#Chapter 317: By My Side

Abby “Another surprise. No more appointments this time. I promise.” Karl’s proposition takes me by surprise. I just finished crying in the car over a failed visit to some quack ‘doctor’ who wants to give me strange potions to cure my fertility issues, and all I want to do is go home and climb back into bed to sleep off the pain. But Karl, it seems, has other plans. “No, Karl, I just... I want to go home,” I mutter, feeling the weight of the morning’s disappointment still heavy on my shoulders. I can barely meet his gaze, my eyes still stinging from the tears I hastily wiped away. I keep staring out the window at a particular birch tree on the doctor’s front lawn. All of its leaves are gone for the season, giving way to bare branches that reach up into the blue sky. Karl lets out a soft sigh. I can feel his hand reaching out to gently squeeze mine. Even though I want to pull away, I don’t. His touch is a comfort. “Abby, I know this morning didn't go as planned,” he