Earn had always loved mornings, with sunlight spilling across the lake and birds calling to one another.
After Fahlada left for work, it became a special time for her, a pocket of stillness where the world felt untouched. She sipped her warm tea, imagining their child nestled safely inside her, growing day by day.
Everything usually felt gentle, even sacred.
But this morning, something felt… off.
A cramp bloomed low in her stomach, sharp and sudden, just like last night. She froze mid-sip, holding her breath, and pressed a hand gently to her belly. The pain lingered, then slowly eased, and she let out a weak smile. "You're scaring me, baby," she whispered, but a flicker of unease ran through her chest. 'What if it wasn't just a cramp?' Her heart tightened at the thought, and she clenched the edge of her mug, trying to convince herself it was nothing.
'It's normal, yes,' she told herself. 'Just the body adjusting.'
She couldn't tell Fahlada.
Not even when Fahlada called between back-to-back consultations, or when she sent a photo of her lunch, something clean and healthy, along with a teasing message:
'Too healthy, babe.' Where's the fried stuff?'
Earn smiled at her screen while her fingers fidgeted with the phone, lost in thought.
'Should I tell her? What if she's in the middle of a meeting… or surgery? She'd drop everything and come running again. I don't want to be a bother. I don't want to make her worry— not again.'
But her mother noticed the uneasiness in her. She always did.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pausing mid-step as she watched Earn clutch her mug tighter than usual.
"I'm fine, Mom," Earn said softly, trying to sound normal.
"This baby is just growing faster, I guess."
She let out a light, breathy laugh to keep her mother from worrying, but her mother wasn't convinced. Sitting beside her, her eyes narrowed in concern.
"If you're not feeling right, maybe we should call your OB-GYN now. Let me message Lada." Jintana pulled out her phone, ready to type.
"No!" Earn said quickly. "I don't want to worry her. She's got so much on her plate right now, and she barely got any sleep last night looking after me."
Her mother hesitated, studying her. She could see the depth in her daughter's eyes as stress seemed to seep in, and her face looked pale, a noticeable weariness settling over her.
"I'm fine," Earn insisted, trying to make the words feel true. She gave her mother a small, reassuring smile. "But we can go later to the hospital… maybe I'll stop by and see my wife at work too."
There was a long pause before Jintana exhaled sharply through her nose, worry still etched on her face.
"Okay," she said reluctantly. "But let me call Susi. I want someone else here with us, in case what happened last night happens again."
Earn knew better than to argue. When her mother made up her mind, that was it. So, she nodded, silently grateful for the extra support.
The same went for her friends; she always felt their protective presence, just as she had the night before. She recalled how Ingfah and Susi had arrived, settling by the garden's lake, the water catching the last streaks of sunlight. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of flowers mixed with the evening breeze.
"So, there's this girl I might like from another network," Ingfah started, leaning back on her hands with a sly grin, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Susi snorted, not missing a beat. "Another one? You never give anyone a chance to breathe, Ingfah. Does this girl even know she's about to get played?"
"She has a boyfriend," Ingfah said dismissively, waving her hand.
"Doesn't matter. We can still play anyway."
"You're impossible," Earn teased, giving her friend a playful elbow.
"Honestly, you could charm a rock and still complain it's too hard."
"Hey, don't underestimate rocks," Ingfah shot back with a grin. "They're very picky."
Earn chuckled softly, shaking her head. She loved moments like this, when her friends' teasing felt effortless and warm. Laughter bounced off the water as Ingfah and Susi continued their playful back-and-forth, inventing ridiculous scenarios about love, betrayal, and imagined rivalries between networks.
Then, a sharp, sudden cramp bloomed in her lower abdomen. She froze mid-laugh, gripping her stomach briefly. She tried to ignore it, but it lingered, nagging like a warning.
"Hey, you okay?" Susi asked.
"It's fine, really," Earn replied, forcing a smile and taking a slow breath. "Just… maybe I laughed too hard."
Ingfah rolled her eyes, unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Sure, 'laughing too hard.' That's totally how pregnancy works." She smirked, poking Earn gently in the side.
"You know, if this baby grows up to be as dramatic as you, it's going to run circles around us all."
Earn laughed weakly, hiding the tension in her stomach.
"Let's hope not," she muttered.
The conversation shifted again, moving from teasing to catching up.
Anyway, did you see Rati lately?" Ingfah asked, leaning forward with a gentle smile. "Her career has really taken off. She's so famous overseas that she's practically holding fan meetings every week. I swear, foreigners know her better than we do."
Susi grinned, nudging Earn playfully. "Could've been you, you know." She paused, her eyes still gentle as she looked at her friend. "But… well, you're pregnant now…"
Ingfah looked at Susi with widened eyes, realizing she probably shouldn't have said that.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by it… I just—"
Susi lost her words, but Ingfah continued for her, "I'm sure Earn will get back on track after the baby's birth, right?"
