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:

we ever-how could we have

her hand and led her over to a

for her. He knelt in front of

serious. "The procedure you had a few months ago wasn't what

doctor who performed it, I flew in from overseas. It

termination, but actually the doctor used a

They removed the embryo intact and transferred

went wide,

to believe what

possible now? Did such

his voice

that. Medical science has reached a level that

can't even imagine."

her still-gaunt cheek, a

for telling you only

realized her breath

ragged

not having

She forced herself to

voice hoarse. Is

say this

make me feel better."

feared this was nothing but a desperate lie to

grounding her.

technology isn't public

"It's

highest echelons of

business world. The

astronomical-not many can afford

even most

It's only been in

a couple

their own bubble of information. What you