Tamara's words wouldn't leave my mind. A child having a child... That's what I was! Women usually got pregnant after a few tries, but guess what? One time was more than enough for me! Maybe I was some kind of fertility goddess... Anyway, although I hadn't believed Kenneth's assistant at first, everything indicated I'd have a baby. The symptoms had always been there. I fought numerous men, broke into a prison, battled the Navy, almost got killed... all with another person growing inside me! Crazy, right? For a pregnant woman, I'd taken a lot of risks. Sven had tried to choke me and my kid could've died... I felt a headache while remembering every situation in which I'd risked my baby's life. I tried to imagine Dirk's reaction... Would he be angry at me? Besides, how would I forget my feelings for Miguel now that I was having his child? They weren't as strong as the ones I had for Dirk, but it'd be much harder to ignore them since the baby would remind me of the Spaniard every single day... To summarize, I was a mess.

"I don't know what to do..." I breathed fast while walking on the main deck. "I need a drink!"

With my eyes bulged, I was on the verge of a breakdown. I bit my lower lip and had a feeling people would soon realize my desperation. Luckily, I was alone on the main deck. Even though I always succeeded in hiding my feelings, I couldn't at that moment. I was so nervous that I'd probably scream if someone approached me.

"I can't believe you've been in me all this time," I touched my belly and smiled sweetly. "You must be a real warrior."

After that, I came back to panicking. I whispered "This is crazy" to myself multiple times while grinding my teeth. Putting both hands on my face, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My nausea increased, which made me even more nervous. Although I was excited to be a mom because I liked kids, I couldn't stop freaking out. I was far from ready to take care of a baby.

Pull yourself together, Eva! Someone else depends entirely on you now.

I took several deep breaths and finally stopped to hyperventilate. Sweat kept running down my neck. I'd never felt so alone until that moment. God, I was utterly lost... Between smiles and tears, I observed the night sky.

Miguel approached me, "I've always liked the stars, but you shine brighter than all of them."

I gulped when I heard his voice. Although I wanted to thank Gálvez for the compliment, I froze. How would I tell him the news? Miguel thought the baby was gone, so how would I explain what happened? I had no idea what to do... I wondered if I should tell him at all. Maybe it would be better if he didn't know.

"Is everything alright? You look nervous," the Spaniard knit his brows. "What can I do to make you happier?"

I sighed and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm fine. Why are you so worried?"

My heart had never been so divided between joy and fear. I felt an inexplicable happiness, but I also wanted to cry. My crew could kick me out, Dirk could leave me, my friends could judge me... countless terrifying possibilities! The only certainty was that my life would change forever.

"There's something you need to know. Algo muy importante..." Gálvez took a step closer. "I didn't intend to tell you this after observing you and Dirk, but I can't keep it to myself anymore."

I pressed my lips together, "What would you like to say, Miguel?"

While I thought about my future again, Miguel glanced away, apparently nervous. He chewed on his lip and I frowned, wondering what he was thinking.

"I fell for you, Eva. You're the most wonderful person I've ever met. I love your sense of humor, incredible beauty, impressive courage, and good heart... Dios, I should've never said goodbye that night in Nassau!" Gálvez gently caressed my face. "I love you."

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. The Spaniard indeed felt something for me... and it wasn't just physical attraction. Miguel loved me. When I thought things couldn't get any more complicated... God, I wanted to vanish at that moment! I hoped my feelings for Gálvez wouldn't get stronger because of how he felt for me. For a reason I couldn't understand, I couldn't tell Miguel I didn't love him back. My heart started beating faster and I was paralyzed like a statue. I loved Dirk, so what was happening? Maybe I was just flattered... Anyway, I stopped trying to understand myself a long time ago.

"I know this doesn't change anything. I noticed that you and Dirk are together, so I respect your choice," El Dorado let out a pronounced sigh. "When you love someone, you let them go, regardless of how much it hurts."

I glanced away, unsure of how to respond. Guess what? I'd broken poor Miguel's heart without saying a word! Well, I did say we were just friends earlier, so he'd probably been sad for a while... Damn it! I hated letting people down, especially when they were lovely. Despite being in love with Dirk, my crazy heart told me something was wrong. For a brief second, I wondered if I'd chosen the right man. What if Miguel wasn't too good to be true? What if he was just... too good? I closed my eyes for an instant, trying to make those weird thoughts go away. Yeah, I guess being pregnant with his child had made me confused.

