Mend My Heart

Bonus Chapter 2

Theodore’s P.O.V

I woke up suddenly, my heart pounding against my sternum and my entire body drenched in cold sweat. Amidst the darkness of the room which was somewhat made less dense by the moonlight streaking through the blinds covering the windows, my hand searched the space right bedside me. A feeling of relief washed over me when my palm made contact with the smoothness of Maya’s arm.

She was sleeping soundly, her body directed in the opposite direction. Her curls were splayed on the pillow beneath her head and soft snores were perfusing through her slightly parted lips. She looked perfectly fine, one hand resting on her now prominent bump and the other tucked at her neck. Then why the hell had I been having this recurring nightmare of her suddenly going into labour?

The first time I had such a dream was about a week ago and the one’s that followed subsequently were just as vivid. They all began with me on my private plane, heading out of the country to finalise some crucial business deal. Halfway through the trip, I’d get a call from someone telling me that Maya had gone into labour, due to some freak accident. I panic, for obvious reasons, and alert my pilot to turn the plane around. But I always end up arriving to a cruel outcome; no baby…and no more Maya.

And heaven knows there is nothing I’m more afraid of in this life time.

When Dana had been pregnant with the twins, I don’t remember being this cautious about their birth. Well, she had made it look relatively easy and her reassurances had helped in subduing any anxiety or fears that anything could go wrong. They arrived two days before their due date, but there were no complications at all.

With Maya, I’ve learned that pregnancy is a very scary thing. First, it was the terrible morning sickness she had to endure, which made me feel very helpless. Seeing her hunched over the toilet for weeks on end…that shit hurt to watch. When it finally went away, I was very happy, happier than her it seemed because all she did was laugh if off. Like she hadn’t almost vomited her intestines out at some point.

Then came the gestational hypertension, which was another type of torture. The onset of it was immediate and unforeseen, but when it hit, it hit pretty damn hard. I panicked when she ended up in the hospital on one working day, with a reading of 150/100 mm Hg. The risks associated with it were even scarier; less blood flow to the placenta, low birth weight or premature birth. Now, there really is no known cause for this type of hypertension, but I chose to believe it had to do with her cut throat working environment which led to me ultimately requesting she stay at home for the rest of her last trimester. 

For the last couple of weeks, things have been fairly quiet. I leave the house around ten and make sure to be back before six, because I just cannot be away from her for too long. It helps to soothe my worries knowing that my mother, Ann and when the twins are around, help to keep an eye on her. But Maya being Maya, she gets so pissed that we’re treating her like an invalid. And she makes sure to echo her views whenever she gets the chance, which has resulted in me receiving a few slaps and punches. Not to mention the torture of going on late night craving runs. 

I have to say, I’ve never quite experienced anything like this before. 

But Maya is my queen, and I’d do anything for her…even if she doesn’t appreciate it at times.

Exhaling audibly, I wound my arm around her frame and pulled her closer to me, placing a lingering kiss on the crook of her neck. She stirred a bit at my touch, before releasing a low groan. “You okay, Theodore?” she mumbled sleepily, nuzzling her head against my chest.

“Just another nightmare,” I replied in a far-off voice, my heart rate starting to wane down. For a second there, I thought I would be going into cardiac arrest.