Is She in There?

Ella

Sunlight filters through a large window and plays over a cozy bistro table stacked high with food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, bagels, bowls of tropical fruit, and pitchers of juice.

I smear butter and jam on my third piece of toast and bite into it, trying not to groan. How long has it been since I’ve eaten?

I open my eyes to find Hannah loading up another plate for Maddy, who is lounging nearby on the couch overlooking the sweeping view of the white sand beach below. Maddy’s bare feet are propped on an ottoman, and she’s wearing an airy cream colored dress. Her red hair is pinned away from her face, which has turned a ruddy shade of pink from the sunlight.

She looks beautiful. They both do, actually. Hannah looks fresh, new, and bright-eyed. She doesn’t have a single scratch on her, and the gray pallor of her skin has shifted back to a creamy peach.

Pregnancy suits Maddy. She’s glowing, her hair thick and radiating as it brushes over her cheeks while she smiles up at Hannah. She