I held the screen up so he could see the string of foreign digits.

"Some random number. They said for a fee, they could pray for the baby's safety and bless a smooth delivery."

The suspicion in Darrell's eyes dissolved.

He gave me the same tender smile he always wore.

"Beverly."

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"You're too anxious."

"Relax. We've been so careful this time. I'll handle your surgery personally, just like always. Our baby is going to be born safe and sound."

Darrell's warm breath drifted across my neck.

That scent, the one that used to make me feel so safe, now turned my stomach.

I pulled free of his arms and locked my eyes onto his dark pupils.

"Will our baby really be born safely this time?"

His voice softened even further.

"Of course."

I studied the man in front of me, his eyes full of unwavering conviction.

A cold sweat crept down my spine.

If I hadn't heard those words with my own ears just moments ago, I would have fallen for that counterfeit tenderness all over again without a second thought.

Eight years. Eight trips to the operating room. Eight children ripped away from me. The memory of that pain pulled me back to the present.

I looked up at him.

"Darrell, for the surgery in three days, I want a different doctor."

He froze. Then he shot upright on the edge of the hospital bed, his voice climbing several notches.

"Beverly, what's that supposed to mean? You're saying you don't trust me? I'm the baby's father. If you can't even trust me at a time like this, who can you trust?"

He was getting anxious. Just like that, he was still the same boy who'd knelt before me eight years ago, begging me for a million-dollar investment to save his company.

"It's not that I don't trust you."

My voice came out soft, almost weightless.

"Darrell, you haven't slept well a single night since I got pregnant. I just don't want you running yourself into the ground."

My words smoothed the crease between his brows.

"I'm sorry, Beverly. I was overthinking it. You're right. We'll switch doctors."

"I'll arrange the best OB-GYN for you, second only to myself. Don't worry. Our baby is going to be born safe and sound."

A shrill ringtone shattered the quiet of the hospital room.

Darrell glanced at the caller ID, and something flickered deep in his eyes. A flash of unmistakable elation, there and gone in an instant.

He reached out and gently rubbed the top of my head.