The procedure was done. I felt hollow, like something vital had been carved out of me, leaving behind an aching emptiness. The world seemed muted, sounds muffled, colors dulled. I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss that clung to me like a shadow, but I pushed it down, telling myself it was what had to be done. I had made my choice—for him.
For Nicolas.
Now, I wanted him back in my life, wanted to pick up where we’d left off before everything got complicated. I needed to believe that sacrificing my future with the baby meant that there was still a future for us, however foolish that may have sounded.
The night weighed heavy as I sat alone in my dimly lit bedroom, surrounded by silence that only amplified the turmoil raging inside me. I stared blankly at my phone, my finger hovering over