"Once we arrive in Puerto Rico, I'm going to leave this ship. I just wanted to let you know how I feel before saying goodbye," Miguel took a deep breath. "I'll miss you. I hope our paths cross again one day, Storm."

What? Miguel has nowhere to go! He can't leave!

The Spaniard walked away. My dizziness suddenly came back. I sighed when I realized what I needed to do. I had to tell Gálvez about my pregnancy. He'd confessed his love for me, so how could I hide it? Besides, the child wasn't just mine. I would never forgive myself if I separated my kid from its father like my dad had done to my mom and me. Miguel deserved to know the truth.

I closed my eyes, "Wait!"

Gálvez quickly turned to me, apparently intrigued. My heart started beating faster than ever and my hands were so sweaty that I had to clean them on my coat.

I bit my lower lip, "You might want to stay after I tell you something."

He slowly approached me, "Really? What would it be?"

I took several deep breaths. Miguel narrowed his eyes slightly as if he tried to read my mind. I looked in every direction to make sure no one was listening. Although my crew would find out eventually, I didn't want them to know I was pregnant yet.

"So... you know, life is funny! This is going to be hilarious. I'm sure you'll laugh after hearing this... or scream. Perhaps even faint! Who knows?" I forced a laugh and cleared my throat. "Anyway, I turned out to be wrong about myself."

Miguel lifted a brow, "Eva, what's going on? You seem uneasy."

I'm not uneasy. I'm panicking!

I gazed downward, then back at him. The Spaniard kept observing me, seemingly curious. I rubbed my chin while thinking of the right way to tell him. What if Gálvez didn't believe me? I thought Tamara was lying, so he could do the same.

I knit my brows, "Remember when I said I'd lost our baby?"

"How could I forget?" he downturned his head. "That was very upsetting, to say the least."

God, why is this so hard?

I'd never felt so nervous until that moment. My sweating increased as I remembered the countless times I'd risked my kid's life. I still couldn't believe I'd been pregnant for three months. Breathing slowly, I walked a little closer to Miguel.

"I have a surprise for you," I pressed my lips together. "The child is alive. It has always been."

Gálvez was paralyzed. I thought he'd stopped breathing for a moment. That was the first time I'd seen him like that. Although I hadn't revealed the whole truth, he appeared to know exactly what I was talking about.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant, Miguel. Since you're the father, I thought you should know."

He gawked and blinked fast. For an instant, I thought Gálvez would faint. The Spaniard nodded, seemingly absorbing the information. He looked at my belly, then back at my eyes and swallowed hard. I wasn't a mind reader, but I knew Miguel was freaking out.

"Santa Madre de Dios..." Miguel's eyes bulged. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

I raised my brows, "Because I only found out a few minutes ago!"

Gálvez rubbed his forehead while breathing faster. He froze again, appearing to be desperate. I couldn't blame him because I felt the exact same. Besides, there was a chance that he would question whether he was really the father. Some women told me men did that to escape the responsibility.

Miguel frowned, "So you've been pregnant for three months and didn't notice?"

"I know it's crazy, but you're right," I glanced away and sighed. "I was so obsessed about defeating the British that I forgot about myself."

The Spaniard was paralyzed. I looked away, wishing I could escape from that tough situation. I won't lie, I imagined multiple challenges would appear in my life, but I didn't know a pregnancy would be one of them. Although I'd always wanted a child, I never imagined it'd be an accident.

"What scares me the most is that you've been in danger constantly since our night in Nassau!" Gálvez put both hands on his head. "You were hurt and nearly died multiple times while carrying our child!"

Miguel didn't even ask if he's indeed the father! One good surprise, at least...

Gálvez had a point, but I wouldn't have acted differently if I'd known about the kid. I was a pirate captain, so how could I stop doing my job? Hundreds of pirates depended on me and there was no way I'd disappoint them! My life would have to continue.

I scowled, "First, I had no idea I was pregnant. Second, I couldn't just stop living my life because of the baby!"

"I know! I just think you should've avoided putting yourself in dangerous situations," Miguel gently put his hand on my shoulder. "I could've protected you more, Eva."

I smiled once I remembered when Miguel saved me from that furious British guy. El Dorado had fewer chances to protect me since I spent more time with Bosch, but I couldn't deny that the Spaniard cared about me. Regardless, I didn't need protection all the time. I defeated a lot of enemies while pregnant, so I could definitely take care of myself.

"I appreciate it, but I don't need protection. Besides, my crew would never respect me if you did that," I chewed on my lip. "Pirates hate weak captains."

