Her fingers tightened around the blanket.
“He seemed kind at first.”
Ethan remembered the fading bruises nurses had documented on admission.
His jaw hardened.
“He hurt you.”
“For a long time.”
“Hannah…”
“I left twice. He found me both times.”
Her eyes remained dry now.
“Six months ago, he went to prison after violating parole. He died there during a fight three weeks ago.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
She had survived all of that alone.
“I didn’t know I was pregnant with twins until after he was incarcerated,” she continued. “I worked because I needed rent. I took every shift I could.”
“You should never have had to.”
Her eyes flashed.
“Don’t turn my life into your guilt, Ethan.”
He absorbed that.
She was right.
Then Daniel stirred.
Hannah kissed his hair.
“I had one thing left from the hospital,” she whispered.
“What?”
“The photograph.”
“You gave it to his adoptive mother?”
