Stamford University had a student population of forty thousand, which meant forty thousand unknowns and just as many uncontrollable factors. Not to mention the stress of juggling school and pregnancy,

She would need a speci

Idiet, which she wouldn't get from the school caleteria.

She would need time off for doctor's appointments.

In Lact, Austyn didn't think a leave of nine months was enough.

She should take the whole year off.

School could wait.

Kira raised her chin, defiant. The baby just told me I should continue going to school. He or she doesn't want a university dropout for a mother."

Err On The Side Of Caution

Austyn folded his anns. "I'm asking you to take some time off, not drop out of school entirely. Besics, the baby's just an embryo at this stage Probably the size of a peanut. It doesn't have a mouth or ears. How can it communicate with you "Telepathically!" Kira mimicked his body language and crossed her arms, Haven't you heard of the special bond between mother and child?"

Austyn was at a rane loss for words,

The couple stood staring at each other.

Neither was willing to yield.

The Impasse was broken by a lock on the door.

Austyn rubbed his throbbing temples and felt a headache coming an

0000

De Lynch warned him that kira might get more sensitive, but he didn't tell him she would also get more argumentative.

He knew he shouldn't quarrel with her, but staying home was for her own good

Kira ignored the knock and kept up the staring contest.

Austyn backed down first.

He went to get the door.

'Bass, congratulations! Kai was beaming

"What?" Austyn frowned.

His assistant was grinning from ear to ear.

"I heard the good news from Elsie." Kai glimpsed Kira in the room. 'Young Madam, congratulations!"

"Thank you." Kira blushed.

News travelled fast

It seemed that everyone in her life lew about her pregnancy.

Wair, she had not told Glana!

Kira hunted for her phone,

'Is that all you came here to say?" Austyn asked impatiently.

'Oh, I've brought the files you asked for.' Kai held out a black briefcase. "The most urgent ones are on top, marked with a red sticker.

Austyn rook the briefcase. I'm not heading into the office tomorrow. Tell Andrea to take a message if anyone calls. Don't call me unless it's something urgent." 'Will do, Boss,' Kas had not stopped smiling

Kira walked towards the assistant

Kai immediately stepped aside and plastered himself against the wall

"What are you doing? Kira looked at him quizzically,

"To make way for you

Kira looked at the hallway, which was wide enough for two sumo wrestlers to pass side by side.

She rolled her eyes. 'I'm not that fat.'

Kal smiled sheepishly

The experience of dealing with his pregnant cousin told him to never argue with a woman in the family way, 'Where are you going? Austyn caught her wrist.

'Downstairs.'

"What do you need?

"My phone. I think I left it in my bag.!

'Kai can get it for you.

The assistant was already turning towards the stairs.

Kira clenched her bars, I'm pregnant, not handicapped."

Austyn didn't hear her.

He was thinking about installing a lift in the

the villa.

The stair treads were made of mahogany, which could be slippery when wet.

Kirash

n't be walking up and down those stairs,

"Thank you" Kira look the phone from Kal.

"My pleasure." Kal was about to ask Kira how she was feeling.

He had a younger cousin win was prepisant,

Maybe he could share some tips with Kira.

That a dark look from his boss told him to zip his fig

"It there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Kai tumed on his heel.

'Good night." Kira closed the bedronin door.

Mostyn plucked the phone from her hand.

"What are you doing?

'You shoulda't use your phone during propuncy."

'What? Why?"

Mobile plines emitted radio waves,

vulnerable to nutside disturbances.

, which might affect a growing baby in utern, especially when the embryo was still in its early stages and particularly

"Oh." Kira recalled reading something like that. "You low that rubbish has been debunked, right? It's perfectly safe to use a phone while pregnant' Still, Austyn decided to err on the side of caution.

He had also decided to lorg all his electronic devices-phone, laptop and tablet-out of Kira's reach for the next nine months.

The TV in the bedroom and the cor in the wing room downstairs needed to disappear as well

"You're being too careful," Kira sald,

'You can never be too careful."

Kira could practically feel the waves of anxiety emanating from Austyn's body.

Getting overstrung was not

good for either him or her.

She sliddered at the thought of living with an uptight version of Austyn for the next thirty-five weeks.

fine, really, Kira tried to put his mind at ease,Material © of .

She did a jumping jack. See? I'm perfectly healthy. You shouldn't be so-

'Stop! Austyn pinned her arms to her sides. "Are you crazy?!

"It's just a little hop

"Stop fooling around! He pulled her towards the bed and pressed her to sit down.

Kira shrugged but did not provoke him further.

He might have a heart attack if she told him she planned to maintain her jogging routine in the morning

Justyn scanned the bedroom and didn't find anything he could use

⚫ contemplated buying one of those leashes parents used

od on their kids when they were out shopping.

