Aliyah’s POV
The storm had been raging for hours, drumming against the tin roof of the small roadside clinic like a warning from the heavens.
The walls creaked with every gust of wind, and the air smelled of rain and antiseptic.
Somewhere beyond the door, thunder growled but I barely heard it.
All I could hear was my own voice breaking and screaming through the pain. Sweat clung to my hair, plastering it against my face as I gripped the edge of the metal bed until my knuckles burned white.
“Push, Lia, just one more!” the nurse urged, her voice straining to sound calm.
Tracy’s hand found mine and squeezed, her voice cracking with emotion. “Come on, Lia. You can do this. She’s almost here.”
“I…I can’t…” I sobbed, my whole body trembling. The pain ripped through me again, this time f
