The quiet of the consultation room settles over us like a heavy blanket.
Without the doctor's clinical presence, the reality of the room shifts instantly. It’s no longer a medical consultation; it’s an altar of life-altering truth.
I sit wrapped in Locke's massive embrace, inhaling the rich, dark scent of leather, cedar wood and cold that defines him. My tears have slowed, but my chest still hitches with residual sobs.
The initial, blinding wave of terror has receded slightly, leaving behind a fragile, glowing ember of happiness… a dangerous, breathtaking hope that I’m almost too terrified to hold close.
A baby.
A tiny, living soul, six weeks old, tucked safely away inside the body I’ve spent months and months grieving, fearing, and trying to heal.
Yet, as the warmth of that realiza
