Chapter 26
Chapter 26: The Longest Month
A month passes under the shadow of Elaine's threats. Dale and Skye navigate the strain of bed rest, medical appointments, and police investigations. A suspicious incident at the workshop forces them to confront their fear, but a tender evening reaffirms their love and resolve to protect their growing family.
The month that followed was the longest of Dale’s life. Each day stretched into a taut wire, vibrating with the possibility of the next blow. Elaine’s text had been a ghost—a single taunt—but it was enough to rewire his instincts. Every creak of the house, every car that slowed past Grove Court, every whisper of wind through the workshop eaves sent his heart into a gallop.
Skye bore it with a patience that humbled him. She was on strict bed rest, her body a battlefield of growing twins and a cervix that threatened to betray her at any moment. Dr. Vance came twice a week, her calm fingers pressing, measuring, her eyes lingering on the monitor with a stillness that Dale had learned to read. Worry. Always a layer of worry beneath the professional cheer.
“The babies are growing well,” Eleanor said one Tuesday afternoon, packing away her Doppler. “Strong heartbeats, good movement. But you need to stay horizontal, Skye. No exceptions.”
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