I was terrified.
But I was ready.
Thomas stayed beside me the entire time.
“You’ve got this,” he whispered.
“I don’t know if I do.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You’re not allowed to leave.”
“I won’t.”
Hours later, I heard a cry.
A strong, angry cry.
A nurse lifted the baby.
“He’s here.”
I started crying before they even placed him against my chest.
Then Liam was on me.
Tiny.
Warm.
Alive.
I stared at his face.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“I’m your mother.”
Thomas was crying too.
He kissed my forehead.
“We made it.”
I looked at Liam.
And something inside me finally became quiet.
The hallway in my dream was gone.
Page 9 — The Surgery
Having Liam didn’t mean the danger was over.
Now the doctors could focus more directly on the mass.
Additional testing confirmed what everyone had feared.
The mass needed treatment.
I was terrified.
But this time, I wasn’t pregnant.
