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She lifted her gaze once more to Sam’s "You wanted to knohy I killed him I killed him with the same disdain that he once killed my mother, and I killed him so I would finally be free"

"Jesus, baby, I don’t even have words I don’t kno you survived as long as you did" He pulled her into his arainst his chest He stroked her hair with one hand and held her tightly with the other "I’m sorry I’m so sorry"

She closed her eyes and inhaled his co scent Hot tears continued to leak down her cheeks, absorbed by his shirt She’d never cried for her mother She’d been too afraid Even in the darkness of her rooht, she’d been too afraid her father would hear He abhorred weakness, and she’d spent years re any hint of it from her demeanor

A knock sounded at the door, and she quickly stepped away fro at her face in an effort to hide her distress He gave her a moment, then leaned in to kiss her on the forehead

"That’s the doctor Have a seat and get coh checkup before we leave here"

She sagged onto the couch and only half-listened as Sam went to the door and spoke in low tones to the doctor Aa portable piece of medical equipment, with Sam close on his heels It didn’t escape her notice that Saun, and he watched the doctor closely when he stopped in front of Sophie

"Sophie, I’m Dr Richards I’d like to check you over, listen to the baby’s heartbeat, and if you consent, I’d like to do a sonogra’s as it should be"

He smiled as he spoke, and Sophie relaxed a little

"I get to see the baby?"

Hope and excitement welled in her chest, and ridiculously, she felt like crying all over again

"Yes, we can even see if you’re having a little boy or a little girl if you want"

Her gaze flew to Saobsmacked

"I do," she breathed "Do you?" she asked Sam

Sam circled around the doctor and slid onto the couch beside her "I do I’d love to know"

The doctor began with a cursory exam of Sophie He listened to her heart, took her blood pressure, asked her general questions about her health history He asked to see her arm, poked and prodded at the stitches and seemed surprised that the sutures looked so clean and that there was no sign of infection Then he asked her to recline on the couch, s as he did so

"I’m afraid it’s not the best of exa the exam here and not in one of our rooms"

"No, it’s okay," she said hastily as she looked right and left to determine the best way to lie down

Sa her down until her head was in his lap He smoothed a hand over her forehead as the doctor slipped the waistband of her jeans below the swell of her belly

There was a muffled sound from the machine as the doctor placed the wand over her belly and moved back and forth Then he settled on a spot and a rhythmic hop echoed over the room

Sophie yanked her head to the side to see a pulsing blob on the screen

"That’s the heart," the doctor said "A good, strong heartbeat Right where ant it"

She was ht This was her baby! She stared in awe as the ie moved Occasionally the doctor stopped and typed on the sras, the head and even a tiny ly held out as if to wave, the little fingers splayed

Sophie’s heart contracted She was hit by a wave of love so fierce that it paralyzed her Her child A tiny life nestled in her womb She couldn’t even wrap her head around the idea

"Okay, here we go Let’s see here We have a shy one"

Dr Richards probed harder on her stomach and then turned the wand

"Aha, there she is Take a look, Sophie You have a daughter"

Despite her vow not to shed another tear, the screen went coht," she whispered "A girl!"

"You called it right," Sam said softly above her

The catch in his voice had her tearing her gaze fro at the monitor with such awe in his eyes that she felt her chest squeeze a little harder

Then he glanced down and their eyes caught and held He touched her cheek, and the eaze nearly undid her

"She’s beautiful, Soph Just like her mama"

She looked back at the monitor and smiled The small burst of joy was so welcome, so wonderful that she wanted to hold on to it forever

Dr Richards pulled the wand away from her belly and carefully pulled her pants back up over her waist

"I’d leave those stitches in your are over it It’s healing quite nicely though Everything else looks good I’d say you have a healthy little girl there"

"Thank you Thank you so much It was so nice to see her for the first time"

The doctor smiled and backed away froet back to"

He wheeled the sonogram machine away, and a second later, she heard the door close behind hi position, but it ard Saainst the couch, suddenly exhausted, but euphoric at the sahter"

Reverently she palmed her belly and rubbed softly over the swell Sam put his hand over hers and squeezed

"I just want her safe," Sophie said

Sam cupped her chin and pulled until she faced him His expression was hard now, devoid of his earlier tenderness There was determination there

"She will be, Sophie We’ll find a way I need you to believe that"