precipice of something unknown. Steph had long felt the strain. Still, she’d been reluctant to address it, fearing it might shatter the illusion of their picture-perfect family life.
Now, with the weight of her unexpected pregnancy adding to the turmoil, she was faced with choices she wasn’t sure she’d ever be prepared to make. The uncertainty was unbearable, and she drifted into a restless sleep, hoping that her dreams might offer some clarity or respite from the decisions looming on the horizon. The journey ahead would be fraught with challenges and uncertainty.
AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW ONAMAZON
SCOTT SISTERS SERIES
Series Books:
The Beach Hotel on Marco Island – Prequel
The Bookstore on Marco Island – Book 1
The Baby on Marco Island – Book 2
The Bachelor on Marco Island – Book 3
The Restuarant on Marco Island – Book 4
The Studio on Marco Island – Book 5
The Bride on Marco Island – Book 6
AVAILABLE ONAMAZON
ALSO FROM AMY RAFFERTY
COLORADO CHRISTMAS TRILOGY
CHRISTMAS AT MISTLETOE LODGE – BOOK 1
