Chapter 138 Caelum

• The office is small, with white walls that reflect the cold, impersonal light of the fluorescent bulbs. Aria is lying on an exam table covered by a paper sheet, which crinkles softly under her weight. Her stomach is exposed, the brown skin contrasting with the sterile environment around her. Her expression is stoic, but her eyes carry a deep exhaustion.
• The blood tests confirm the pregnancy quickly. Six weeks. The news hits me like an electric shock to my system. I feel a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, surprise, maybe even a bit of fear—all mixed together and hard to process. I try to contain the happiness, aware that the baby isn’t mine, but I can't help it. A smile involuntarily forms on my face.
• Aria, on the other hand, remains expressionless. Her eyes are fixed on some distant point, as if she’s trapped in her own thoughts. She doesn’t react, doesn’t smile, or show any trace of joy. It cuts me, but I know her time is different from mine.