As mother and child disappeared down the corridor, morning sunlight spilled through the glass doors, soft and gold. Elise watched them go, remembering that first night, the question that had shattered the room, and thought how sometimes, the hardest answer is always worth seeking.
Long after her shift ended, Elise sat alone in the dim staff lounge, the hum of vending machines filling the silence. She thought about all the women who’d crossed her path—some broken, some brave, most both. Olivia’s story exemplified the courage to face uncertainty and still choose love anyway.