at all times.”
“How long do they last?”
“Different ones last different amounts of time. The truth potion will only keep for a few weeks, but these banishing potions will be good forever if you don’t open the lids.”
“Are you done for the night?”
“Yeah. These have to cool on the counter, and these three in the moonlight. They’ll freeze outside, but the conservatory has more than enough windows.”
“Good,” Lucas says, taking both my hands in his. “Let’s watch a movie tonight. Show me how to use the popcorn maker and I’ll make you some.”
“I can do it,” I say, remembering the last time Lucas attempted to make me popcorn. It burned, and the whole downstairs reeked like burned popcorn for a day. “That popcorn machine is fun to use.” I stand on my toes to kiss him and take my potions that will spend the night in the conservatory.
Then I change into PJs and meet Lucas in the den, which is our main TV-watching room. This house is huge and has been modernized as minimally as possible to keep it original. The kitchen and bathrooms got the biggest updates, followed by this den. There’s a large TV on the wall, with surround sound and mood lighting.
I make the popcorn, eat so much I feel sick, and then fall asleep halfway through the movie, which isn’t surprising. Lucas carries me upstairs when it’s over, and I lazily wash my face and brush my teeth, eager to go back to bed.
As soon as I lie down, I feel that fluttering feeling again, but this time it’s much stronger.
“Lucas,” I whisper, afraid I might startle the baby. “Feel.”
He puts his hand on my stomach and waits a beat. Of course, she stopped moving and then—
“I felt that.”
“You did?” I put my hand over his.
“I did.” His whole face lights up, making my heart swell in my chest. “That’s our daughter in there.”
“She can hear us now,” I tell him, though I’m sure he knows. Lucas read through a dozen or so pregnancy books before I even downloaded a pregnancy tracker app on my phone.
“Right, she can.” He moves his face down and kisses my stomach. “Hi, Elena,” he says, and I’m instantly choked up with emotion. “You’re going to be strong just like your mother, and those little kicks are proving it.”
It hits me once again just how much is on the line here. When I’m at risk, our baby is, too. Being completely responsible for someone else’s life is a ridiculous responsibility to put on anyone, and if something happens to me, then it happens to Elena, too.
Julian gave me that power-binding potion as a one-time use, but maybe, just maybe, I should ask him for more.
Chapter 17
“I just don’t know.” I bite my lip and shake my head. “It’s such a hard decision.”
“I’m sure you’ll make the right choice,” Lucas says, hand landing on my thigh as the car speeds along the highway. Binx, who is sitting at my side, rubs against me to let me know that he too feels I’ll come to the right choice.
“But what if I don’t?” I look at Lucas with wide eyes as I run one hand over Binx’s sleek fur. “What if I regret it?” Letting out an exasperated sigh, I look back at my phone. “I just had pizza when Easton and Melinda were here a few days ago, but it’s not like I have legit Chicago-style pizza very often. And I have real Chicago-style hotdogs even less.”
“Order both,” Lucas tells me, trying to keep the amusement off his face. We’re maybe ten minutes from the city, and I’ve been debating what to order for lunch for most of our drive. “And eat the other later. It could be a while before we get into a room in the ER. You’ll be hungry later.”
“True, and I think I’m going to go with the hotdog, but I’ll have to microwave it before I can eat it so it’s not contaminated with listeria. While it’s cooling, I can have some pizza. Fuck, I’m going to gain a million pounds.”
Lucas laughs. “The baby is growing, and you’re supposed to gain weight.”
“Not a million pounds.”
He gives my thigh a squeeze. “You’re not going to gain a million pounds. Your breasts have gotten bigger and you’re showing, but you haven’t gained weight anywhere else. And you consumed more calories than the average human before. You need even more now.”
“True.” I put my hand on my stomach, feeling Elena flip around.