Cheers erupted, and the atmosphere grew electric as Kasra’s announcement sank in. Sana’s breath caught, her pulse quickening. She leaned forward in her wheelchair, her lips quivering.
“Kas! Are you for real?”
Kasra’s grin stretched. “Mmhmm.”
His confirmation hit Sana all at once. “This is just unbelievable!” she chirped, her joy overflowing. “I was already over the moon about Lara being my sister-in-law, and now I’m going to be an aunt and a godmother!” Her laughter rang out, warm and contagious.
Seven, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but smile. “And I’ll be the godfather,” he added, pride threading through his tone.
Across the table, Aaris and Huma exchanged a knowing look, their hearts swelling with happiness. Aaris gripped Huma’s arm, his exuberant chuckle echoing.
“Kasra, this is incredible news! Just this afternoon, when we heard you were getting married, your grandmother and I wondered when we’d become great-grandparents. In the blink of an eye, it’s happening!” Aaris exclaimed.
Ami’s gaze softened as it drifted to Julian and Jaden, and a fleeting thought crossed her mind—perhaps, in welcoming these two little tykes into her heart as her god-grandchildren, she had somehow beckoned the stork to bless her family with a biological grandchild.
She leaned forward, her voice bright and teasing. “Julian, Jaden, guess what? You’ll soon have a little god-brother or god-sister to play with!”
The boys lit up, their excitement bubbling over as they exchanged glances. “We want a little sister!” they declared in unison, their high-pitched chorus brimming with delight.
Laughter rippled through the gathering, faces aglow with shared jubilance.
But amidst the celebration, a different energy hung heavily between Lara’s parents. Aiden and Louisa sat stiffly, their smiles vanished, their gazes sharp with disapproval. Louisa leaned in to her daughter, her reproach meant only for her ears.
At her mother’s harsh censure, Lara’s composure cracked. The weight of Louisa’s admonishment coiled around her chest like a vice. For a moment, she just sat there. She was stunned, her thoughts a blur. Then, as guilt clawed at her chest, she made a snap decision.
She yanked her hand from Kasra’s grasp as she stood abruptly, her movements jerky. She turned toward him, tears teeming.
“Kasra,” she began, slightly quivering. She glanced down, her fingers fidgeting as though searching for courage. “My parents… They’ve always been easy-going, but—” She paused, her cheeks burning with shame. “I never thought they’d be against our relationship. And now… now, I’ve disgraced them by getting pregnant out of wedlock.”
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The words poured out of her like water bursting through a dam, too fast to rein in with her spiraling emotions. “I’m their only child, Kasra! And I—” She choked, a tremor running through her. “I have to be filial to them. I have to make this right. I have to… I have to earn their forgiveness.”
She stopped suddenly, heaving as if her strength had drained. A tense silence hung between them, thick with unsaid fears. Then, with a quiet, broken resolve, she whispered, “I… I’ve decided to break up with you.”
Kasra stiffened, disbelief etched across his face. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, barely audible, yet laced with unmistakable resignation.
Then, she angled to Kasra’s parents, her head lowered. “Mr. and Mrs. Shahi, thank you for everything. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble. I’m sorry I can’t be your daughter-in-law.”
She pivoted to Sana, who sat frozen in her seat. “Sana, it’s been an honor working for you. I’ll stay until you find someone to replace me…” she managed before looking away.
Without waiting for a response, Lara bowed to her parents. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry… I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness.”
Then, she bowed to Kasra’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Shahi, please excuse me.”
With that, she turned and fled the room, her tears spilling freely. The once-celebratory atmosphere collapsed into a stunned, uneasy silence; the joy extinguished as if someone had snuffed out a candle.
Kasra stood motionless for a heartbeat, then bolted after her.
“Lara! Wait!”
He caught up to her in the hallway. “Lara, please,” he urged desperately.
She stopped in her tracks and pivoted to him, her face pale and streaked with tears. “I have to fix this, Kasra. I—” She stopped as a sudden, sharp pain gripped her abdomen. Her breath hitched; panic flooded her as her knees buckled.
“Lara!”
He caught her before she hit the ground, his arms tightening around her. Then, he saw it—crimson droplets on the floor beneath her. It sent a jolt of terror through him.
……
Back in the dining room, Seven’s phone suddenly buzzed. Seeing who the caller was, he answered immediately.
“Kas?”
Kasra’s frantic voice crackled through the line. “Lara fainted again… She’s… bleeding. Please help me.”
Seven’s jaw tightened. “Calm down and listen carefully. Get her to the chopper. Now.”
Ending the call, he turned to Katherine and said, “Lara’s showing signs of miscarriage. I need to leave. Sis, take care of Sana for me.”
Before his words could be processed, he’d already left, like an arrow shot from a bow.
……
Outside, Seven was already in the chopper, preparing for takeoff. Kasra carried Lara toward the waiting helicopter, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.
“Strap her in,” Seven ordered without looking behind.
Kasra obeyed, though he clumsily secured her seatbelt. Then, he heard Seven’s commanding voice over the rotor’s whines. “Fairfax Base, this is Dr. Seven on inbound medevac. ETA 6 minutes. Female, possible threatened miscarriage, unknown age, unknown blood type, currently unresponsive. Request OB and trauma teams on standby.”
“Copy, Dr. Seven,” the dispatcher responded crisply. “Teams on standby.”
Kasra gripped her hand so tightly his knuckles blanched, as if holding her alone could keep her tethered. “Can you hear me, Lara?”
But only the whir of the helicopter blades filled the void, a fragile thread of hope carrying him through.
“Please, stay with me...”
