Then, one night, the pain began.
At first, I thought it would pass. But the contractions grew stronger, and Mamdouh rushed me to the hospital.
Within minutes, nurses were moving me through the corridors. Doctors spoke in urgent voices, and the entire maternity team seemed to be preparing for an emergency.
Before the operation, Mamdouh held my hand.
“Look at me,” he whispered. “You’re not alone.”
“I don’t care what happens to me,” I told him through my tears. “Just bring our babies into the world safely.”
He kissed my forehead.
“I promise I’ll do everything I can.”
The operating room was bright and cold. I could hear the medical team preparing their instruments while someone explained that the babies would need immediate attention after delivery.
Then Dr. Hisham’s voice rose above the others.
“Let’s begin.”
I remember the first cry.
It was so faint that I wondered whether I had imagined it.
