Would you like some tea?" Selena asked, hands busying themselves with mugs and a kettle.
Mia blinked, clearly taken aback. "You're not angry?"
Selena replied, pouring water over the teabags. "I am. But not with you. If anything, I'm sorry you had to come here alone."
The hours blurred into one long, echoing silence. Selena sat across from Mia, her mind racing, her heart thudding against her ribs. Rage flooded her, then dissolved into something colder, more profound—a grief that hollowed her out from within.
Yet, when she looked at Mia, Selena saw not a rival, but another woman ensnared by Luke's duplicity. Mia's hands shook, her eyes rimmed red. "I didn't know about you. Not until now. I'm so sorry."
Selena nodded, tears sliding down her face. She reached for Mia's hand, surprising herself. "None of us deserved this," she whispered. "But we can choose what happens next."
Mia sniffed, squeezing Selena's hand. "Whatever happens, I hope your child knows they were wanted. Truly."
Selena closed the door behind her, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. But her heart felt lighter—emptied of bitterness, if only for a moment.