I handed the clipboard back to the nurse, my grip shaking so much that the pen clattered to the floor. Her gaze followed me as I maneuvered through the corridors, each step feeling like a trek through quicksand.<\/p>\n
When I reached the room, a doctor intercepted me. \u201cMa\u2019am, what you\u2019re about to see may shock you.\u201d His words barely registered as I pushed past him.<\/p>\n
There they were, separated by a thin hospital curtain. Michael lay with a cast on his arm, eyes closed, though his eyelids fluttered at the sound of footsteps. On the adjacent bed lay Jessica, a bandage across her forehead.<\/p>\n
A silent scream clenched my throat as I sank to my knees, clutching my belly, willing my baby to remain calm amidst my storm of emotions. In this moment, I was a shattered woman, not the resilient mother I longed to be.<\/p>\n
Michael\u2019s eyes opened slowly. \u201cAnna,\u201d he whispered, his voice hoarse, laced with pain and something else\u2014guilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d The single word was all I managed, a whisper barely loud enough to reach him, yet it carried all the weight of my betrayal.<\/p>\n
He blinked, confusion clouding his features. \u201cIt\u2019s not\u2026 what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot what I think?\u201d I echoed, each word a shard of glass in my throat. \u201cYou\u2019re in a hospital with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jessica turned her head, her eyes meeting mine. Despite the bandage, she carried an air of defiance. \u201cAnna\u2026 I didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I cut her off with a look sharp enough to silence the room. \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael struggled to sit up, wincing as pain shot through his injured arm. \u201cAnna, listen. Jessica\u2019s car broke down. I was giving her a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
My laughter was sharp and humorless. \u201cA ride. On I-5. At 3 a.m.?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded, his eyes pleading for understanding. \u201cShe called me. I couldn\u2019t leave her stranded.\u201d<\/p>\n
The explanation sounded weak, stretched thin under the weight of midnight doubts and long-buried insecurities. \u201cAnd you couldn\u2019t call a tow truck?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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