Chapter 3

The next morning, Callum tried to fix everything.

He woke me up early and made breakfast.

He checked the pregnancy vitamins on the counter.

He even read the instructions on the bottle twice before handing them to me.

For a moment, I just watched him.

This was the man I had married.

The man who used to drive across the city just because I mentioned wanting a certain dessert.

The man who stayed awake all night when I was sick.

That was why yesterday hurt so much.

Because Callum was not someone who didn't love me.

He was someone who always believed there would be another chance to show it.

"Claire."He placed a glass of water beside me."I canceled my meetings today. You and the baby come first."

Those words should have made me happy.

A few months ago, they would have.

But after hearing promises for years, I had learned something.

Still, I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to believe yesterday was the moment he finally understood.

For the next few hours, Callum stayed with me.

He helped me organize the baby's room.

He assembled the crib.

He argued with me about moving the chair closer to the window because he said I shouldn't have to walk too far after delivery.

Watching him like that almost made me forget everything.

Almost.

Then his phone rang.

The smile on his face disappeared.

I looked at the screen.

Sienna.

This time, Callum didn't answer.

He turned the phone over.

"I won't pick up."

I didn't say anything.

A few seconds later, the phone rang again.

Then again.

Callum's expression became more serious.

Finally, he picked it up.

He was silent for a moment.

"Sienna collapsed during ocean rescue training.The doctor thinks it might be related to her old injuries."

The room became quiet.

Eight years ago, Sienna had pulled Callum out of the ocean.

She had saved his life.

Everyone knew that story.

Callum had told it so many times that I could remember every detail.

The freezing water.

The rescue team.

The moment he opened his eyes and saw Sienna.

It was the reason he could never completely walk away from her.

Callum put his phone down.

"Someone else can take her." I said.

He didn't answer.

This wasn't just about Sienna being injured.

It was about the promise he had made to himself eight years ago.

He believed he owed her.

For several seconds, Callum didn't move.

Then his phone lit up again.

Another message.

He looked at it.

And I saw the hesitation in his eyes.

Finally, Callum picked up his keys.

My heart sank.

"You promised me this morning."

"I know." His voice was filled with guilt. "But she has no one right now."

I looked at him.

The words hurt because they sounded so familiar.

Because every time he chose Sienna, he believed he was choosing the person who needed him more.

He walked out. The door closed.

I sat in the nursery alone.

The crib was still unfinished.

The tiny clothes were still folded on the chair.

Everything was ready for our baby.

Except the person who promised he would be there.

Three hours later, the pain started.

At first, I thought it was normal.

Then it became impossible to ignore.

I grabbed the edge of the table as another wave of pain passed through me.

My breathing became uneven.

When I looked down, my hands started shaking.

There was blood.

"I am pregnant. I am bleeding," I told the dispatcher. My voice was eerily calm, even though my world was collapsing.

They told me an ambulance was on the way.

I slid down the wall. I sat on the cold floor of our empty hallway.

Then I looked at my phone.

I dialed Callum's number.

I didn't call him to save me. The paramedics were already coming.

I called him because I just wanted to know, for the very last time, if he would choose me.

He answered quickly.

"Claire?"His voice changed the moment he heard my breathing."What happened?"

"I'm bleeding, Callum," I whispered.

The line went completely quiet.

"I'm coming." he said.

For the first time that day, I heard fear in his voice.

Then another voice came through the phone.

"Callum?"

Sienna.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

I heard him move away.

I heard her crying.

"I didn't want to bother you...I just don't know who else to call."

The silence lasted several seconds.

Long enough for me to understand.

"Callum."My voice was barely above a whisper."I need you."

The words made my chest hurt.

Because I knew what came next.

Finally, he spoke."Claire, the ambulance is coming, right?"

I closed my eyes."Yes."

He exhaled."Then you're safe."

The tearing pain in my stomach hit me again. I curled into a ball on the floor.

But my heart felt absolutely nothing. The love I had for him for seven long years finally bled out completely.

He thought because the doctors were on their way, his job as my husband was done.

I dropped my phone.

Sirens wailed outside the window.

The front door burst open. Heavy footsteps rushed into the hallway.

"She's over here!" a paramedic shouted.

My vision started to blur. The edges of the room turned black.

Hands grabbed my shoulders. Someone lifted me onto a stretcher.

"Her blood pressure is dropping!" a voice yelled above me. "We are losing the baby's heartbeat. We need to move now!"

I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

As they wheeled me out the door, I looked back one last time.

My phone was lying in the dark puddle on the floor.

The screen was still lit up.

It was still connected to Callum.