Gálvez raised his brows, "Having someone else's support doesn't make anyone weak. Ruben helped me countless times and that never made my crew disrespect me."

I nodded, "I guess that makes sense..."

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. Taking a step to the side, I gazed at the stars. Although it was stupid, I couldn't stop thinking of Dirk. My heart would shatter if he decided to leave me. I would move on, of course, but it wouldn't be easy. At the same time, a strange paranoid voice in my head said I shouldn't be with someone I didn't feel very safe with... Weird, wasn't it? Yes, I was crazy! Anyway, Miguel pressed his lips together and took multiple deep breaths. He whispered something in Spanish that I couldn't understand.

I desperately need a drink.

I bit my lower lip, "Listen, Miguel, you don't have to raise the kid with me. I just told you about the baby because I didn't want to take away your chance to be a father."

El Dorado let out a pronounced sigh and rubbed an eyebrow. I started to feel some tranquility as time went by... who am I kidding? I was still freaking out!

"I can do this on my own," I chuckled nervously. "If I faced hundreds of enemy ships, I could surely handle one child."

At least I think so...

Miguel approached me and took my hands in his. I felt weirdly calm... and this time I'm not kidding. I was suddenly so relaxed that I almost forgot about my problem. While looking deep into his eyes, I wondered what was on his mind.

"I won't leave," Gálvez caressed my hands slowly and smiled. "I'm really glad you didn't keep your pregnancy from me because I don't want to miss a single moment of our child's life."

I gawked and my eyes widened. For a moment, I thought I was going crazy. Gálvez knew I'd decided to be with Dirk and chose to be a present father anyway? Perhaps I'd underestimated his love for our baby.

"So, you'll stay?" I raised a brow. "Even though we won't be a couple?"

He nodded, "Claro que sí. I'm not abandoning my child. I'll be here every step of the way."

Although I hated to admit it, I felt a huge relief. I liked Miguel and had a feeling we'd become good friends, so it probably wouldn't be hard to raise the child with him. Besides, I didn't want my baby to have a broken family like mine. My kid deserved to receive all the love I never got from my parents and more.

I couldn't help but smile, "Thank you for doing this."

"Of course. I was shocked at first, but I'm so happy I'll be a father! This is amazing! Simplemente maravilloso..." Miguel's eyes gleamed as he briefly touched my belly. "I promise to give our baby all my love."

Gálvez wrapped his hands around me and hugged me gently. I returned the embrace. For a reason I couldn't understand, I felt safe. Although I was sure Dirk was the one for me, he didn't give me a feeling that I had nothing to fear like Miguel did... Wasn't that strange? I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, doing my best to forget my heart's apparent dumbness. Feelings are so weird... Anyway, the Spaniard slowly moved away while sighing. After Miguel decided to stay, my desperation turned into joy. I still wanted to be with Dirk, but I didn't want my baby to grow up without its father.

"Besides, you can always call me when the baby cries. I know a great lullaby," Gálvez smiled sweetly. "I sang it to my little sister a lot when I still lived in Toledo."

"That's really cute. I threw objects on the floor to wake up my younger brother," I chuckled softly. "Almost the same thing as a lullaby, isn't it?"

Miguel and I laughed. My smile suddenly faded once I turned around. Francis and Dirk ran to me. The redhead appeared to be exhausted and had put his black coat and cocked hat back on. Gálvez rolled his eyes once he saw Bosch.

Dirk widened his eyes, "Eva, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"I'm sorry I didn't come back," I bit my lower lip. "I just needed some air."

Bosch narrowed his eyes at Gálvez, seemingly annoyed by the latter's presence. Both stared at each other for a moment. It would be fun to see them fighting over me, but I didn't want more trouble at that moment.

Dirk ground his teeth, "What is he doing here?"

"We were just talking," the Spaniard took a step back. "I'll leave you two alone."

I sighed as Miguel walked away. Although I hate to admit it, a part of me wanted Gálvez to stay. He always made me feel at ease and I feared Bosch's reaction. Dirk got closer to me while grinning widely, which made me slightly calmer. Although I wasn't sure yet, I had a feeling he wanted to tell me something. Regardless of what it was, Dirk would need to hear me first. Even though Bosch loved me, I wasn't sure if he'd leave me after finding out I'd have Miguel's baby. Few men would stay with a woman who was pregnant with another guy's child. Bosch's love for me seemed great, but was it enough? My pregnancy would put my relationship with Dirk to the test.

****