up.
I waited for him to offer a compromise, to suggest he stay for at least the first month, or to show even a flicker of hesitation. He didn’t. I forced a brave smile, hiding the crushing weight of my sadness, and kissed him goodbye at the door. I told myself he deserved this break, even as the silence of the empty house began to echo.
For four long months, I navigated the terrifying world of high-risk pregnancy alone. My mother moved in to help, but the emotional void Daniel
