The maternity wing was warmer than the lobby, the air carrying a faint blend of lavender air freshener and something unmistakably clinical beneath it, antiseptic, clean floors, and the faint hum of machines behind closed doors. Willow walked beside Victor with slow steps, her hand occasionally drifting toward the underside of her belly as if the movement grounded her.
They had been coming here for three months now, Lamaze classes every Friday and prenatal workshops sprinkled between. It should have felt familiar and routine. Instead everything tightened around her ribs in a way that made her feel slightly wrong inside her own skin.
The receptionist recognized them immediately and waved them toward the waiting area outside the birthing classroom. She smiled warmly as she tapped their names on the list and said, "You two are early today. Beautiful couple. Go right in, they are setting up."
