Chapter 9 - THE NIGHT THE BABY STOPPED MOVING
At twenty-eight weeks, I woke in the middle of the night with a terrible feeling.
Something was wrong.
For days, Gabriel had been active.
Kicking.
Rolling.
Making it impossible for me to sleep comfortably.
Now he seemed unusually quiet.
I waited.
Changed position.
Drank water.
Still nothing that reassured me.
My heart began racing.
I called the maternity unit.
They told me to come in immediately.
Madison drove.
At the hospital, the medical team placed monitors around my stomach.
I stared at the ceiling.
Terrified.
Then I heard it.
A heartbeat.
Fast.
Steady.
Beautiful.
I began crying.
The doctor explained that the initial monitoring was reassuring, but they would continue evaluating the change in movement.
I nodded.
Barely able to speak.
Madison held my hand.
Afterward, when the doctors said I could go home with instructions about when to return, I sat in the hospital parking lot and cried again.
Madison hugged me.
“Claire.”
I shook my head.
“I was so scared.”
“I know.”
I covered my face.
“I wanted Vincent.”
The words escaped before I could stop them.
Madison went still.
I began crying harder.
“I know he hurt me.”
She squeezed my hand.
“I know.”
“But I wanted him.”
For the first time, I admitted something I had been hiding.
I still loved my ex-husband.
And I hated myself a little for it.
Madison whispered, “You can love someone and still choose not to return to them.”
I looked at her.
May you like
She smiled sadly.
“Both things can be true.”
