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:

did we ever-how

led her over

in front of her, his sharp, handsome

procedure you had a few

it was. The doctor who performed it, I flew in from overseas.

but actually the doctor used a technology that's

and transferred it into

went

him, completely unable to believe what she

now? Did such technology

read her doubts; his voice

science has reached a

can't even imagine."

reached up and gently pinched her still-gaunt cheek, a

sorry for telling you

realized her

ragged

not having blinked

forced herself to

hoarse. Is

please-don't say this

make me feel better."

truly feared this was nothing but a

held her gaze firm, grounding her. "Have I ever lied

isn't

quietly. "It's reserved

echelons of

business world. The costs

astronomical-not many can afford

even most

It's only been in

a couple of

everyone lived in their own bubble