Chapter 86

Aisha's POV I stirred cream into my coffee, the rhythmic swirl lulling me into a tender daydream. The image in my mind was vivid—Simon cradling a little boy with my eyes and his dimpled smile, while I chased a curly-haired girl through a field of golden grass. Laughter rang like music in my ears, sunlight bathing us in warmth. We were safe,whole and loved. It was an image I wanted to see every single day. I couldn't wait till we started having pups. A soft sigh escaped my lips before I could catch it. I didn't hear the footsteps until they stopped just behind me. A presence hovered, hesitant but familiar. I turned slowly, and there stood Thomas, hands shoved deep into his scrub pockets, eyes shadowed with something deeper than exhaustion. "Aisha," he said, voice low, strained. "You look... different." My pulse skipped, and I set the cup down. "Different how?" He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in that careful, calculating way he always did when diagnosing patients or solving a part