udden headache sent me home early. As I walked down the hallway toward our Upper East Side apartment, I heard voices

slurred, clearly a few drinks in. "That 'placenta

e doorknob. Placent

ice, sharper, cut in. "You

e. She' ll never know you paid that 'specialist' to... you know. All for Sabrina' s s

. A year ago. The endless nights I' d cried, blaming my body, my stre

ugh the air. "That's enough. Both of you. I can't le

partment, my heart hammering against my ribs. I leaned against the cool ma

as a container of dark green powder. My "herbal wellness smoothie" mix. Ethan started making them for me every morning

ve felt like a cage. Birth control. It ha

floral and expensive that wasn't mine, clung to him like a second skin.

re home early," he sa

lips met my cheek. I force

roking my hair. The gesture, once

had to see the

trembling slightly. "I was

ed almost imperceptibl

e words tasting like ash. "Maybe we could look into surrogacy. W

sharp and cold. "Jocelyn, I told you. It' s you I want. Only you. If we can't have a child together, then

me into a hug that felt like a trap.

oke away from him and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door and heaving int