Laura
They were mine. Not his. Not anymore.
The ultrasound printouts were still on the kitchen counter, two small gestational sacs side by side like a quiet rebellion. I ran my fingers over the glossy paper, tracing the faint outlines of the lives growing inside me.
A boy and a girl, Rose had said. Fraternal twins.
I should have felt elated. Instead, something hollow settled beneath my ribs—an ache I couldn’t name.
Could I really bring them into this world?
Into this house?
Into a marriage that felt more like a ceasefire than a home?
The thought clawed at the edges of my mind as I stepped into Rose’s office for my next appointment.
David wasn’t there this time. I hadn’t asked him to come.
Not after he said, “I didn’t ask for this family.”
I couldn’t bear the thought of him besid
