It wasn’t supposed to feel this complicated.

You sat beside Dina, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face, whispering that everything would be okay—even if your voice shook with the weight of everything you couldn’t promise.

Mel had just finished sedating her. The room was still.

You stayed, because something about her—scared and human and hurt—gripped your chest and wouldn’t let go. Maybe it was the pregnancy. Maybe it was the guilt. Maybe it was both.

Manny stood just outside the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. His gaze wasn’t on Dina.

It was on you.

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t need to.

He saw the way your hands trembled. The way you tried to hold it together. For everyone.

Even for him.