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:

When did we ever-how could we have

took her hand and led her over to

He knelt in front of her, his sharp,

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

who performed it, I flew in from overseas. It

termination, but actually the doctor used a technology

removed the embryo intact and

went wide,

to believe what she was

now? Did such

her doubts; his voice was steady, calm.

me like that. Medical science has reached a

can't even imagine."

and gently pinched her still-gaunt cheek, a rare

sorry for telling you only

realized her breath

ragged

from not

She forced

voice hoarse.

please-don't say this just

make me feel better."

part of her truly feared this was nothing

grounding her.

technology isn't public yet,"

"It's reserved

highest echelons

world. The

astronomical-not many can afford

not even most

It's only been

a couple

their own bubble of information. What