Chapter 76

• The next morning, I woke up with a heaviness in my chest that had nothing to do with the pregnancy. Leo was still asleep beside me, his arm draped protectively over my waist. I gently shifted out from under his arm, careful not to wake him, and got dressed quietly. My thoughts were consumed with one person: Ethan.
• I had to see him. We hadn’t spoken much since Caleb’s death, and the guilt of avoiding him was gnawing at me. I knew he was grieving, and part of me was afraid of how he would react to the news about the baby. But I couldn’t keep putting it off. I had to face him, to offer whatever comfort I could, even if it felt insufficient.
• As I made my way to the cabin where Ethan had been staying, the path seemed longer than usual, each step heavy with dread. The forest was quiet, the only sound the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. When I reached the cabin, I paused at the door, gathering the courage to knock.