Chapter 72

Days had turned into weeks. Amelia had spent them all, thinking.

She walked into her bedroom and shut the door quietly behind her. The soft click echoed too loudly in the stillness, making her close her eyes for a moment. Her body sagged against the wooden frame as if she had been carrying the whole world on her shoulders. She let out a long breath, then opened her eyes, her hand instinctively falling to her belly. The gentle swell beneath her palm seemed bigger than the day before, pulsing with life even as her own heart felt fractured.

She began pacing slowly across the room, her bare feet brushing against the rug, her gown swaying faintly with each step. The room looked the same as it always had, neatly arranged, peaceful and almost serene, but her spirit was far from it. Her movements betrayed her inner turmoil: two steps forward, a pause, then a sharp turn, two steps back. She couldn’t stop moving, as if stopping meant she would crumble right there on the spot.