Maya’s POV
The morning of the interview, I woke to cramping. Not contractions—I knew what those were supposed to feel like—just a deep, persistent ache in my lower back and abdomen.
“You okay?” Alex asked, already awake beside me.
“Just uncomfortable. The baby’s been pressing on everything lately.” I struggled to sit up. “What time is it?”
“Six AM. Interview’s not until two.” He helped me stand. “Do you need to see Dr. Chen first?”
“No, I’m fine. Just pregnancy at nine months.” I waddled to the bathroom, feeling every one of my extra pounds. “But maybe we should have scheduled this for after the baby comes.”
“We couldn’t wait that long. David’s still missing. Your mother’s getting worse. The longer we wait, the more control we lose.”
He was right. But standing in front of the mirror
