She tried again, asking softly if something else was bothering him. Jake squeezed her hand, insisting it was nothing beyond nerves about becoming a father. His voice carried sincerity, yet a thin veil of something unspoken lingered. Sandra let it go, trusting him fully, certain that transparency would come when he was ready.
Now, in the hospital room thick with panic, that memory resurfaced with unnerving weight. His distant eyes, the restless night, the tight smiles—details once softened by love now felt sharpened by fear. She couldn’t interpret the meaning, but the unease seeped into her chest, turning old moments into fresh questions.