The days after finding out I was pregnant felt like a whirlwind. Max and I had settled into a tentative routine—still working side by side at the bookstore, still trying to manage the overwhelming sense of uncertainty that loomed over us. Every morning felt like stepping into the unknown, and yet, Max’s constant presence beside me was the only thing that felt remotely stable.
Or so I thought.
It was a Thursday when everything began to unravel. I had been feeling more tired than usual, the pregnancy’s toll on my body starting to take its toll. I had been trying to keep up with the bookstore while also keeping my health in check, but it wasn’t easy. Max had been unusually distant the past few days—distracted, withdrawn. I chalked it up to the stress of everything, the pressure building on
