Reunited in the ER with my ex and the daughter I never told him about, my heart shattered in silence.

Adelaide finishes treating Sophie

“Sophie, your arm is going to be just fine,” I assured her, gently wrapping the bandage around her small limb. The tears in her eyes started to fade, replaced by a tentative smile. “Just a little bruise, and some ice will help.”

I turned to Elias, who stood nearby, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air between us. “You did the right thing by bringing her in quickly,” I said, keeping my tone professional, even as my heart raced with every glance.

He nodded, the color slowly returning to his cheeks, but his eyes were stormy with something else—frustration, regret? I couldn’t tell. “Thank you, Dr. Brooks. I…” He hesitated, looking down at Sophie, who was now focusing intently on her bandaged arm.

“It’s just... she means everything to me,” he continued, swallowing hard. “And I didn’t want to lose her.”

“You won’t,” I replied, catching his gaze. “As long as you’re there for her.” I could feel the sting of tears threatening to spill; it was absurd. Yet here we were—two parents navigating a world that had turned upside down. “Just take care of her.”

Elias took a step closer, and I braced myself. “I will. I never wanted to—”

“Don’t,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “Not here, not now.” The air crackled with unsaid emotions, memories rushing back like tidal waves, but I pushed them down. “Sophie needs you.”

He held my gaze, the tension spiraling between us thicker than the antiseptic smell of the ER. I turned away, reminding myself that my duty lay elsewhere.

As nurses secured Sophie for discharge, Elias grasped my arm gently. “I appreciate you, Adelaide. More than you know.”

“Just doing my job,” I replied, my heart pounding, churning with confusion. I stepped back, breaking our contact, and breathed deeply. I focused on Sophie’s bright eyes instead. “Okay, sweetheart, let’s get you checked out.”

Reflection in the break room

The fluorescent lights hummed above me as I leaned against the break room counter, an untouched cup of coffee cooling beside me. I closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me—the laugh we’d shared, the warmth that suffocated the silence after he left.

His daughter was here, in pain, and I knew I should be thinking about her, but all I could see was the man who had walked out on us. I rubbed my belly absently, feeling the life within me stir, a reminder of everything I couldn’t share.

Just when my thoughts spiraled too far into the past, the door creaked open. Elias entered, his expression uncertain, the weight of the day etched into the lines of his forehead.

“Can we talk?” he asked, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. My heart raced at his request, caught between indignation and the flicker of hope. “I… I have questions.”

“About Sophie?” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant while my pulse quickened. He shifted uncomfortably before nodding.

“Yeah. And about us. About everything, really.”

I felt trapped, caught between the urge to flee and the desire to stay. “I don’t know what to say, Elias.”

“You could start with how long you’ve been pregnant,” he said, and though his tone was light, the underlying weight of that question hung over us. I forced a smile, but it faltered. “I just wish we had been honest.”

“It’s complicated,” I murmured, my hands shaking slightly. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, a small voice echoed down the hall. “Mommy?”

The interruption shattered the moment. My heart sank as I realized Sophie was calling for me. I glanced at Elias, whose expression mirrored my own surprise and disappointment.

In that instant, my phone vibrated against the table, the screen illuminating with a message from the lab. My heart dropped as I opened it, reading about the potential genetic condition linked to Sophie’s injury. The implications were staggering. How could I possibly tell Elias? My world tilted on its axis, the weight of the decision crashing down on me.