Dancing with Shadows ✔

A Glimpse of the Future

Dancing with Shadow

Chapter 18

Emma slowly opened her eyes, her surroundings coming into focus as the familiar sound of raised voices filled her ears. One voice stood out, sharp with distress, and another was thick with tears. Her throat was sore, and her mouth felt dry, making it difficult to speak.

"Why is everyone shouting?" she managed to rasp out, blinking at the stark white walls around her. This wasn't the nurse's office at school. Everything was too sterile, too clinical. Where am I?

Her mother answered as though reading her mind. "You're in the hospital, sweetie." Her voice wavered, heavy with emotion.

"Why am I here?" Emma's confusion deepened. The last thing she remembered was sitting in class, and then everything went dark.

"You weren't breathing." The familiar voice of Greyson came from the corner of the room. She hadn't noticed him there, leaning against the wall, his expression troubled. Her father, however, was glaring at him with barely contained anger.

"What do you mean I wasn't breathing?" Panic flickered in her chest. She searched their faces for answers.

"The panic attack you had this time was really bad," her father explained, his glare at Greyson softening as he turned his gaze to her. "The doctor said it stopped your heart."

Emma's hand instinctively moved to her stomach, resting protectively over the small life growing inside her. The thought that her baby had caused this terrified her, but she quickly pushed the idea away. No, she wouldn't blame her child. She gently rubbed her stomach in slow, soothing circles, her mind wandering as she tried to process everything.

Greyson's voice pulled her back to reality. "Your parents told me it's the baby that's causing this, but they wouldn't tell me why. Is it because your body can't handle carrying a child?" He stepped closer, his eyes searching hers for the truth.

Emma avoided his gaze, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her belly. She couldn't tell him the truth—not now, not when it would only complicate things further. "Yes, the baby is causing the panic attacks, but I'm not sure why I'm getting them," she lied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Greyson's frustration boiled over. "Why are you keeping the baby then if it's going to mess you up?"

"Greyson!" Her mother's voice was sharp, her disapproval clear. That was a question no pregnant woman, especially one who already loved her unborn child, should ever have to answer.

Emma met Greyson's eyes, her expression softening. "Because I already love it," she said gently. "And it will remind me of the good times I had with its father." She offered him a small, bittersweet smile, but it only seemed to fuel his anger. Without another word, Greyson turned and stormed out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, Emma's smile crumbled. She buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want her parents to see her like this, but the weight of everything was too much to bear.

"Emma, honey," her mother's voice was soft and full of concern.

Emma had been in the hospital for two hours now. The doctor wanted to monitor her heart rate and the baby, even though she seemed to be functioning properly. But her mind was elsewhere, replaying the scene with Greyson over and over. Did he hate her now? Would he ever talk to her again? And why did she care so much? They had never even been in a relationship, only shared a few conversations.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her mother in front of her until she felt a gentle hand on hers.

"Emma, honey? Are you okay? I was calling your name." Her mother's eyes were filled with worry.