I slide in behind her on the bed. She leans forward, and I work my thumbs into the knots on her lower back. She moans, and I can’t tell if it’s in pain or relief.
“You don’t have to stay in here with me the whole time, you know,” she mutters. “If you need a break, you can send Annie or Kat in for a bit. Mila. Anyone.”
“You don’t need to watch this. We both don’t have to suffer.”
“There’s nowhere else on Earth I’d rather be, Natalia. Not even you can get me to leave.”
“I just meant—” She clenches her teeth and the words die on her lips. I move to the end of the bed and rub her swollen feet. “Forget it. Just… talk to me. Say anything.”
Anything. What do you say to the woman who’s about to bear your children? What do you say to the light of your world in the midst of a storm that threate
