smelled of anti

s, filling out the forms while Chriss stood nea

sked, his voice low and impatient. "I don't want excuses.

ds the window, stopped,

ed her eyes

. Medical

arefully, occasionally pausi

er blood type, she entered the infor

ached the n

of th

red above th

It wasn't as though the man standing a few feet

ee, the way he liked his shirts pressed, and the exact expression

: Chriss

tionist l

oble...

aised h

es

is ready

call halfway th

ld whoever was on the other end befo

ed towa

hing the clipboard

ready?"

no

t offer

rridor lined with framed medical certifi

e of the photograp

born wrapped in a blue blanket. The man had his arm a

ooked

photograph. Noth

rything she had once imagi

unning through her dark hair. She wore a white coat over a

. Noble. How have

tle nauseous

ual. Any crampin

N

d and glanced th

et's get you

ed and adjusted her dress while a nu

near the door, c

he needle is thin, but you'll need to stay very still.

ed towar

d her hand i

pped f

lanced

nd, she thought he m

eside the bed. His fingers curled around it, le

soldier a

x," the doct

red at th

tiny brown mark

nted th

ty-

y-th

to her abdomen. Toria fli

the nurse

s fi

nd equipment, studying the monitor

ing well,"

gh her fingers had

ame th

rp breath, gripping

r. Mehra reminded

r eyes on the

int hum of the machine, the rustle of the nurse's gl

rned h

hadn'

nd the rail. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his eyes were fixed on

lling it, s

ng, he was holding it

e almost wanted

mo

s casual dismissal of her questions. The way he had spoken a

ay before she

ere," the

losed h

l d

came as

d she was holding. The nurse helped her sit

itor again. "Everything appears fine at the moment. We'

a hand over

you,

re we

glanced be

re, would you like to know

gave a stran

ed towar

anted to hear w

nswered im

ctor p

Most parents

no differe

ice wa

hing to M

ghtened around the

s no di

words again in

acts and business figures. No curiosity. No excitement. No de

nding beside her at the delivery room,

e changing when he heard

ther he would even l

We'll contact you when the results are available. In the meantime, take it easy. Avo

a no

hanked t

she had heard him say

echoed with the soun

g from one shoulder. Her heels struck

owed withou

walking

n't slo

or

d the elev

ha

re up

ors opened. She

m

and pressed the button

why. The resu

t the numbers

u love

turned

ha

oa

to bounce off th

id no

y father told me. You haven't denied it. So I'm

ression

he way his jaw tightened and his eyes los

question you

stared

your

of my child. Joan has

she still c

ne of your

ator doo

ked ou

her heels ringing

tertaining another woman throughout our marriage, a

pped besid

cold, his voi

not your e

Toria simply

augh esc

ugh. It sounded brok

"I've been living in your past for eight

tart thi

ng my husband to

or

up every time I ask you someth

ocked

your

u tell me

ound s

ing. She reached for the car door, gripping the h

d stretched into p

blin

n

ic

rkness did

ris

stant, as though som

tur

ha

gely weak. A cold wave passed through her body, a

or

step tow

ucture blurred

mething warm sli

fr

eyes dropped

spreading across

ouldn't understand

r breat

" she wh

me sounded nothin

ded lik

owed he

drained fro

or

swer, but her l

ontinued

she could think about was the