The car moved slowly through the city, headlights casting soft reflections on the windows. The hospital was behind them now, but Elena hadn't spoken since she stepped into the back seat.
She sat beside Brittany, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her gaze fixed on the blur of buildings and streetlights outside.
The silence was heavy.
Her chest felt tight.
She had kissed her father's temple, left him a letter, smiled as she walked away—but now, in the quiet of the car, everything she had held back began to surface.
Her breath hitched.
Brittany glanced over, her expression softening instantly.
"Elena?" she asked gently.
Elena shook her head, trying to hold it in—but the tears came anyway. Silent at first, then trembling. She pressed her hand to her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
"I didn't think it would hit me like this," she whispered. "He looked so… still."
Brittany reached out, placing a hand on Elena's back, warm and steady.
"You've been strong for days," she said. "It's okay to feel it now."
Elena leaned into the touch, her tears falling freely now, her body finally letting go of everything it had been holding.
"I just want him to wake up," she said. "I want him to read the letter. I want him to know I'm doing this for him."
"He will," Brittany said softly. "And when he does, he'll know exactly who you are."
The car continued down the quiet road, the mansion drawing closer.
Inside, Elena cried quietly.
And beside her, Brittany stayed.
Not as an assistant.
But as someone who understood.
It was night.
The mansion was hushed, the corridors dimly lit, the staff moving like shadows. Elena stepped inside her suite slowly, her coat draped over one arm, her purse hanging loosely from her shoulder.
She didn't turn on the overhead lights.
Instead, she walked to the window and opened the curtains, letting the moonlight spill across the floor in soft silver streaks.
She stood there for a moment, staring out at the garden below—still, quiet, untouched.
Her body ached, but it was the ache of emotion now, not procedure.
She slipped off her shoes, placed her purse on the vanity, and sat on the edge of her bed. The silence wrapped around her like a blanket, heavy but comforting.
She didn't cry again.
She had done that in the car.
Now, she just breathed.
She reached for the photo of her father—the one she had tucked into her purse earlier—and placed it gently on the nightstand.
Then she lay back, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting between the clinic, the hospital, and the letter she had left behind.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
She didn't know when Luca would return.
But tonight, she was alone.
And somehow, that felt okay.
It was morning.
The sun had barely risen, casting pale gold across Elena's suite. She sat curled on the chaise, wrapped in a soft robe, sipping warm tea. Her body still felt tender, but her mind had begun to settle.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced down.
Dr. Leoni – Clinic
Her heart skipped.
She answered quickly. "Hello?"
The doctor's voice was calm, but there was a trace of warmth beneath the professionalism.
"Elena, good morning. I wanted to share the results from the fertilization."
Elena sat up straighter. "Yes?"
"Nineteen eggs retrieved. Fourteen fertilized successfully. We've selected the strongest embryo for transfer. It's ready."
Elena blinked, her breath catching. "Already?"
"Yes," Dr. Leoni said. "We'd like you to come in today. The transfer is simple, non-invasive, and quick. But it's important. This is the moment we place the embryo."
Elena nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay. I'll come."
"We'll expect you within the hour," the doctor said. "No stress. Just rest afterward."
The call ended.
Elena sat still for a moment, the words echoing in her mind.
"The embryo is ready."
She stood slowly, placed her teacup down, and walked to her wardrobe.
Today wasn't just another appointment.
It was the beginning.
The car moved slowly through the city, its windows tinted against the rising sun. Elena sat in the back seat, dressed in a soft cream blouse and loose trousers, her hair pulled back neatly, her hands folded in her lap.
She didn't speak.
Brittany sat beside her, silent but present, her tablet tucked away for once.
The air inside the car felt still.
Outside, the world moved—people rushing to work, vendors setting up stalls, children in uniforms crossing streets. But inside, Elena was suspended in a moment that felt separate from everything else.
She stared out the window, her thoughts quiet but persistent.
An embryo.
A beginning.
A life that wasn't hers, but would grow inside her.
She thought of her father—still unconscious, the letter waiting beside his bed.
She thought of Luca—still absent, his silence louder than words.
She thought of herself—twenty-three years old, sitting in a car on the way to become something she never imagined.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
She wasn't afraid.
But she was aware.
Aware of her body, her heart, her role.
Brittany glanced at her gently. "You okay?"
Elena nodded. "Just… thinking."
Brittany didn't press.
The car turned the final corner toward the clinic.
Elena exhaled slowly.
She was ready.
Not entirely.
But enough.
The clinic was quiet.
Elena walked through the familiar halls, escorted by a nurse, her steps slow but steady. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender, the same calming blend she'd come to associate with this place.
She was led into a small private room—soft lighting, a recliner, a monitor, and a tray of instruments covered in sterile cloth.
Dr. Leoni was already there.
She turned with a smile, her coat crisp, her eyes kind.
"Elena," she said warmly. "You made it."
Elena nodded, her voice soft. "I'm here."
Dr. Leoni gestured for her to sit. "Before we begin, I wanted to talk you through everything. It's simple, but important."
Elena sat down, her hands resting on her thighs.
"We'll be placing a single embryo," the doctor explained. "It's strong. Beautifully formed. We'll use a thin catheter to guide it into your uterus. No pain. No sedation. Just a little pressure."
Elena nodded slowly. "And then?"
"Then you rest," Dr. Leoni said. "We'll monitor hormone levels over the next few days. If it implants, we'll know soon."
Elena looked down, then back up. "It's strange. I don't feel pregnant. But I feel… responsible."
Dr. Leoni smiled gently. "That's normal. You're carrying possibility. That's heavier than most people realize."
Elena swallowed, her throat tight. "I just want to do it right."
"You already are," the doctor said. "Your body's ready. Your mind is steady. That's all we ask."
Elena nodded, her heart thudding quietly.
Dr. Leoni stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's begin."
Elena exhaled slowly.
She was ready.
The procedure room was softly lit, sterile but calm.
Elena lay back on the padded table, her legs elevated slightly, a warm blanket draped over her lower half. She wore a hospital gown, her hair tucked behind her ears, her eyes fixed on the ceiling tiles above.
Dr. Leoni stood beside her, gloved and focused, the embryologist nearby holding a small vial—inside, the embryo. Just one. A cluster of cells. A beginning.
"This is the embryo," Dr. Leoni said gently. "Five days old. Strong. Ready."
Elena nodded, her breath shallow.
The doctor guided a thin catheter through Elena's cervix, using ultrasound to navigate. The monitor beside her showed a soft grayscale image of her uterus—empty, waiting.
The embryologist handed over the vial.
Dr. Leoni inserted the embryo through the catheter, a tiny flash appearing on the screen.
"There," she said softly. "It's placed."
Elena stared at the monitor, her heart thudding.
It was surreal.
She couldn't feel it.
But she knew it was there.
A possibility.
A promise.
Dr. Leoni removed the catheter gently, checked the screen again, and nodded.
"Perfect placement," she said. "Now we wait."
Elena lay still, her body quiet, her mind racing.
She wasn't pregnant.
Not yet.
But something had been given to her.
Something that might become everything.