How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie stared at him in shock.

The man in front of her was... beyond anything she'd expected.

Jarrod could see exactly what she was thinking, and he didn't hold back. "Back then, it never even crossed my mind. I thought-when you got pregnant-we would get a fresh start. I hoped maybe the baby would be what brought us back together. I was over the moon and went to find you, but then you told me you didn't want our child."

Elodie's hands went numb as she gripped them tighter, trying to steady herself. “That's not it. I just... I couldn't give the baby a real chance at life. I didn't have what it takes to be a mother back then."

Jarrod let out a low sigh. "I know. I got it all wrong. Even now, I can't believe how badly I messed up-how I lashed out at you."

He reached for her hand, his touch apologetic, gentle. "Because of that misunderstanding, I thought you didn't love me. I thought you wanted to end the pregnancy for Ivan's sake, that you'd chosen him over us. But that was still our child. I couldn't just walk away. Before you promised you'd wait for me to come back, I'd already-out of some stupid suspicion and desperation-contacted a specialized medical team overseas."

"I arranged for them to bring all their equipment and be on standby."

As he spoke, relief flickered across his face, as if he was only now realizing how lucky they'd been. "When your accident happened, the people I'd left at the hospital only heard you were planning to terminate the pregnancy. Details got muddled as the news passed from one person to the next. They rushed in and performed a procedure, and right there in the operating room, they transferred the baby—our baby-into an artificial womb, keeping it alive, just barely."

wildly, her whole body suddenly light

on, his voice softer now. "Remember that night I flew back, and we just ended up fighting after you woke up?

remember." The pain of that day

ет

everything they could to keep her alive. Things weren't stable yet.

the baby? How is she now?" Elodie's heart was pounding

of the couch, gripping his

hair with his fingers, offering comfort. "She's doing great. Healthy as can be. In another month, she'll be strong enough to come out and go straight

stop them-tears of overwhelming relief and joy. She tried to swipe them away, but they kept coming. "Can I see her? Please

know you're anxious, but let's wait a little

When I'm stronger,

meant to tell her

of the artificial womb and made