She introduced herself as Mara Ellis, then asked whether Julian had finally told us the truth about Sadie.
Chloe said she was Julian's wife, and Mara went silent long enough for me to hear her struggling to breathe.
"Then he lied to you too," Mara whispered, and something fragile inside Chloe seemed to break at those words.
Mara explained that Sadie was ten years old, that Julian was her biological father, and that she had proof.
The nurse quietly closed our door while Dr.
Patel suggested that I needed rest and offered to return when we were ready.
I asked the doctor to stay long enough to reassure Chloe that the baby's mark was not an emergency in itself.
She repeated her medical explanation, promised an appropriate newborn assessment, and reminded us that adults' decisions could not diminish a child's worth.
Then she left us with the nurse, whose calm presence made the room feel just barely safe again.
