Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 4

"There has to be another explanation," I said. My fingers tightened around the edge of the chair.The doctor held my gaze for a moment before she looked back at the test results on her desk. "I understand why you're hoping that's true, Ivy, but your egg count is very low.""Your window to become a mother naturally is closing much faster than we would normally expect."The words settled over the room. They left behind a silence that felt almost as heavy as the news itself. For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood her."I'm only twenty-nine.""I know." She said it kindly, but that only made the words harder to hear.My eyes drifted to the dark image on the monitor beside her. A few numbers and medical terms were highlighted on the screen, but they meant nothing to me.I had come to this appointment expecting reassurance. I thought there would be a simple explanation for why I had been feeling anxious lately, maybe a small issue that could be fixed with medicine or a change in routine

Maple Hollow Fertility Clinic looked exactly the way I had imagined it. The building wasn't large or flashy. It stood on a quiet street lined with maple trees, their leaves swaying gently in the morning breeze.Through the glass doors, everything looked bright, clean, and peaceful. The moment I stepped inside, the scent of fresh coffee mixed with disinfectant greeted me.Soft piano music drifted through the waiting room, quiet enough to soothe without demanding attention. I hadn't realized how tense I was until my shoulders relaxed.The receptionist looked up from her computer and smiled. "Good morning. You must be Vivienne.""I am.""Welcome to Maple Hollow."She asked for my identification and insurance card, typed something into her computer, then handed them back. "You're a little early, which is perfect. Someone will be with you shortly.""Thank you."I took a seat and looked around the waiting room. Several women were already there. Some sat beside their husbands, talking quietl