Accidental Surrogate

Cora

“It’s all right,” Roger says, his eyes going wide as he takes in my pale face, my scared expression and realizes that he’s freaked me out for the third or fourth time today. “It’s not – it’s not bad, I was just kind of a dick – it was a misunderstanding –”

“What?” I ask, more confused now than ever.

–

“Listen,” he says, leaning in towards me. “Just let me tell you, all right? II was going to tell you at some point, definitely not like this but…” he sighs, looking into my face and then down at my stomach, and then back up into my eyes. “I think that… if we’re going to start on this new part

–

–

of our lives – this parent thing – well,” he says, giving me a charming little half–smile and a

shrug. “We should be on the same page, right?”

I nod, agreeing, but looking at him a little askance. “Did you not think that we should…go into our mating? On the same page?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s a little different, Cora – because it didn’t matter – I didn’t think we could have kids

་་

I frown at him – not mad or angry, but confused…

“Listen, let me just tell it,” he says, leaning forward and looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” I say, quite simply, taking his hands and leaning even closer to press a kiss to his mouthr letting him know that I’m listening with an open heart.

“Okay,” Roger says again, taking a deep breath before he begins. “Do you remember… when you and Ella went into the desert with her mother, Regina?”

“Reina,” I correct softly, and he laughs.

“Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Those names are so easy to mix up. Anyway – you three were out on your girls trip, and my choice was either to hang out with those priests in the temple, or go back on to the ship all alone.”

Ismirk at him, knowing precisely which one he chose. He sees my smile and laughs a little.

“Yeah,” he says, grinning at me. “I chose solitude. Or at least…I thought I did.”

someone on the ship?” I

standing at the bow looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent me to protect Ella, and there’s frankly nowhere I wanted to be

this, but I don’t

the moon, it started to grow…brighter and brighter. And at first I thought that I was just crazy or drunk I mean, the captain gave me a little of his whiskey when he saw how

begging him to focus,

he says, his voice faltering a little, looking down at our joined

but some part of me knowing already.

still a little startled by the experience. “Your mother, Cora.

all met the goddess that night in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond a brief introduction that Ella insisted on giving us. And at the time it

she only spoke to Ella in the temple, and then went to Roger later

nose, disappointed. Why does she want

thumb. “It’s half of why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,” he continues, his face all sympathy. “I knew that it would…

past my jealousy and truly wanting

her bodily form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of

letting him know that it’s okay. That he can tell me.

chasing the wrong destiny. That my future was not in war and politics, as my brother’s was – and you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at

on nothing else but

to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but

and being a dad, and raising my kids well to

then I lean forward, finally getting it. “Oh, so you stopped calling me

clutching my hands tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do it because I loved you I was obsessed with you, you know

при

7

I didn’t even care about

–

was always Dominic who was dying to be a

again, my

apologetic, “I’m fucking it all up, Cora – I’m thrilled that you’re pregnant, and not just because the goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself, choosing his next words

that I hear him, “and I can’t wait to build a family with

–

it. Honestly, I’m kind of in the same boat – I was likewise

else I wanted in

I whisper, “because you thought…my mom told you

–

but when a goddess tells you to do something you feel compelled to do it – and I thought she was telling me to