Chapter 4

Two days after the funeral, I returned to the hospital, still numb with grief. The hallways seemed longer, the lights harsher. Colleagues offered condolences in hushed tones before hurrying away, their discomfort palpable. No one knew what to say to the woman whose husband was openly having an affair while she buried her grandfather.

I was reviewing charts at the nurses' station when a commotion erupted near the surgical board. A crowd had gathered, their voices a mix of surprise and awkward congratulations. At the center stood Marcus and Ashley, her hand resting protectively over her still-flat stomach.

"We weren't…