Margaret kept talking, her voice a comforting thread that kept me tethered to consciousness. “I was on my way home from visiting my sister when I saw you. Lucky, really. This road doesn’t get much traffic, especially in weather like this.”

Tears welled in my eyes, a mix of gratitude and the residual shock from Greg’s betrayal. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice raw. “I didn’t know if anyone would come.”Margaret nodded, her brow furrowed with understanding. “You’re going to be alright. We’re almost there. Just keep breathing, okay?”

As contractions rolled over me, each one more intense than the last, I focused on her voice, using it as an anchor. The drive felt both endless and instantaneous, a paradox created by the haze of labor and adrenaline.Finally, the bright lights of the hospital came into view. Margaret pulled up to the emergency entrance, and a team of medical staff rushed out with a wheelchair. They helped me inside, their movements efficient and practiced.