And then—a rush. A sudden, shocking release. A small, wet, wriggling being slid into Priya’s hands, and the world cracked open.
“I can’t,” she gasped at nine centimeters, panic clawing at her throat. “I can’t do this.” women giving birth
But the work, Elara learned, was not just physical. It was a stripping away. With each contraction, she shed the layers of who she’d been—the lawyer who could argue any case, the daughter who never wanted to be a burden, the woman who prided herself on control. The pain was a raw, honest thing that didn’t care about her résumé. It demanded she go somewhere deeper. And then—a rush