Exactly a week later, the hospital doors opened wide, and Ruby stepped out into the sunlight for the first time since the fire.
The breeze carried the scent of fresh air, but it did little to ease the heaviness in her chest. She clutched Stefan's arm, leaning into his steady strength as though he were the only thing keeping her upright.
Her body was healing, but her heart… that was another matter. The loss of their child was a shadow that followed her everywhere.
There were moments when she caught herself touching her stomach, expecting to feel the flutter of happiness she always felt within — only for the pain of the truth she knew to crush her all over again.
Still, she was learning. Learning to breathe through the ache, to take each hour as it came. It was all she could do.