Earn tilted her head, smiling softly. "It's okay," she said. "Actually, I'm not sure if I want to go back. After the birth, the baby needs me more, and I want to see every little movement, every moment of my baby's growth. I have everything I need now with Fahlada. That's all. Rati deserves whatever she has now, and honestly, I'm happy for her, and I'm happy where I am right now too." She rested a hand lightly on her lower abdomen, a small, hopeful smile touching her lips.
Her two friends didn't need to say anything; they understood. Susi, however, still didn't want to give up on Earn's talent, and the conversation slowly drifted back to Rati.
But then Earn felt a sharp pang cut through her. She winced, gripping the edge of her seat.
"Earn?" Ingfah called out, her voice thick with concern. She stepped closer in an instant.
"You're not looking good—that's a face that screams hospital! Call Auntie Jin, Susi!"
Susi nodded, panic surging through her, but Earn quickly held up a hand to stop her.
"No, really, I'm okay," Earn insisted, waving them off. "It's nothing… just a tiny cramp."
Susi shook her head, frowning. "A 'tiny cramp' that makes you blanch and clutch your stomach? Come on, you're definitely lying. I've known you too long to buy that."
Earn couldn't help but smile at the accusation.
"Fine, fine," she admitted. "It hurt a bit, okay? But I promise it's nothing serious."
Ingfah and Susi exchanged concerned looks, but Earn shook her head, laughing despite the little pain she felt.
"My doctor said this is normal. Can we just enjoy the evening first?"
The cramp had faded into the background, and she seemed fine, but her friends decided it was best for her to rest. She had refused to go to the hospital, so they gently guided her inside the house. Earn's mother approached and saw that Earn appeared to be struggling.
"What happened?" Jintana asked, helping Earn to the sofa.
"She had a cramp but refused to go to the hospital," Ingfah answered.
"No, we should go. Let me get my purse," Jintana said frantically, but Earn stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling her to sit beside her. She rested her head on her mother's shoulder.
"Seriously, I'm fine. I've said this many times already. There's no pain anymore. If it becomes alarming, I won't hesitate to go to the hospital," Earn reassured them, even as they surrounded her with worry.
"I'll call Lada to come over now," Susi offered, concern still threading her voice.
"No," Earn replied quickly, shaking her head.
"Just send her a message. That way, she won't get mad, and she can still enjoy the evening. It's her first party in a while, and I don't want her rushing home for nothing. Or worse, she might blame you for coming here every day," she teased, looking at Susi.
Her friends exchanged a knowing glance. Fahlada would definitely rush home, and they might never hear the end of it for letting anything happen to her lovely wife. Everyone in their circle knew that the famous doctor could be a worrywart, even a little crazy, especially when it came to Earn. Still, they nodded, respecting Earn's wishes while keeping a watchful eye on her.
"Well, if she shows up in a panic anyway, we'll just hide under the table. Problem solved." Susi smirked.
Ingfah laughed, shaking her head. "You mean we hide. You'll be the first to get caught, Susi."
Susi stuck out her tongue.
"Despite my size, I'm practically invisible when I want to be."
Earn chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"Sure, invisible, right up until you trip over the carpet and scare everyone half to death."
The banter continued for a few more moments, and Earn felt a lightness she hadn't realized she needed. Despite the night being cut short, despite the cramps and worries, she felt genuinely happy, surrounded by friends who cared enough to tease but also to watch over her.
When her friends finally went home, her mom stayed a little longer, sharing stories about her own pregnancy and how she had almost lost Earn but had stayed strong. She whispered words of encouragement, making sure Earn felt at ease. After her mom left the room, Fahlada stepped inside. Earn immediately saw the worry in her wife's eyes, mingled with relief, as if she were on the verge of tears.
She could sense the nights her wife had barely slept, pacing with worry and care, checking on her constantly. That was why today had to go smoothly and why everything had to be fine, so Fahlada could focus on her work and everything else that demanded her attention.
She was pulled back to the present when her mother's phone rang; it was Susi calling. Earn quickly reminded her mother, "Just… don't message Fahlada, for now. Promise me."
Her mom didn't reply immediately, but eventually she nodded and answered the call.
Earn kept convincing herself that everything would be fine. She had trained for this, watched countless videos about the first trimester, and even during their last visit, the doctor had reassured her that mild pain or cramps were normal in early pregnancy. She didn't want to overreact, but she promised herself she'd get a checkup once Susi arrived—just to be safe.
She had no idea how wrong she was. Later would never come.
By the afternoon, the pain had sharpened. The cramps became unbearable. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she gripped the bathroom sink, knuckles white.
And then... Red.
A sudden gush of blood dripped between her thighs.
"No," she gasped as panic flooded her mind. Pain sliced through her, buckling her legs.
'No. No. No. No. This can't be happening.'
"Ma…" she tried to shout, but the word came out thin, barely a breath.
Before her mother could reach her, Earn collapsed to the floor.
The cold tiles pressed her cheek as she curled up, trembling, and everything went quiet.