Ivy
I should’ve said no.
The invitation arrived in the mail, addressed to me and Josh. Elegant cream cardstock, calligraphy spelling out the words: “Join us in celebrating the engagement of our son, Damian Blackwell, and his fiancée, Madeleine Royce.”
There was no mistaking the intent. It wasn’t subtle.
Still, I stared at it for a long time, unsure whether it was some kind of test… or just cruelty.
Josh saw the hesitation in my eyes when I placed the card on the counter. “You don’t have to go,” he said gently. “Not for them. Not for him.”
But I shook my head. “I do.”
For me. For the truth they all ignored. For the child growing beneath my skin who deserved more than secrets and silence.
So I went.
Dressed in a midnight blue gown, I tried to hide my belly, but didn’t succeed. The c
