My breath caught.
The room felt warmer suddenly, or maybe it was just me. My thoughts unraveled, one after the other, until I found myself speaking without fully meaning to.
“Recently, I was having dinner with Alexander,” I said, the words spilling out. “It was a date. We were laughing. Everything was… good.” I swallowed. “And then it happened.”
Helen didn’t interrupt.
“The room changed,” I continued. “Just for a moment. I was still there, but not really.” I felt my fingers tremble slightly, and I clenched them into fists. “I saw myself standing in a nursery. There was a baby cot in front of me. Empty.”
Helen’s eyes softened, but she said nothing.
“Alexander was there too,” I whispered. “Standing a few steps away. He looked like he wanted to come to me. Like he wanted to hold me.” My
