My feet hurt with every step I took, the ache spreading up my legs. The weight of my baby bump felt like a heavy book bag I couldn’t put down. I was so tired, my eyes barely focusing on the path ahead. The day had been a long one, and my body was making it known that it was time to rest.
But then, there was a voice. One I recognized instantly.
“Madison!” The sound of the voice pulled me to an immediate stop. I turned my head, half expecting to see no one because there was no way Noah would come after me. Not after what he’d said—not after he had called me a liar and denied that our baby was his. Not after months of no contact.
And yet, there he was, walking toward me…
“Madison,” he said again, his voice softer, closer.
I blinked, the world suddenly coming into sharp focus. This was real. Noah was here, just a few steps away, the sight of him pulling me out of my daze. My heart pounded, my mind warring with itself, not knowing whether I wanted to run to or away from him.