Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Blake's pulse thundered in her ears, drowning out the soft rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant hum of traffic. The woman—Evelyn Wright, a name that carried the weight in the medical community but, overall, meant nothing to Blake personally—stood inches away. Evelyn took a tentative step closer, her eyes pleading. "Blake, please. I know this is overwhelming, but I had to see you."
Blake's feet were rooted to the ground, her heart pounding in her chest. The air around her seemed to thicken, every breath a struggle. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and anger. Ethan had called her. Ethan, who she thought she could trust, had reached out to this woman. The realization hit Blake like a sledgehammer, her world crumbling around her.
Evelyn's voice broke through her daze, soft and laced with regret that seemed to echo the hollowness in Blake's own chest. "I know I wasn't there. I know I missed so much. But I want to try now, Blake. I want to be part of your life."
Blake's silence was deafening, a void filled with the weight of unanswered questions and a lifetime of suppressed emotions. She couldn't look at Evelyn, couldn't acknowledge the truth of her words. This was all too much to bear.
Evelyn continued, desperation creeping into her voice. "I understand if you hate me. I deserve that. But please, just let me explain."
Blake's hands trembled, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain her composure. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, to escape this confrontation, this woman who was both a stranger and an echo from an unknown past. She couldn't do this. Not here, not how. The walls were closing in, the street lights flickering ominously as if mocking her pain.
"I'm sorry, Blake. I'm so sorry for everything." Evelyn's tears flowed freely, her anguish palpable. "I never wanted to hurt you."
Grief threated to consume Blake. She felt an urge to lash out, to scream at this woman. But the words wouldn't come. Her vision tunneled, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Each inhale felt like a betrayal, each exhale a plea for air that wouldn't come.
