By her second OBGYN appointment, Willow had settled into a version of life that felt almost steady. Her apartment smelled faintly of eucalyptus and clean laundry. Her new job had begun to feel manageable instead of overwhelming. Tiana kept her supplied with chamomile tea and warm muffins that appeared across the counter with cheerful stubbornness. Her belly had begun to curve in a way that made the pregnancy feel undeniably real.
What she had not received was any news from the life she had left behind.
Two days before the appointment, Victor knocked on her door.
When she opened it she found him standing in the hallway looking exactly as he always did. His coat was sharp, his posture precise, and his hair was perfectly in place. Only someone who knew him well would have noticed the faint exhaustion hidden behind the ice blue eyes that rarely missed anything.
"Victor?" she breathed. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to come tomorrow?"
