Page 143 of The Wright Man

"I knew something was wrong before I even hit the ground. Felt it. Felt the pain. Felt the blood before I saw it."

My stomach turned.

"I crawled to the porch and rang the bell until he answered."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab her and take every second of it away from her.

"We got to the hospital… and she was gone. My placenta had ruptured when I fell. She stopped getting oxygen before I even made it to the door."

She choked on the words, voice barely there now.

"They said I had to deliver. Said it was the only way. Induced me. And the second the nurse left the room, Gavin laid into me."

My hands were shaking.

"Said it was my fault. That he told me not to go to the salon. That my selfishness killed my daughter."

And then she broke again. All the way this time.

I crossed the space between us in two steps. Wrapped her up in my arms like a lifeline. She didn't pull away. She sobbed into my chest, hiccuping and gasping for air like she was drowning.

I rubbed her back. Kissed the crown of her head. Held her like I could absorb some of her hurt.

"He left me," she said against my shirt. "He left me in that hospital bed. Alone."

She fought through the sobs. "I labored for fifteen hours. Alone. Pushed her out in three pushes." She held up three trembling fingers. "No one to hold my hand. No one to catch her."

Tears burned my eyes. I didn't let them fall. Not now.

"They let me hold her after…" she whispered. "She was so small, Leek. So, so small."

Her voice cracked again.

"My body still changed. My milk came in. With no baby to feed, I got infections. My hormones were wrecked. I had postpartum with no baby to make it all feel worth it. And Gavin… Gavin wouldn't even look at me."

I wanted to kill him. No—worse. I wanted to erase him from her story altogether.

"I wasn't the same after that. I blamed myself. I hated myself."

Her body shook with each word.

"That's why I can't just leave him, Leek," she whispered. "Not after how I failed him. And he still chose to stay."

"Angel—" I started, but she cut me off.

"I know what you're gonna say," she said, voice trembling. "But I couldn't even keep our baby alive. I can't leave him on top of that. Not when he stayed anyway. That would make me a monster."

"No," I whispered. "No, baby. That makes you human."

She didn't respond. Just pressed her forehead against my chest and let herself fall apart.

I kissed every inch of her hair I could reach, whispering her name, rubbing her back, holding her tighter than I ever had before.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I'm so fucking sorry I wasn't there."

"I begged Daddy not to do anything. Not to tell you," she said, voice ragged. "Tina and Bella too. I knew you'd kill Gavin if you knew… Even after everything."

She wasn't wrong.