LOGIN<3
ELARA’S POV “I made the potatoes just the way you like it,” Nate says, dropping into his seat. Today was supposed to be an off day for the staff. And somehow, Nate had decided that meant we should have dinner. Just the two of us. Like this was an ordinary evening. Like the hospital wasn’t only a many miles away, holding everything that mattered. The plates sat between us, steam curling into the air. The food smelled good. Comforting, even. And that almost made it worse. I stared down at it, fork resting uselessly in my hand, my chest tightening with every second that passed. That was when the thought slipped out of me, heavy and sharp. “Don’t you think it’s weird,” I said, pushing my fork around the plate, appetite long gone, “eating while our kids are still in the hospital?” Nate’s eyes lifted from his phone for the first time since he got to the table. “It is” He set the phone face down and reached across the table, his fingers closing around mine. His grip was firm
ELARA’S POV. The bathroom feels too bright. Steam fogs the mirror as Nate turns on the water, testing the temperature with his wrist like he’s afraid of getting it wrong. I sit on the closed toilet lid, hands folded in my lap, staring at nothing. “Sit tight,” he says. “I’ll grab a towel.” I nod. When he comes back, he crouches in front of me, moving slowly, giving me time to pull away if I need to. I don’t. He helps me stand. The motion sends a dull ache through my body, deep and persistent. I hiss quietly before I can stop myself. “Easy,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you.” “I know you do” I tell him. He only smiles, The adult diaper feels heavy when he helps me remove it. Embarrassing. Humbling. Real. There’s blood. Not fresh panic-red, but dark, steady, undeniable. I stare at it like it belongs to someone else. “This is normal,” Nate says softly, like he can hear my thoughts. “The doctor explained it. You’re okay.” I nod again. I keep nodding a lot these days. He helps me
ELARA’S POV The nurse adjusted the paperwork at the foot of my bed.“You’re cleared for discharge today.”Discharge.The word sat wrong in my body, like it didn’t belong to me yet.I nodded anyway.Five days had passed too fast. Too full. Too heavy.Somehow, I’d crossed the line into motherhood without ever really holding my children.Nate stood beside me, already holding my bag, already ready. He looked proud. Like I’d passed something important. Like surviving counted as an achievement.My eyes drifted to the empty bassinet by the wall.“So…” My voice came out quieter than I meant. “I just… leave?”The nurse’s expression softened immediately. “For now. You can come back whenever you want. They’re in very good hands.”Good hands.I pressed my lips together and swung my legs off the bed. The movement tugged at my stitches, sharp and unforgiving, a reminder that my body had done something irreversible.At the NICU doors, I stopped.Since my delivery, I’d only been able to see Liam and
ELARA’S POV “Thank you” Nate whispers placing a kiss on my forehead. “For them-“ “I’m sorry to interrupt but We’ll need names for the birth records,” the nurse said gently. The words landed heavier than they should have. I looked down at the two small bundles beside me. Breathing. Warm. Real. My mind was still elsewhere. Still stained with red and noise and fear. Still stuck on what almost happened instead of what did. I swallowed and turned my head toward Nate. “Do you have anything in mind?” His brows drew together slightly, caught off guard. “Me?” I nodded once. My voice felt thin. “I… can’t think straight right now.” That was all I said. It was the truth. He studied me for a second, like he was afraid this was something I’d take back. Then his gaze dropped to the babies. The boy first. “He came out fighting,” Nate murmured. “Strong. Didn’t let go.” My hand tightened around the blanket. “Liam,” he said quietly. The name settled into the room like i
ELARA’S POV He chokes violently, eyes wide, coughing as his body finally goes still. The gun slips from his fingers. I stand there, breathing hard, gun still raised, blood dripping from my skin. His eyes were wide. Pale. Relentless coughing. I could help him. I could press down on the wound, grab gauze from the cabinet, stop the bleeding. I could stop him from dying. I could stop myself from being labeled as the woman that took justice in her hands. Or a killer. But I didn’t. I watched him choke on his own blood on the floor of my dream home. I watched until his eyes lost their color. Until the struggling stopped. Until the muffled words faded into nothing. The doors broke open. Footsteps thundered in. But my eyes never left the monster lying before me. “Elara—” Elliot’s voice broke. “What did you do?” His gaze dropped to my nightgown. “Your water broke.” That’s when I saw it. The white puddle between my legs. No, this… it’s not possible, “
ELARA’S POV I rush to the nearest window, heart slamming against my ribs. For half a second, I let myself hope. That maybe Nate came back. That maybe I imagined everything. Then I see the guard. Blond. Tall. One of Ana’s regulars. His gun is raised. Aimed at something outside my line of sight. Then he drops. Just like that. My breath locks in my chest. I stumble back from the window, every nerve screaming. He’s here. There is no time to think. No time to panic. I sprint to the closet and rip open the locked case. Same place Nate pulled the guns from earlier. My hands shake as I grab the first one I see. Pulling the Safety off I Grip tight. Breathe. The panic room. I grab my phone, dial 911 with clumsy fingers, then Nate. Straight to voicemail. I don’t try again. I run. My feet ache, swollen and heavy, but fear gives me speed. I won’t protect Nate tonight. I failed at that already. But I will protect my baby. I turn left down the hallway to







