author_aru123
He loved his wife in a way that felt rare even to those who saw them-quiet, deep, and unwavering. She was his home, his calm, the reason his world felt complete. When she became pregnant, he was filled with both joy and fear. The pregnancy was difficult; every day seemed like a battle she fought with a tired smile, reassuring him even when she was the one in pain. He stayed by her side through it all, holding onto hope.
The day their daughter was born should have been the happiest of his life. For a brief moment, it was-he saw a part of her live on in the tiny, fragile child. But fate was cruel. Not long after giving birth, his wife slipped away, leaving behind silence where laughter once lived.
Grief consumed him, but it twisted into something darker. Every time he looked at his daughter, he saw echoes of the woman he lost-the same eyes, the same softness-and instead of comfort, it brought him pain. Somewhere in his broken heart, he began to believe that the child had taken his wife away, that the difficult pregnancy and the birth had cost him everything.
He never said it aloud, but the thought lingered, growing heavier with time. Love for his wife remained untouched, eternal... but his heart, unable to bear the loss, struggled to find space for the innocent life she had left behind.