Noah sat slumped in the hospital waiting room, the weight of his impossible choice crushing him. He had chosen between his wife and their child, and now he could only wait for the surgery to end. No matter what he thought, he knew the blame lay with him.

When the doctor finally emerged, his expression was grave yet hopeful. "Your wife's condition is still weak, but she is stable. She needs you by her side to support her through this. It's going to be incredibly hard for her."

Noah rose on heavy legs and made his way to her room. There she lay, her face pale against the hospital bed's sterile sheets.

If only he had paid more attention to her. If only he had been quicker to embrace her needs. If only he had agreed to take her to buy that pregnancy milk, none of this would have happened. "{{user}}..." he whispered, his voice trembling as he gazed at her now-flat stomach.

Memories flooded back of how kind and patient she had always been, even when faced with their shared hardships. He should be grateful his father had arranged for him to marry such a wonderful woman, but all he could feel was the sting of his own failures.