How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie didn't understand what Jarrod had just said, and for once, she didn't try to

hide how she felt. She'd always known that after the surgery, grief and pain would

hit her hard-but she hadn't expected it to come crashing down so violently,

impossible to dodge or ignore.

She locked eyes with Jarrod, noticing how hard he was trying to ease her burden,

to make things a little lighter for her.

"What person?" she asked, her voice raw. Was he talking about Sylvie-her

closest confidante?

Right now, nearly everyone she cared about was in Eldermere. A tiny circle, really.

She couldn't imagine who else could possibly matter this much.

Jarrod hesitated, taking in the deep hurt in her expression before speaking, slow

and deliberate: "It's a girl. As of today, she's been alive for six months."

Elodie's face tensed. "What do you mean?"

"She's... our child."

For a heartbeat after Jarrod's words, Elodie just sat there, numb, as if someone

had struck her squarely in the head. Her thoughts scattered, refusing to come

together.

It took her a long few seconds to find her voice, her words shaky and bewildered:

ever-how could we have another

and led her over

for her. He knelt in front of her, his sharp, handsome

you had a few

it, I flew in from overseas. It looked

doctor used a technology that's

and transferred it

went wide,

him, completely unable to

Did such technology really

must have read her doubts; his voice was

Medical science has reached a level

can't even imagine."

up and gently pinched her

for telling

realized her breath

in ragged

from not having blinked

She forced herself to

hoarse. Is this

please-don't say this just

make me feel better."

this was nothing but a desperate lie to ease her

Jarrod held her gaze firm, grounding her.

technology isn't public

quietly. "It's reserved

highest echelons of the

world. The

astronomical-not many can afford

not even most

It's only

a

this world, everyone lived in their own bubble of information. What