Ryan’s POV
The drive to the hospital was quiet.
Ryan kept his eyes on the road, jaw set, expression unreadable.
Eve sat beside him, her fingers twisting the strap of her purse, the faint hum of the car filling the silence between them.
The doctor’s office smelled faintly of antiseptic and lemon polish. They went through the motions together, blood pressure, checkups, questions. Ryan stood near the window, his hands clasped behind his back, watching but saying nothing.
When the doctor ran the ultrasound, the rhythmic pulse of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room, small but strong. Eve turned her head toward the sound, her throat tightening. That tiny heartbeat was the only thing that gave her courage lately, the only reminder that life was still growing out of everything she’d lost.
T
