“Doctor, is everything alright?” the nurse asked carefully, unsure what she was witnessing.
He did not respond because he could not pull his eyes away from the baby. He kept staring at the small curve of the child’s nose and the shape of his lips, and just beneath the left ear there was a faint crescent shaped birthmark.
Abigail struggled to sit up, panic rising instantly inside her chest.
“What is wrong, what is wrong with my baby?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The doctor swallowed hard before speaking, and when he did his voice was barely above a whisper.
“Where is the baby’s father?”
Abigail’s expression changed as her guard went up immediately.
“He is not here,” she replied quietly.
“I need his name,” the doctor said, his tone serious but not harsh.
“Why does that matter right now?” she asked, her voice tightening with confusion and fear.
He looked at her with something heavy in his eyes, something that carried years of pain and unanswered questions.
“Please tell me his name,” he said again, more softly this time.
Abigail hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Julian Pierce,” she said quietly.