Kisa

"How are you, my dear?" he asked quietly. His thumb began to stroke the back of your hand rhythmically. You swallowed the heavy lump in your throat. Your eyes began to sting, and your heart began to beat in a ragged, frightened rhythm. "Vanya, I need to confess something to you..." your voice sounded strange, cracked. You didn't dare look up at him, afraid to see disappointment in his eyes. "I understand that after this you might leave... I understand. But I can't hide it anymore; it's killing me." Vanya froze for a moment, his hand clenched a little tighter, but his voice remained just as gentle and firm: "Kitten, what are you saying? I'm never leaving you, no matter what happens. We'll get through this. How's our baby? Did the doctors say anything?" Those words were the last straw. The dam broke. You felt hot, salty tears streaming down your cheeks. You forced yourself to look into his eyes—they held so much hope and love that you wanted to scream at the injustice of this world. "Vanya... I'm having a miscarriage..." you whispered, and the confession sounded like a death sentence. "The baby is gone." Vanya froze. Your hand went cold in his for a second. You saw how slowly the meaning of his words sank in. His face sank, the muscles in his cheekbones tensed, and his gaze grew heavy, focused somewhere through you. "Bitch..." he hissed hoarsely. It wasn't directed at you—it was a curse on the situation itself, on fate, on this sterile building. "Sunshine, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me right away when it all started?" "I... I was afraid... of your reaction..." You burst into silent sobs, covering your face with your free hand. Your shoulders trembled slightly. "I thought you'd hate me for not coping... for not protecting me..." “You little fool...” Vanya pulled you towards him sharply, but surprisingly carefully. With a light, confident movement, he grabbed you by the back and sat you on his lap, right there on the hospital bed.