in the hospita

o room for argument. He pointed to the ultras

transverse lie. We scheduled the C-section for a

, nine-month belly. "I know, Marcus.

l call the hospital and let t

husband. He

l him. He was the fath

n' s old-money family had owned for generations.

n front of the grand entrance. A s

ach tig

heart, the one that got away. Sh

th a hushed urgency. Chloe stood by the grand staircase, a pictu

I'm not intruding. It's just... my heart. The doctors said

nly describe as disgust flashed across her face before being

an arm around Chloe' s thin shoulders. H

with us for a while. Her

just came from Marcus's office. He said I need to

ced at Chloe, who flinched as i

, Amelia," he said, h

an. Marcus was very

ou lived in a storm cellar for three days with nothing but a few bottles of water

with her. It's my fault. Seeing her... so full of life... it just r

rength, now held only contempt. He looked from C

he hissed. "You're flaunting

ng. "I'm trying to keep our children s

ouder. "You always have to be the hero, the survivor. Well, this isn

. His grip was su

wn. You need to thin

ck of the house, toward the heavy o

oing? Stop it! I have

days. Your official due date. You can come out then and apologize to Chloe fo

. The air was cool and damp,

! Please!

r slammed shut. I heard the

, si