The Royal Contract

He believed she was the reason for his existence. She inspired him to wake up each morning. She brought hope for a great and happy future ahead for their family. Without her, he was nothing.

After her incident yesterday, he was not taking any chances. He immediately set up an appointment with her doctor for that morning. But waking her up from her deep slumber was not easy as he stared into her lovely face.

“How long have you been up?” She mumbled in her sleepy tone as if aware that he had been watching even when she barely moved, not even opened her eyes.

But her right hand sought him out as it crawled on the pillow and landed on his face. Then, her fingers caressed his cheeks, tracing a pattern around his face, along his nose, and ending on his lips.

He effortlessly captured her hand and pinned it to his lips, loving the feel of her soft skin against his. “Long enough to enjoy watching you sleep.” He answered, letting the tremble of his voice resonate in her hand.

It was like magic as he watched the reaction of her petite body to his small gesture. Her eyes opened up, overflowing with emotion while her face glowed, brightening up everything around them and her smile lifted his spirit, knowing she was forever his.

.....

“I also watched you sleep last night.” Reminding him, shifting to her side as she looked directly at his face. “And I love it.” She knew he was worried about her, but she did not wish him to feel that way.

Then, she waited until he leaned forward and planted his lips on her forehead, a caressing gesture that always reassured her that all would be well for her and their child.

“And I love you, Dani,” Alex whispered as he pressed his body as close to her as allowed with the bulk of her belly.

Soon, she was lying on another bed but not in their bedroom at their home. Her husband held her left hand. On the other side, her doctor was doing another ultrasound of their baby, checking their child’s condition.

Of course, the last thing she wanted was for harm to come to their child. So, she volunteered and asked her husband to take him to her doctor. She knew he would drop anything for her and their child without hesitation.

“How is my baby?” Dani asked as she looked at the ultrasound, fascinated to see the image of their child flash on the screen.

The baby looked so tiny and vulnerable, barely moving, but the heartbeat that echoed in the room seemed strong. At least, in her opinion, that was her interpretation. She could only hope that her child would come out of this world without any problem.

“I don’t see any issues so far with the baby.” The doctor told them as she checked her monitors and asked questions about her patient. “But you should be more careful with yourself. You should slow down on the salts and sugars.”

Dani smiled at what the doctor said, knowing she was guilty, remembering using food to alleviate her boredom. But she would try to find something else to occupy her time for her baby’s sake.

“I promise I will only eat healthy food from now on.” Dani touched her belly, trying to feel her baby kick against her skin.

She was sorry for overindulging in things that almost harmed her child. She did not mean to, but she was mending her ways. She was temporarily distracted from what she needed to do.

“I will also remind her to eat properly,” Alex said, knowing he was guilty of

indulging her and consenting to her every whim. But he learned his lesson. He could not keep his guard down concerning his wife and child. Even to such menial issues.

“Are you still determined to keep the sex of your child a secret?” The doctor asked as she continued monitoring the screen while her hands worked on her belly, moving the cold, ticklish probe around her patient’s skin.

“Can you see it?” Alex asked, slightly curious. They both agreed that it would not matter if they had a girl or a boy as long as they had a healthy child. So, the first few times, they declined to know the sex of the child.

Did he now have a change of heart as he looked at the screen?

“If you want to know, I do not mind,” Dani told her husband as her eyes glanced at her, seeing the longing in his eyes.

She did not see the point of prolonging the anticipation either as the moment of her birth slowly ticked closer. She might have wanted the surprise then, but now, she was dying of the suspense.

“I do.” Alex looked again at the screen before turning to his wife, who had an approving smile on her lips. He knew then that she wanted it as much as he did.

“Then, shall I reveal it now or give it to you on a piece of paper.” The doctor asked, giving options according to most of the preferences of her other patients.

A few minutes later, they were heading back home with silly smiles on their lips, holding a sealed envelope that they opted to open later. All the worry lines disappeared from their faces, replaced with ease and contentment.

“Promise me, whether our child is a boy or a girl, we will love our child just the same.” Dani would not want their kids to suffer, believing they preferred a gender, remembering her father who loved her just as if he was his son.

“I will not have it any other way,” Alex declared, leaning over and planting a gentle kiss over her belly, swearing not only to her but also to their unborn child.

“And one more thing. We will raise our children here and in your hometown. Hence, they can experience both worlds.” Dani expressed her wish, giving their child and their possible children the chance to know their heritage.