Sofia swayed as though the ground shifted beneath her. She tried to steady herself, to deny it—but a sharp pain tore through her abdomen. She cried out, clutching Carlos’s arm.
“It hurts… Carlos, something’s wrong…”
Their daughters, sixteen-year-old Ava and little Isabella, froze in the doorway, terror flooding their faces.
The labor came too early. With their insurance canceled to afford the final payment to Ethan, they rushed to the public hospital. Carlos carried Sofia through the emergency doors, shouting for help while his heart pounded violently in his chest. Ava tried to comfort Isabella in the waiting room, but her own hands trembled.
Hours later, a tired doctor approached.
“She’s stable, but it was a premature placental abruption,” he explained. “We had to perform an emergency C-section. The baby was born at seven months. His lungs aren’t fully developed. He’ll need intensive care. We’ll require additional supplies and medication within forty-eight hours.”