Chapter 82

Nora POV

Pain woke me before sound did.

It arrived low and deep, curling through my abdomen with a certainty that left no room for denial. I inhaled slowly, counting in my head, the way the midwife had taught me, the way I had practiced for weeks like this was an exam I could pass if I prepared well enough.

“David,” I said, my voice steady even as my body tightened. “It’s starting again.”

He was already awake. He had been half awake since we got there, perched on the edge of the chair like a man afraid to sit too comfortably in case fate mistook it for arrogance.

“I see it,” he said, moving instantly to my side. “I’m here.”

The contraction crested and faded. I let out the breath I had been holding and stared at the ceiling, counting the tiles, groundin