"They went home to rest. They''re getting older, and staying up all night at the hospital is too much for them," Cynthia replied calmly, setting her book aside.


    "Okay. I''ll stay with you and the baby tonight," Noah said.


    "You don''t have to. You should go home and rest, too. The doctors and nurses are here, and that''s enough," Cynthia said.


    Noah didn''t respond. Instead, he picked up the book she had tossed aside.


    "Reading to the baby? Staring at the pages for too long is bad for your eyes. I''ll read to you. The baby should hear his father''s voice often, too."


    With that, Noah opened the book and began reading a random story.


    Cynthia ignored him and simply rolled over, turning her back to him.


    Noah held the book with one hand and reached out with the other to pull the nket up for her.


    Cynthia remained with her back to him, silent, as if she had already fallen asleep. Noah kept watch over her in the room all night.


    The next morning, when Cynthia woke up, she saw he was still sitting by her bed.


    As she sat up and was about to get out of bed, Noah woke up and reached out to help her.


    "You''re awake? Do you need to use the restroom?" he asked, steadying her.


    "Mhm," Cynthia murmured, reaching for her slippers with her foot.


    Seeing this, Noah immediately bent down and put them on for her.


    Once her shoes were on, Cynthia stood by the bed and looked up at him. “I''m a little hungry. Could you get me something to eat?"


    "What would you like?" Noah asked, his gaze falling on her slightly swollen belly, his tone softening. “Is the baby a picky eater?"


    "Something light is fine," Cynthia replied casually.


    "Then I''ll go to that breakfast cafe you like and get some takeout," Noah offered.


    "Suit yourself," Cynthia said, then walked into the bathroom.


    Noah drove away from the hospital.


    The breakfast cafe Cynthia liked was a fair distance away, taking nearly an hour for a round trip.


    When Noah returned to the hospital room with the takeout containers, the nkets on the bed were neatly folded. A thermos sat on the bedside table Mr. and Mrs Scott had clearly been there.


    However, Cynthia and her parents were nowhere in the room.


    Noah stepped out and went to the nurses'' station. “Excuse me, nurse. Does my wife


    have any check-ups today? She''s not in her room."


    "You mean the patient in room 1202? She''s scheduled for a termination this morning. She''s already in the operating room. Aren''t you her husband? You didn''t know?" the nurse asked, flipping through the chart.


    "What? An abortion?" The nurse''s words hit Noah like a freight train His world tilted on its axis a high-pitched ringing drowning out the hospital noise as denial surged through him like a bitter tide.


    “You must be... mistaken. My wife is Cynthia," Noah stammered.


    "There''s no mistake. Cynthia Scott, room 1202. She scheduled the induced abortion a week ago. She was admitted yesterday for the pre-op check-up..." the nurse exined.


    Before she could finish, Noah was already sprinting toward the elevators.


    The surgical suites for the maternity ward were on the third floor. Unable to wait for the elevator, Noah lunged for the exit, taking the stairs from the thirteenth floor at a breakneck pace.


    He reached the operating room to find the doors shut tight. Mr. and Mrs. Scott were standing guard outside.


    "Mom? Dad? Where''s Cynthia?” Noah asked frantically.


    "Cynthia''s in surgery," Mr. Scott said in a low, heavy voice.


    Mrs. Scott''s face was also grim as she tossed out a sarcastic remark, "A littlete to


    care about Cynthia now, don''t you think?"