My hand instinctively reached for my stomach, searching for the small bump that had been there before. But all I felt was emptiness.
The nurse’s expression darkened. "I’m so sorry. We did everything we could..."
Even though I had braced myself for this, hearing it said out loud crushed me. My vision blurred, and my chest felt hollow.
My baby, who had been with me for three months, was gone.
Perhaps he had known—known that his father didn’t want him. Perhaps that’s why he chose to leave me so quietly.
Just then, the door swung open, and Colin entered, holding a bouquet of red roses. The moment I saw him, the nurse’s demeanor hardened.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped. "She doesn’t want to see you."
Colin’s expression darkened. "Is this how you talk to family members? I’m her husband."
"Family?" the nurse shot back. "What kind of husband abandons his wife, leaving her to fight for her life alone?"
As her words fell, Colin's jaw clenched and his face twisted in anger.
I watched him, feeling nothing but cold irony. A man I had been married to for seven years now felt more like a stranger, while a stranger had just shown me more kindness than he ever had.