Keeley finally braved the outdoors again in late February. Her due date was mid-April, and she'd delayed a doctor's checkup for too long, especially since she was carrying twins, who had a higher chance of premature birth.

She decided to go alone mid-day, while Aaron was at work, figuring Lacy was unlikely to stake out the apartment without him. She was right; she reached the parking garage unseen by Lacy, where Aaron's driver waited.

"You really should have come sooner," Dr. Chapman clucked, checking the babies' heartbeats. "You're 28 weeks along. Most twins are born around 36 weeks—a month earlier than average for singletons. You're obviously stressed, and you need to keep those babies cooking as long as possible. High stress means high blood pressure, and we might have to induce early."

Keeley knew stress negatively affected her pregnancy, but how could she relax with Lacy Knighton—the woman who killed her first child, her father, and eventually tried to kill her—staking out her building?

"Is there anything you can do?" Keeley asked desperately. "I don't think I can lower my stress. I have uncontrollable life issues."

"If you develop preeclampsia, I can give steroids to help the babies' lungs develop, but that's about it. I advise rest and plenty of sleep, Mrs. Hale. You haven't gained as much weight as you should. Are you eating properly?"

"I am, I promise! I've followed all your dietary suggestions."

Dr. Chapman shook her head, smiling. "You're just one of those women who run small. It's uncommon, but it happens. Take care, and come back in a week. I'll monitor you closely."

Keeley thanked her and left. What a nightmare. She didn't want premature babies, NICU stays, or developmental problems. They needed to stay in her womb as long as possible!

She relaxed the rest of the day: a hearty lunch, a long bubble bath, and classical music mixed with ocean sounds until she fell asleep.

Aaron was home when she woke. He looked at her expectantly from the kitchen table. "How did it go?"

She sighed wearily. "My blood pressure's a little high. She wants to see me weekly. There's a good chance of early delivery."

He frowned. "You're only seven months along. Isn't that dangerous?"

"We've passed the most dangerous period. From here, babies have a 90% survival rate, increasing weekly."

He hugged her. "Relax, sweetheart. You're safe. Lacy can't get you."

Logically, she knew this. Lacy was a schemer unaware of Keeley's whereabouts; she wouldn't have time for premeditated attacks. But Keeley worried about spontaneous acts, like Lacy pushing her to the ground.

A childhood neighbor delivered a month early after slipping on ice and landing on her stomach, breaking her water. Keeley wanted to avoid that. She wanted healthy, safe births.

Dr. Chapman had said that with twins, one or both often spent time in the NICU due to smaller size. That would be stressful enough; she didn't want it to last longer than necessary.

"I want this over, Aaron," Keeley whispered. "I want our babies safely in my arms."

He kissed her head. "I know. It'll be over soon. Then you'll deal with sleep deprivation and dirty diapers. Enjoy the relative peace now."

He was being realistic. She cracked a small smile. His unusual cheer-up tactic worked.

She thought of happy things: the nursery in her old bedroom, Molly and Dinah's protectiveness of her growing belly. It would all be okay, right?

"What about your fake fiancée?" she asked suddenly.

Aaron shrugged. "Hopefully, the babies are born before I have to explain. Kaleb automatically grants me ten percent of my father's shares, per our contract. He'll be surprised it backfired."

He'd explained this before: Alistair likely used "Aaron's wife" instead of "Bethany Carlisle," thinking Lacy could replace her. Ironically, it helped them.

But he was still two percent short. Where would that come from? Telling Alistair about the babies before securing all the shares wasn't safe.

"What about the other two percent?" she asked nervously.

"That…I'm still figuring out."

Great. They were doomed. The earlier stress returned full force. The next month and a half would be rough.

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