na's

ainfully, the universe is asking me to stay and care f

The thought of that

atedly; they sat still, like tiny pebbles on my tongue. I

time in six years, something cracked

ious that one could use a kn

a single stare now standing before me, his lips trembling, a

ame for heave

asked, and my voice came out

ving, trying to calm those strange tensions behind his voic

at sat tight

this from me and not aski

Brent tighter like a dog that wou

r conversation wasn't

"The hospital is waiting

lady of this house that had earned her place and I was a stranger

The hot reply burned in my throa

tween us. The exhaustion on my face, palpable, " I know

next couple of words would cost h

ips trembled for the umpteenth time

ned out, dissolving into somethin

ay," I r

n the contract and the mon

ay at school and refused to let go. The one who had always wanted

stay f

*

t the same way every hos

like a stigma that wouldn't go away, and until one

drip hooked to the underneath of

ed into the room,

a L

I stepped into the room. I reached for a ch

here." I drifted my hand to his hair, roughing sl

n separated from his m

e who had been holding it for a long

ful moved thro

indicate that he had stepped into the room. I didn't turn, I d

his shoulder the w

*

thickened in the room and it seemed unbearable for me to

The only thing I could hear was the distant sou

osed, one hand pressed against my

and here I am still married and glued to a man who didn't see

t about my pregnancy that

f these. I had p

like my lungs had been h

ook te

e a hammer slamming

My eyelids flicker

ainst the wall opposite me. With one of her arms folded and th

like an eagle, and a thin strip of gray hai

Like she should go away and

ed. " I am Dr Matild

h!

eyes. Straighten

rection of the ward where Eli was, "you are the one he kep

a stone in a shallow..

..I

suddenly c

he quickly cut in, putting a smile like someo

l stability of the people around him matters a lot

eone measuring her

didn't know what to

me in a way that

ou," she said firmly, her eyes dropped to m

at little gift

mach d