Chapter 81: Madison

Surrounded by the comfort of Noah’s bed, I found myself not wanting to wake up, as if my dreams would give way to a reality that had me alone and still in my new apartment. But that wasn’t where I was. 

Blankets, black as night, surrounded me with their comfort as I basked in the morning rays of sunlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I was home. 

I touched the side of the bed where Noah had slept, holding me tight against him all night. It was empty, the man in question having woken up before me. But the knowledge that he’d been there, that we’d shared a bed—and could keep doing so—brought a surge of indescribable joy into my heart.

But the smile didn’t last, as the rest of yesterday’s memories hit me like a cold wave. The rush to the hospital, my breaths quick and shallow, the fear of the unknown as I’d felt the early contractions. Then returning home to those photos, the ones that’d turned my blood to ice.