ure shock. The anger vanished, replac

what did

is gone." I repeated the words, each

s was a high-risk pregnancy from the start, the doct

tment, Ethan had a "

an "unavoidabl

hird, he

st didn't show up

m, reminded him, practically begged him. "Ethan, please.

mpatient. "Chloe's car broke down. I h

as an emergency. His pregnant wife's critica

I ever had in my life. And then the cramping started. A dull ache at first, then a sharp, undeniable pain. I dro

er. I called again. No answer. I sent a text:

Which one? I'm busy, wi

ever

d at me. "You're lying," he said, his voice a h

about you. I didn't get an abortion to punish you. I did it because the doctor said

slapped him. "You...

but it was a distant pain. The pr

ssed. "If that's what you need to hear, then yes. I killed it. Are you hap

ack, his face

fted back, against my will, to a different time. A time

e ate takeout on paper plates and drank cheap wine from the bottle. He was just a junior

ks, his face etched with exhaustion. I brought h

ng to give you everything. A big house, fancy cars, anythin

my feet after a long shift. The man who held me when my father pass

excited. He held me tightly, his hand on my stomach, and he spoke to our unborn child. "I'm

go? When did his pr

noticed until it was completely gone, leaving nothing but this hollowed-out shell of

ally asked, his voice trembling. "H

this stranger wearin

a very long time, Ethan. You