The next twenty-four hours passed like a fog she couldn’t escape. Emily went through the motions: feeding, changing, rocking the baby, but her thoughts never left that clinic parking lot. Every vibration of her phone made her heart lurch. Every silence made it worse. When the call finally came, it was early evening.
James had come home, unannounced, pale and drawn, his eyes sunken from sleeplessness. They sat at the kitchen table, the baby monitor humming softly between them. The phone rang, sharp and sudden. James answered. “Yes, this is James Parker.” He listened for several seconds, his face draining of color. Emily’s heart thudded. “What?” she whispered.