AIDEN Finally, it was the day of the transplant. Today, the embryos will be tested and implanted in Ana.
Before today, there have been several trips to the hospital. So many tests and precautions. It was exhausting and if it was not for my daughter, I might have backed out. The tests, thankfully, confirmed that we were both fit to undergo the process.
As I drove to the hospital, I mentally prepared myself for whatever was to come. I prepared myself for the hurt that cwith the look Amie always gave towhenever our eyes clashed - like a stranger that she to be nice to. I prepared myself for the contrasting emotion of anger and warmth that I feel whenever I looked Anna's way.
When I arrived at the hospital, Ana was already there.
"Hey," I said to her as I stepped into the room I'd been ushered into.
When she looked my way, all she managed was a small nervous smile.
She tried to hide the tremor in her voice whenever the doctor asked her a question and she had to respond. She tucked her hands into the pocket of her coat because she kept twiddling with her fingers and she couldn't stop them from trembling.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe tried to hide her nervousness but I could see through it all. All these years and I could still tell whenever she was nervous or sad or happy.
Pathetic, I thought to myself as I moved over to her side.
"You good?" She glanced away from the doctor and flasheda tight smile. She nodded, "I'm fine, thank you." Then she added, "Sorry for the trouble." She had been saying that since I agreed to do this.
"Nah, it's okay. I want to do this." "Thanks." I nodded and returned my gaze to the doctor. For minutes, we listened to him drone on and on about embryos and the signs that would indicate that the one that's the best match for Amie and so much more information.
"I'd also need you to be patient as this process can be mentally tiring, especially if the embryos don't match. You'll need to remain calm until we get the best match." I nodded and Ana muttered a small 'okay.' "Okay then, if you have any questions, please, ask," the doctor said as he began to compile the files on his desk. Ana looked like she was about to say something but she held herself back and pressed her lips together. "You can ask you know," I whsipered to her.
She shook her head without looking my way. "Nah, it's not important. I've asked all the important questions earlier." When we first cin, the doctor had greeted us with a smile and told us to ask about anything that we didn't fully understand before he'd go over the process for the last time.
"Alright then," he said when he did not hear any of us utter a word. "Cwith me." He stepped out of the office and we followed him. He led us through a long hallway before taking a sharp left and stopped before a door. We stepped into another office. Everything in there was white and it was filled with beeping monitors. The necessary procedures were carried out then we were ushered out to wait in the reception area.
""Wait here, I'd be back." Then he was gone.
The room was silent for a while until Ana began to fidget. She would pull her hands out of her pocket, blow into her palms, rub them together then repeat the process all over again before she'd tuck them back in her pockets. She repeatedly tapped her feet on the tiled floor too, her gaze trained on the door.
"Ana, are you sure you're okay?" Her head remained bent and I almost thought I wouldn't get a response opened my mouth to repeat my question when she raised her head and turned to me. Her eyes were tear-filled and I felt all my anger dissipate.
I moved closer to her side and put my arm around her shoulder.
"It's okay," I patted her arm.
She palmed her face. "Oh god, what if non of the embryos matches? What will I do? I can't let Amie continue to live in such pain and distress." "They'd find the perfect match, Ana. They would." She took a deep sigh. "I can not help it," she stared down at her palms.
They were trembling. She claet them in an attempt to stop the tremble. "I'm scared, Aiden," she whispered, "I don't want my baby to die.* I hesitated.
I'm scared... Her voice echoed in my head.
It felt like she just admitted to what I couldn't.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI couldn't say it out loud, I even had no one to speak to about it but deep down, I feared.
My arms tightened around Ana. I was scared as scared as she was.
I could not afford to lose my daughter just when I found out about her.
What if- I closed my eyes and stopped myself.
No what ifs. There would definitely be a match. As long as Ana is mine, there would be a match.
I reached out and wiped the tears on her face with my thumb.
Slowly, she looked up at me, eyes gleaming.
I smiled down at her. Her love for our daughter moved me. "There will be a match and she will be fine.Cl Watched a tear roll down one of her eyes and I wiped it. "Amie would not want mommy to cry because of her like this." She chuckled sadly. "Thank you."
Just then, the door opened and the doctor walked up to us with a neutral expression on his face. I held my breath as Ana and I rose to our feet.
He nodded and smiled. "The procedure was successful. We found an embryo with the perfect match. We can now move on to the next stage."