The antiseptic smell of the private medical clinic clung to my skin like a shroud. I sat on the edge of the examination table, the crisp white paper crinkling beneath my weight as my trembling fingers gripped the edges of my wool coat.
Dr. Harrison adjusted the monitor on the rolling ultrasound machine, his face a mask of quiet, professional calm.
"The hormone levels and physical development line up precisely," Dr. Harrison said gently, turning to look at me over his wire-rimmed glasses. "You're approaching the end of your first trimester. Today, we should be able to hear the heartbeat, Elena. Are you ready?"
My breath hitched. The word heartbeat echoed in the small, sterile room like a countdown.
A week had passed since the night Vanessa had accidentally interrupted my confession in t
