The nurse pressed her palm to her chest, eyes glossy. Even Dr. Patel, usually composed, had to look away for a breath that didn’t taste like grief.
Nora kept talking, the words spilling fast now, too full to hold back. “That night, before the accident, he texted me. Said he had something for the baby—something special.”
“Did they find anything?” the nurse asked softly.
“A blanket,” Nora said. “In the back seat. Blue, with stars. The hospital staff brought it in with my things.” She pointed to the bundle wrapped around her newborn. “It’s his.”
The baby squirmed, cooing quietly, as if responding to the sound of his father’s name.
Dr. Patel exhaled slowly. “You don’t have to explain more. You’ve done enough.”
But Nora shook her head. “I know what everyone will think—that I’m just a scared girl making up stories to make this easier. But I swear… when they handed me the baby, I felt him. Evan. Just for a second.”
The nurse brushed away a tear. “Sometimes love doesn’t need permission to show up,” she whispered. “Even from the other side.”
Nora nodded, clutching the infant closer. “Then he kept his promise. He’s here.”
