Lillian Moore’s hands tightened on the armrests as her wheelchair rolled slightly on the hardwood floor. She was eight months pregnant, diagnosed with placenta previa, ordered by her doctor not to stand, not to walk, not to risk even a small fall. The living room smelled like disinfectant and reheated coffee, the stale air of weeks spent indoors. Andrew Blake stood behind her, jaw clenched, phone buzzing in his palm.
Before Lillian could respond, the chair tipped backward. The world flipped. Her back hit the floor hard, pain slicing through her abdomen as her breath left her body in a sharp, useless gasp. She screamed once—short, terrified—then froze, afraid that any movement might end her baby’s life.
Andrew didn’t rush to help.
He stepped over her.
From the doorway, Vanessa Reed watched. Young, well-dressed, unmistakably pregnant. She didn’t look shocked. She looked relieved.
“This can’t go on,” Andrew said, adjusting his jacket. “She needs the room. You’re moving in.”
Lillian lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling fan spinning slowly, her pulse roaring in her ears. “Call an ambulance,” she whispered. “Please.”
Andrew glanced down at her like she was a spilled drink. “You did this to yourself.”
Vanessa shifted her weight, resting a hand on her belly. “We talked about this, Andrew. The baby needs stability.”
The irony was suffocating.
Minutes passed. Lillian’s vision blurred. Then the front door opened.
“Lily?”The voice was familiar, steady, wrong for this moment. Marcus Moore—her older brother—stood frozen in the doorway, a Marine captain home early from deployment. His eyes moved from Andrew, to Vanessa, to Lillian on the floor.
