CHAPTER 11

THE BATTLE BEGINS

The next month were the hardest of Grace's life. Morning sickness hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her weak and nauseous. Her cancer treatments were scaled back to protect the baby, but that meant the pain and fatigue worsened.

Ethan was her rock, holding her hair back when she was sick, carrying her up the stairs when her legs gave out, and whispering words of love when she felt like giving up.

Amelia softened over time, becoming her fiercest advocate at doctor's appointments. Grace's mother, though still worried, started knitting tiny baby clothes, her way of accepting Grace's decision.

Through it all, Grace held onto hope. She felt the first flutter of the baby's kicks one quiet afternoon, and it brought her to tears. "She's strong," she whispered to Ethan, her hand resting on her belly. "She's a fighter."

"So are you," Ethan replied, kissing her forehead.

By her third trimester, Grace's body began to fail. She fainted twice in one week, alarming everyone around her. Dr. Whitman warned her that her heart was struggling to keep up, but Grace refused to back down.

"I've come this far," she said firmly. "I'm not giving up now."

Ethan stayed by her side, sleeping in hospital chairs and holding her hand through every scare. Grace could see the exhaustion in his eyes, but he never complained.

One night, as she lay in her hospital bed, she whispered, "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

Ethan shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. "Don't apologize. Loving you has been the greatest gift of my life."