Chapter 2 - The Empty Chair
By the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, Emily could no longer drive safely.
Hannah began taking her to the hospital twice a week.
She brought snacks, carried medical files, and wrote down the doctors’ instructions. She also began noticing the empty chair beside Emily at every appointment.
Whenever a nurse asked whether the babies’ father was coming, Emily invented a reason.
“He’s meeting an investor.”
“His flight was delayed.”
“He’s waiting for an important call.”
Sometimes Mark did not know what excuse she had made.
One afternoon, the specialist explained that Emily’s blood pressure was becoming dangerous. The triplets might need to be delivered early.
“You should prepare for an emergency,” the doctor said. “Keep your phone close. Do not stay alone.”
Emily glanced at the empty chair.
That evening, she repeated the warning to Mark.
He stood in their bedroom knotting a tie while studying himself in the mirror.
“The investor conference is only three days,” he said. “I’ll be two hours away.”
“The doctor said things could change quickly.”
“My father expects me there.”
“I’m asking you not to go.”
Mark sighed as though she had placed him in an unfair position.
“Emily, if I walk away now, I could lose the company.”
“And if you go, what could you lose here?”
He turned to face her.
For a moment, she hoped he understood.
Then his expression hardened.
“You know how much pressure I’m under.”
Emily rested both hands on her stomach as three small movements shifted beneath her palms.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I know exactly which pressure matters most to you.”
Mark left the following morning.
May you like
Before driving away, he promised to keep his phone on.
It was the last promise Emily expected him to break.
