That night, Vernon returned, a bowl of nourishing soup in his hands.
Trailing behind him was Riley, dressed in a striking red gown, its brilliance too much for the cold, sterile hospital room.
That dress had been my birthday gift this year.
The dress I’d never worn, not once.
She had a habit of taking whatever she wanted from me, never once bothering to ask for permission.
"Are you feeling better?" Vernon asked.
"Hmm."
"You lost the baby, but you can always try again. Though you're already twenty-nine, it might be a bit harder."
Riley clung to Vernon’s arm, pressing herself against him.
I turned away, pretending she wasn’t there.
"Eloise, that’s enough. Stop sulking like the world owes you something," Vernon snapped, his voice sharp.
"Exactly! Vernon and I came all this way to see you, yet you can’t even look at us. Are you blaming us?"
"You didn’t take care of yourself, and you lost the baby. That’s on you!" Riley sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.
"If you hadn’t locked me in that dark room last night, would I have lost my child?" I shot back, my voice weak with exhaustion.
"I begged you both. I bled so much. If someone had just opened the door, even for a second, I wouldn’t have..."