He'd offended her so thoroughly that the medical establishment nearly blacklisted him. Even then, he'd held my hands and told me with absolute conviction:
"I could lose the whole world, Celine Fox (the Other Celine). But I could never lose you."
So I had to wonder.
What kind of woman could make a man like Edward—a man who treated loyalty like religion—change his heart?
What kind of woman could make him willing to destroy the child we'd spent five years hoping for, just to see her smile?
I was still lost in thought when Edward ended his call and walked over to me. His expression was serious, attentive.
"Honey, have you made your decision? About the baby?"
I looked at him. Really looked.
Then I nodded.
"Yes. We'll do what you suggested."
Edward smiled and stroked my hair, satisfied.
"I'm glad you came around."
"Don't worry—I'll perform the procedure myself. I promise we'll have children later. When the time is right."
When the time is right.
The words dragged me back to the day I'd found out I was pregnant. He'd held me just like this, made promises just like this, his voice thick with emotion: