The first rays of the morning sun pierced through the heavy rain clouds over Riverbend, casting a pale, watery light into the VIP suite of Riverbend General Hospital. The room was silent, save for the hum of the medical equipment and the soft, rhythmic breathing of a child. Serena Ashford sat huddled in the armchair, her eyes stinging with the grit of a sleepless night. The dream of a golden homecoming was gone, replaced by the cold, sterile reality of her life.
She had spent the last hour convincing herself that Derek Faulkner had truly left. It was easier that way. If he was gone, she could stop hoping. She could stop the agonizing cycle of expectation and disappointment that had defined her existence for eight years. She was ready to face the world alone again, to be the mother her dau
