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I wander through the endless corridors of the hospital with the biggest smile on my face. I'm so happy Tobias accepted this baby without a single doubt. It makes me feel confident about the future. We're going to be okay. Everything's going to be alright. But then I bump into Evelyn and I realize that it's not okay.
   
"Hello Tris," she says coldly.
   
"Evelyn," I say and I nod at her.
   
"So, are you happy now that you have him all for yourself?" she asks. She spits the words out like venom.
   
"Evelyn, when I awwived at Millenium hospital when I woke up fwom my coma and you came to see us, you wewe all kind and fowgiving. I was happy that ouw past together was fowgotten and we could stawt over. Thank you for changing my son, is what you said, right?"
   
Evelyn scoffs and doesn't say anything.
   
"You wewe what came closest to a mothew since I lost my own. You wewe like family. What changed?"
   
"He's my son, Tris. I almost lost him too many times. And again, I thought he died and you were able to see him and I just had to believe you when you said he was alive. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I didn't believe you, I couldn't."
   
"If he had really died I would've acted diffewently, Evelyn," I say. "And I weally would've let you in if he hadn't said he didn't want to see you, I weally would. And I know it's hawd to believe, but if you don't twust me, twust youw son."
   
She stares at me in anger, but then her expression changes to shock.
   
"Oh, God. I didn't even listen to what he said," she says and she starts crying. I never thought I would see her cry. She was always a strong, unbreakable woman to me. "I didn't even realize what he had said about you wanting to bring me in. Oh, God, I feel awful. Do you think he will ever forgive me?"
   
"Maybe the question is whethew I will fowgive you," I say with raised eyebrows. Evelyn frowns. "But I'll ask him. Aftew the othews have visited him."
   
"Thank you, Tris," she says relieved. I nod at her to let her know I heard her. "Oh, and Tris... I didn't mean what I said about you and the little one. I was just shocked, hearing I have two more daughters."
   
"Two daughters?" I repeat surprised. "We don't know the gendew."
   
"I think it's a girl," she says. "And I'm happy to add you two to the Eaton family, Tris. I realized you can't be too young or too old to expand your family."
   
"Thank you," I say. Don't cry, don't cry, I tell myself. I cry. Stupid pregnancy hormones. "I weally need a mothew figuwe in my life, especially now."
   
We hug each other. I hug Evelyn. I have to be very desperate to have that kind of affection with a woman I don't really trust. No matter what she says or does, I'll never trust her. And maybe that isn't her, but me who's the reason of that feeling. I don't know.
   
"Tris?"
   
I break free from the hug and turn around to see who called me. Maria walks up to me. Oh. I forgot that she's my doctor and she's the one who told me not to get pregnant. Oops. I failed.
   
"I heard interesting information from doctor Pohler," says Maria.
   
"Awen't you doctows supposed to keep client's infowmation secwet?" I ask.
   
"We are allowed to discuss parts when a client is helped by more doctors." She nods at Evelyn. "I assume she knows?"
   
I nod and sigh.
   
"I know what you'we going to say," I say. "I'm acting unwisely and weckless."
   
"Basically," says Maria. I wonder what faction she was in. "I can't force you to get an abortion, but it's strongly recommended."
   
"Hell, no," I say immediately.
   
"Then I'm afraid you'll be having frequent appointments with me," she says. She's so straightforward I suspect she was Candor. "I need to monitor you and make sure you and the baby stay alive. That tremble isn't gone, Tris, and you know that. I see you tomorrow in my office and we'll discuss this further."
   
Okay, maybe she was Candor-born and transferred to Erudite.
   
Evelyn stares with open mouth at me.
   
"What?" I say dumb.
   
"Unwise and reckless is the perfect description of this situation," she says. "I hope you know we're going to be overprotective over you."
   
"I know."
   
"Good."

+ + +

I sit on the leather couch in Maria's office. She has a desk here, too, but she told me she prefers the comfort of the couch the first time I saw this room.
   
"Desks are so... formal and they create distance between client and doctor," is what she said.
   
"I have to say this again," she says this time. "It's unwise and reckless and exactly how I expected you to do."
   
"We didn't plan this," I point out. "We awe smartew than to plan it like this."
   
"I have a lot of respect for you, Tris," she says. "You saved the city and the way you seem to accept your limits is an example for others. And we're kind of friends, aren't we?"
   
I nod.
   
"And I want you to stay healthy and I want your baby to stay alive. And the chance of survival would've been bigger if this happened later."
   
"But you said that the chance of welapse was smallew later on."
   
"And it's bigger with extreme emotions. It was a precaution."
   
"Yes, and I didn't listen, so we bettew stop dwooling about this and stawt keeping this level of pwogwess."
   
"Okay, okay," she says in surrender. Wow, that was easy. "Appointment. Every two weeks. For one year."
   
"And if I get through this without problem I don't have to come to appointments ever again after this is all done."
   
"Deal."
   
We shake hands. Then I laugh. If you ask me, this is the best deal I ever made.

+ + +

"Hey," I say and I close the door of Tobias's room.
   
"There you are!" He beckons me and I walk over to him and sit down on the end of the bed. "Everyone was looking for you."
   
"Yeah, well, I had a conversation with ouw beloved Mawia," I say. "Helen told her about me and she wasn't weally happy about it. I have to come back evewy two weeks. I was so relieved it was only once a month."
   
"It's kind of our own fault," I say. "But I'm sorry for not controlling myself."
   
"I don't cawe." I lean on my hands and kiss him. "How was it to see ouw fwiends?"
   
"Great! Now I realize it might have been because of Zeke that I remember. Seeing someone I really knew helped somehow."
   
"I should thank him latew," I say.
   
"Yeah, you definitely should," he agrees grinning and I laugh. "I'm surprised Evelyn didn't try to come in."
   
"Evelyn and I talked."
   
Tobias frowns and I know he thinks it was some kind of a bitch fight.
   
"It was peaceful, Tobias," I reassure him. "She said she was just wowwied and didn't twust me. And she said she was happy to have new members in the Eaton family. And she thinks we'we having a giwl."
   
"Oh, she does?" He sounds skeptical. I don't blame him. I don't trust Evelyn either.
   
"Tris," he says urgent.
   
"What?"
   
"Don't trust her. You hear me. Do not trust her." He takes my arm and forces me to look at him. "I'm serious."
   
"I won't, Tobias," I say. "I don't."
   
"Good, because I don't want you to get in trouble." He looks at my belly. "And I want to keep you and the baby save."
   
I smile. "You'we going to become the most ovewpwotective father this wowld has ever known."
   
"If that means you two are save, I don't care."
   
Me, too, Tobias. Me, too.

A/N - hello, my favorite readers! How was your week?
I had to work yesterday for 9 hours! I was so tired😴

Be brave & stay alive

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