Jonas held Sierra's lemonade braids away from her face while she coughed. The woman prayed she had emptied the last drop of contents in her stomach.

December was cold and particularly harsh. Leone had the flu with a double dose of diarrhea. Now it was Sierra who suffered. She was feverish, and almost everything she ate got evicted. Jonas hoped she would be well for the family Christmas dinner.

"I'll make an appointment for tomorrow. You need a prescription."

"I'm good, Jonas. It's no big deal." Sierra hated doctors or medicine, but she detested the fuss above all.

"I'll call my mother then," Jonas said.

Her husband thought that the holistic doctor had other remedies that were perhaps more convenient for Sierra.

"No, I don't want to bother Sigrid."

"It won't be a bother."

"No, please, Jonas. I'm already feeling better." 

Jonas watched her wipe her face. She seemed fine, yet he knew something would trigger another episode.

They returned to their bedroom when Sierra stopped in front of the guest room, "it's better if I sleep here. I don't want you catching this."

"Sierra, I doubt I can catch it."

The woman fell sick after Leone, and all thought she caught the stomach flu, but what if it was something else?

It was that something-else question Jonas wished to answer by taking Sierra to see a doctor.

"Jonas, let me sleep here. You won't be bothered by me getting up."

"It's out of the question."

Sierra sighed, "I might vomit all over you."

"It doesn't matter, in sickness and in health, remember?"

Sierra smiled, "there are limits."

"There's no limit when it's about you. I can't stand seeing you sick like this."

"I'm fine; if I'm unwell tomorrow, I'll see a doctor."

Sleep didn't come easy for Sierra, who couldn't stop tossing, turning, throwing the covers, and pulling them back on again. She was convinced Leone gave her his flu until she saw what date they were. She made a mental note to stop by the pharmacy before heading to work. She preferred to figure things out by herself first instead of getting her husband excited.

Sierra woke up feeling better, and she even ate breakfast which reassured Jonas and Leone.

The arrest memory was still vivid in Leone's mind, and he noticed his mom sparkle dimmed. She took him out less and went out less altogether. How he wished he could make her happy. Why did these people take her? Leone promised himself never to stray away from Sierra's sight.

"Mama calin [mama hug]."

Giving Sierra hugs was all he could do. The little boy would pat her on the back just like she did when he was sad.

"At what time do you finish?"

"At four, I'll pick up, Leone," Sierra said as she pulled her braids out of her puffer jacket, "don't worry, Jonas, I'm fine."

"I'll pick you, and we'll go and get him together."

"You have too much work," Sierra said as she adjusted her bag on the side.

Following the scandal, Jonas and Lars decided to withdraw the products from all retailers to open the first branded Moder Yord store in Stockholm. An online store was already in the works—the population sought to find the products, which were now a rarity. Jonas also had a trip scheduled in Dubai to see how the grande hotel construction was going.

"Work can wait," the man answered.

The incident with the police still haunted them. Since Jonas tried to mend and make everyone forget, he did his best to be present and avoided leaving his wife alone. Now it was her health that preoccupied him.

"Okay, see you later," Sierra took her bike, which she used as an outlet for her emotions. She exercised a lot, and riding her bike became second nature. The woman pedaled to the pharmacy; she had memorized the word she needed, " graviditetstest."

Sierra didn't know why one always got the impression everyone judged when someone bought this kind of thing. She had the same sensation when she bought condoms for the first time. Here it wasn't protection she sought but the responses to the lack of it. Who would think they held back till they were married?

One thing was sure their sex life was Caliente since the honeymoon. Sierra smiled as some scenes replayed, but her expression became grim as she thought of the probable consequence.

Though she arrived at work early, she didn't go to the toilet to get her answer.

The woman wished her theory was wrong with too much pressure and apprehension while wishing it were correct.

It wasn't the right moment; they weren't ready. She and Leone were still adapting to their new home and country. Jonas had too much work.

"Come on, Sierra, you've got this."

She got up from her desk went to the toilets. No matter how stressed she was, Sierra needed to know.

It was a false alert. She was confident. A lot of things had happened. Her hormones probably momentarily went haywire, the woman thought while trying to reassure herself as she opened the packet.

Yes, for sure, she couldn't be pregnant. Then again, she and Jonas did freestyle all the time, and they never invited the rubber to the party.

Sierra closed her eyes. She knew the verdict before she peed on the baton, and it showed its strips. She went out, washed her hands, and returned straight to her desk to stare at her screen. No word got translated that morning.

"Salut Sierra."

"Hej Erik."

"Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out."

"I'm," Sierra looked about, "where's everyone?"

"It's lunchtime, Sierra."

The woman's eyes grew wide, "what?"

Erik smiled, "care to have lunch with me?"

Her wandering thoughts made the woman let down her guard, "okay."

The man blinked, "wow, it must be my lucky day. I think I'll buy a lottery ticket."

"Why?"

"Nevermind."

Erik took Sierra to Matagan 22, a restaurant that served European cuisine a little further from the office. At least there, he would not cross the team. They got a table, and they ordered straight away.

"That's light," Erik said when he heard her only order salade and a glass of orange juice.

"I'm not very hungry these days."

"You seem elsewhere."

"I've got a lot of things on my mind. Never mind me, I just want to lament a lot," Sierra said.

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

Sierra smiled.

"There you go; you're so pretty when you smile. This hairstyle suits you."

Sierra touched her braids, "I can't style my hair. I don't know where to go here."

"Oh, I can give you some addresses. Don't look at the shaved head. I have hair; women just find me sexier without."

Sierra smiled again, "wow, what we don't do to please."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't seem to affect you," the man said as he unfolded his napkin.

Sierra frowned, "Erik, you know I'm married, right?"

"Yes," the man answered bluntly.

"And doesn't it bother you? Am I wrong, or are you hitting on me?"

"No, you're not, and ㅡeh, it doesn't bother me that much."

Sierra shook her head, "wow, well, sorry, but I'm married, andㅡ," Sierra sighed, "Erik, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Don't answer if you don't want to, I meanㅡ."

"Go ahead, Sierra."

"Was it hard, I mean, was it difficult to grow up in Sweden? I mean asㅡ."

"A mixed-race kid? ㅡEh, everything was fine at home. My mom is South African. There's no one more aware than her regarding racial issues. She gave me the hacks to get by. I was lighter-skinned growing up. Most people thought I was of Hispanic descent. They would come up to me and say hola que tal? Things got tough as a teen. ㅡI got darker, and my hair got coarser. I wasn't black enough for the few black kids and not white enough for the white kids. My story isn't different from any other bi-racial person. Why the question?"

Sierra waited for the waiter to pose their dishes before answering, "I'm pregnant."

"Can I cry now?"

"Erik, please."

"The good ones are always taken," the man said, feigning despair.