When everything settled, the nurse returned, her expression gentle but resolute.
“Do you want me to call him?” she asked softly. I shook my head, cradling my newborn closer.
The warmth of my child seeped into my soul, melting away the last of the icy betrayal. “No,” I whispered.
“We don’t need him.”
The nurse nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Alright then. You’re going to be just fine.”
In the days and weeks that followed, I learned the art of rebuilding, of crafting a new life from the shards Ethan had left behind. My child became my anchor, my reason to navigate the stormy waters of single parenthood.
And as I gazed into those innocent eyes, I knew we were embarking on an adventure far grander than any Ethan could have imagined.
We had each other, and in the end, that was more than enough.
