CHAPTER 198

CHAPTER 197

LILY POV

The drive back home was made in almost complete silence. Samantha drove with her hands steady on the wheel, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she occasionally bit her lower lip as if holding back a thousand words. I stared out the window, watching Chicago pass by in shades of gray and the pale green of spring that was arriving timidly. My hand rested on my belly, feeling Faith’s gentle movements, as if she wanted to remind me that she was still there, alive, fighting.

I couldn’t stop replaying the doctor’s words. “Placental insufficiency.” “Increased risks.” “C-section next week.” Eight months. It still felt too early. I felt like there was still time. But the doctor had been clear: better to prevent than to treat. Samantha had agreed, squeezing my hand tightly and saying it was the safest option. I had nodded. But inside, I felt a deep discomfort, an intuition I couldn’t explain. As if something was out of place.

When we got home, the afternoon sun streamed through the windows, illuminating the living room in an almost cruelly normal way. I took off my shoes slowly, feeling the weight of my body and the constant exhaustion. Samantha closed the door behind us and pulled me into a brief but tight hug.

“Everything is going to be okay, Lily. I promise. We’ll get through this together.”

I nodded against her shoulder but said nothing. The words seemed stuck in my throat. I sat down on the sofa, my hand still on my belly, feeling Faith move as if responding to my nervousness. Samantha went to the kitchen to make tea. I stayed there, staring into space, replaying everything. The C-section. The operating room. The possibility of seeing my daughter sooner than expected. The fear that something might go wrong. The even greater fear that everything would go right, and I would have to raise a child alone at sixteen, with a huge secret about her father.

Samantha returned with two cups of chamomile tea. She sat beside me and handed me one.

“Drink it slowly. It’ll calm you down a bit.”

I held the warm cup between my hands, feeling the steam rise and blur my already watery eyes.

“I’m scared, Samantha. What if something goes wrong? What if she’s born too premature? What if I can’t be a good mother?”

Samantha placed her hand over mine, her touch warm and firm.

“You will be able to. You’re already strong. Look at everything you’ve been through. Homeschooling, the GED, all of it while pregnant. You’re stronger than you realize. And I’ll be here. Your father too. We’ll raise this girl together.”

I nodded, but the tears escaped anyway. Samantha pulled me into a hug. I cried on her shoulder, sobbing quietly, releasing the fear I had held back at the clinic. She stroked my back, murmuring comforting words, just like she did when I was little and had nightmares.

We stayed like that for a while. Until we heard the sound of a key in the door.

Doug had arrived.

He entered the living room still wearing his work suit, tie loosened, face tired from the day. When he saw us hugging on the sofa, he frowned, worried.

“What happened?” he asked, quickly coming closer. “Lily, are you okay?”

I straightened up, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Samantha held my hand, giving me strength.

“Dad… we need to tell you something.”

Doug sat down in the armchair across from us, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His eyes moved anxiously between me and Samantha.

“Go ahead, sweetheart. What is it?”

I took a deep breath, my voice trembling.

“At today’s appointment… the doctor found a problem with the placenta. She said it’s not working properly. That the risks of continuing the pregnancy are too high. So… she recommended a C-section. Next week.”

Doug remained silent for a long second. Then he blinked, processing the information.

“Next week? But you still had a whole month ahead…”

“I know,” I replied, my voice breaking. “But the doctor said it’s safer. That the baby is well developed and that it’s better not to take any risks.”

Doug ran his hands over his face, jaw clenched. I saw the fear flash in his eyes, mixed with the determination he always had when it came to protecting me.

“And you? How do you feel about this?”

I shrugged, tears returning.

“Scared. I thought I’d have more time. I thought I could prepare better. But… the doctor said it’s the best option. Samantha agrees too.”

Doug looked at Samantha, who nodded slowly.

“It’s the safest choice, Doug. The doctor was clear. The risks are real.”

Doug stayed silent for a long time. Then he stood up, walked over to me, and knelt in front of me. He took my hands in his — big, calloused, and warm.

“Then we’ll do it. If it’s the best for you and my granddaughter, we’ll do it.”

I started crying again. Doug pulled me into a hug, strong and protective, like he did when I was little. I clung to him, sobbing against his chest.

“I’m scared, Dad…” I confessed. “Scared that something will go wrong. Scared that I won’t be able to be a mother. Scared of everything.”

“Shhh…” he soothed, stroking my hair. “You won’t go through this alone. I’ll be there. In the waiting room. I’ll hold your hand before and after. I’ll be present every step of the way. I promise.”

Samantha joined the hug, wrapping her arms around us. The three of us stayed there, united, breathing the same air heavy with fear, hope, and love.

But inside, I still felt that uneasy intuition. The feeling that something was wrong with this decision. That the doctor’s haste and Samantha’s quick support seemed… too planned.

I said nothing.

I just held onto my father and my stepmother, hoping they were right.

Hoping that Faith would come into the world safely.