Her disapproval was a constant, low-grade hum in the background of our lives. It was never in a raised voice, but in the subtle barbs, the loaded questions. She seems so emotional, Caleb. Isn’t stability important?

Still, we tried. We built a life. And when we started trying for a baby, it felt like a chance for a new beginning. But that path was paved with heartbreak—two miscarriages and a diagnosis of endometriosis that made every negative pregnancy test feel like a personal failure. Vivien’s sympathy was a closed door. “Maybe it’s just not meant to be,” she told Caleb over the phone, never to my face.