Page 123 of The Wrong Brother

The doctor looks unconvinced. “I want to hear her say it.”

I purse my lips tightly, trying to hold in an abrupt laugh. Beside me, Rus narrows his eyes.

The poor woman doesn’t appear remotely intimidated. In fact, she seems almost pleased by his irritation.

I finally lose the battle and laugh, being careful not to knock the flimsy drape off my lap.

“I like you,” I tell her honestly. “Too bad we can’t stay in West River. But yes, I know. And Rus supports that too.”

The doctor seems appeased, at least for now, and excuses herself after handing me some wipes. Once she steps out, the reality of our situation sets in.

The problems waiting for us outside these walls still exist.

Andrei still exists.

The future remains uncertain.

The baby changes everything.

But as I sit in a tiny mountain clinic just after a stubborn doctor gave a feared criminal a lecture about bodily autonomy, I find myself smiling. And for a little while, that’s enough.

* * *

The drive back to the cabin is quieter than the drive into town.

The mountains seem softer somehow beneath the afternoon sun; the slopes painted in full autumn colors. I remember this season from the almost-year I lived here, and find myself missing it. A few aspens flash yellow-gold on a hillside as we drive by.

I spend most of the drive trying not to think too hard.

Rus keeps both hands on the steering wheel, unusually silent. Every now and then I catch him glancing toward me, his expression thoughtful.

Eventually, he clears his throat.

The sound immediately makes me suspicious.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“That sounded like you were getting ready to say something.”

A long pause follows. Then he sighs.

“What are you thinking?”

The question catches me off guard. I turn toward him.

“What?”

“What are you thinking?” he repeats. “You’ve been staring out that window for thirty minutes.”

I look away again. The truth feels dangerous, and I try to tamp it down as the trees blur past outside.

“I’m on the fence.”

His grip tightens slightly on the wheel.

“About the baby?”