Kira's request to use her phone was denied by Austyn.

Her request to take a bath was also denied.

Austyn allowed beraten inhude shower and threatened to break down the door if she wasn't out by then.

Kira came out right minutes later, having taken the fastest shower in her life,

*Austyn was standing on the other side of the door will allow dryer in end.

Kira set cross-legged on the soda and enjoyed the semi-professional service from her husband,

Austyn snatched the textbook from her hand. 'It's almost eleven o'clock. Tipe for bed."

But I have a class in the morning'

'You're not poling; anywhere Comorrow."

I'll cdl the school."

Err On The Side Of Caumon

He tucked her in and made sure she was safe and snug.

'Close your eyes and sleep.'

Kira complied.

She waited for the sound of running water from the bathroom before opening her eyes.

She sighed.

News

she understood what it meant to be smothered by love.

Austyn's over-attentiveness was starting to make her feel uneasy.

Call Me Mum

Kira's body was exhausted.

It had been a long day.

But she was also too keyed up to fall asleep

Austyn had confiscated her phone and locked it in a nightstand drawer.

Kira played with her fingers and wondered what the baby would look like.

She hoped their child would have Austyn's height.

She didn't want him or her to be called "Shortie' like she was during middle school.

Austyn's suit jacket was draped over a clair near the bed,

It lit up and started to vibrate.

Kira almost jumped out of her skin.

Then she realised it was the phone

The ringtone had changed from the classic 'brring brring of a bell to a persistent 'beep beep beep

Kira waited for the call to go to volcerall, but it never did.

The 'beep beep beep' was starting to sound like pick up, pick up, pick up."

Kira flung the quilt aside and got out of bed.

She hesitated before removing the phone from Austyn's Jacket

"I'm not snooping,' she said to herself. 'What if it's something urgent?!

She dreaded seeing Deborah's name on the screen.

She didn't.

The number was unknown.

And the country code was unfamiliar.

'Scam call?' Kira looked to the bathroom

'Austyn, your phone's ringing! She had to shout through the door

"Who is it?" His voice came out muffled

"No idea. There's no caller ID.

Five seconds later, the sound of running water stopped.

Austyn padded out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his

Water dripped from his hair and his chest. 'Didn't I tell you to sily away from the phone?

Kira rolled her eyes. "It's yours, not mine. And it won't stop ringing.

Austyn stared at the number onscreen but made no move to answer it

"Who is it? Kora's curiosity was plynd

He seemed to recognise the number

Austyn looked at her. "My mother"

Charlotte was staying at a medical research contre in South Rockwood, 720 Im from bluntiere

Austyn had planned to visit her after dealing with Santoro.

But the gunshot wound and the three-day stay at the hospital threw a monkey wrench in the works.

Kind's shoulders tosed

Elste mentioned that Austyn's mother was in poor health and was undergoing treatment somewhere overseas

'Aren't you going to answer that?" Kika got into bot and pulled the quilt over her chin 'I'm not going to eavesdrop, I promise." Austynowed the phone 'Hi, Mum

Charlotte sounded relieved. 'I was afraid you might

She did not get many opportunities to make calls Her doctors watched her like a hank

have fallen asleep

Phone privileges were only granted if she did not suffer any fainting spell in three consecutive days.

wer. Austyn grippert the phone and glamord at Kina.

Her eyes were closed, but he could tell she was pretending to be asleepi

"Mom, there's something I ored to tell you'

"What is it?" Charlotte grew concerned.

Austyn's voice was sericen

'You're going to be a grandmother!

He listened to the silence on the other end of the line and waited for the news to sink in.

He knew it would take a while, just like it did for him when he first heard the news.

Charlotte's breathing grew heavy.

Her voice shook. "It-really?"

Austyn smiled. "Really. The baby's live weeks old. I saw the test results myself."

"That's that's great news! Charlotte started wheezing

"Take a deep breath." Austyn was worried. 'Mum, is there a doctor in the room?

'T'on....I'm fine. I'm alone, Charlotte whispered into the phone, "I swiped the pliere from a nurse

H

"Mann Mastyn was both anmised and anxious,

He knew the doctors had a strict rule about Charlotte touching anything freen mutside her ward

She was severely immunocompromised as a result of renal failure

"Don't worry, I'm...I'm fine. Her voice was weak but happy. "Pass the phone to kira. I want to talk to her

'Hold on."

Austyn walked over to the bed and held out his phone. "Kira'

Her eyes fluttered open. "What?"

"Mum wants to talk to you." He sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kira swallowed nervously. "N-now?

She was in pyjamas,

Her hale was uncombed.