CLAIRE
I sat on the couch staring at my phone, Vanessa's lawyer's ultimatum echoing in my head. Julian sat beside me quietly, giving me space to think.
I thought about Vanessa's voice on the phone, desperate and pleading, begging for mercy for her unborn child. An innocent baby who had nothing to do with any of this, but then I thought about another innocent baby.
Mine.
The one Vanessa had helped destroy. I stood up and walked to the window, my mind racing.
"Talk to me," Julian said gently. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about my baby," I said quietly. "The one I lost."
Julian came to stand beside me. "That baby was innocent too," I continued, my voice growing stronger. "My baby never committed any crimes, never hurt anyone, never did anything wrong."
"No," Julian agreed.
