Esther’s POV
The sharp tang of antiseptic clung to the air, mixing with the faint sweetness of herbs. I hated hospitals. The smell always made me think of sterility, of loss, of waiting rooms filled with whispers of doom.
But I had no choice.
My hands pressed over my stomach as I sat on the edge of the narrow hospital bed, my heart thudding against my ribs like a prisoner begging to be released. My pregnancy reactions had worsened these last few weeks—morning sickness so severe it stole my appetite, exhaustion so heavy that even rising from bed left me trembling. Kevin, ever calm and calculating, had noticed.
So he arranged this: a private hospital wing, a doctor chosen specifically for me, and nurses sworn to secrecy.
The doctor’s kind eyes met mine as she placed the results on the c
