Emma stared at the newspaper headline on her phone: "NHL Commissioner's Wife Demands Special Treatment." "They leaked our proposal," she said, showing Alek the article over breakfast. "Of course they did." Alek's jaw was tight as he read. "And somehow our request for transparency became me giving
Emma's phone buzzed at 6 AM with a text from Lisa: "Emergency sponsor meeting today at 2 PM. They're making final decisions about Toronto support." Emma groaned, reaching for her coffee before remembering she was trying to cut back on caffeine while her body healed from the miscarriage. Herbal tea
Emma stood in the middle of their living room, surrounded by boxes, watching Charlotte try to "help" pack by putting her stuffed animals in random containers. "Not the dishes box, sweetheart," Emma laughed, rescuing a soggy elephant from a box of wrapped china. "Ellie wants to help too," Charlotte
"Mama!" Charlotte's delighted squeal echoed through the apartment as Emma and Alek walked through the door. Emma dropped to her knees, catching her daughter in a fierce hug. For a moment, holding Charlotte's warm, solid little body, the grief felt manageable. "Dada!" Frankie toddled over, arms out
Emma woke to the sound of hushed voices in Jack's kitchen. For a moment, she forgot where she was and why everything hurt. Then reality crashed back - the miscarriage, the hospital, the terrible fight with Alek. "She's been sleeping for about two hours," Jack was saying quietly. "Thank you for tak
"Alek and I had a terrible fight," she admitted. "I tried to help with his work situation and made everything worse. He basically said I destroyed his dreams." "And you believed him?" "Didn't you hear what I said? I made everything worse." Jack was quiet for a moment. "Do you remember what you to