Chapter 30

In the quiet of her bedroom, Kaitlyn, now well into the end of her second trimester, stood before the mirror. The gentle circles she traced upon her swollen belly bespoke a bittersweet reality. The swell of life within her was not met with the anticipated joy, but rather an ache of longing.

As her reflection stared back, Kaitlyn couldn't escape the haunting absence of Kyle. Her thoughts, like tendrils of concern, reached out, seeking the echo of his existence. Amid the physical changes she underwent, an emotional void persisted. The silent plea lingered in the air: a desire to know of Kyle's endeavors, a hope that the passage of time hadn't eroded the memory of their connection.

Sighing, Kaitlyn settled onto the bed, a space that once cradled solitude but now shared with Dean, her ex-husband who had reclaimed his place. The notion of Dean's love, which could have been a source of boundless joy, now cast a shadow of sorrow, the separation from Kyle looming large.

A yearning to resist,