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56. Tonics and Turmoil

Author: Alex Lupin
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-10 03:33:33

Everest

The sharp taste of bile still lingered in the back of my throat as I splashed cold water on my face. My hands trembled against the porcelain sink. Morning sickness had always seemed like a minor inconvenience in the stories I’d heard growing up—a small price to pay for the miracle of life. No one warned me how it would leave me feeling like my body was no longer entirely in my control.

Finn’s footsteps echoed outside the door. He was pacing again, no doubt trying to decide whether to knock or give me the space I’d asked for. My chest tightened at the thought of the worry etched across his face.

I reached for the glass bottle tucked into the top drawer. The tonic Rowena had given me sat cold and still in its glass. Its promise was simple: delay the inevitable. Buy time. Time to prepare, time to fight, time to heal.

I held it up to the light, the golden liquid catching the faint glow of the lamp. Was this what a good mother would do? Was this what my child needed?

Finn tapped on
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