Even in her busy schedule, Aira found herself caught between her anxious mind and her emotional heart.
Her thoughts kept returning to the doctor's words.
"There is a small risk that the procedure could affect your ability to conceive in the future."
The possibility was tiny.
Almost insignificant.
Yet her thoughts clung to it as though it were certain.
Late at night, while staring at the ceiling of her room, another question quietly surfaced.
If... if I can never have another child...
Would I regret this?
Her heart, however, remained strangely silent.
For once, it didn't argue.
It didn't plead.
It didn't whisper that she should protect the tiny life growing inside her.
Instead, it simply sat back and watched the chaos unfold.
Almost amused.
As if it already knew how the battle would end and was merely waiting for her mind to tire itself out.
Her thoughts ran in endless circles.
No.
Keeping the baby isn't possible.
She was only in her twenties.
In the end, her mind arrived at a single conclusion.
If the worst ever happened... she could always adopt a child in the future.
The thought settled over her like a fragile blanket.
There were countless children who needed homes.
Motherhood wasn't defined only by blood.
She could still become someone's family.
Someone's safe place.
Someone's mother.
The realization eased the tightness in her chest.
Not completely.
But enough.
She closed her eyes.
"That's enough," she whispered to herself.
"This is the right decision."
But keeping this baby now was never an option her mind was willing to consider.
A master's degree.
A career waiting overseas.
Her parents trusted her.
She couldn't destroy everything because of one mistake.
She wouldn't.
She couldn't.
Three days slipped by amidst the chaos of life.
Soon, the day of the procedure arrived.
As part of the hospital's routine, one final ultrasound was performed before the abortion.
The moment the tiny image appeared on the monitor, tears welled up in Aira's eyes.
Somehow, her heart had already begun to melt.
What if she really couldn't become a mother again?
Even so, she reminded herself to stay strong. She had already made her decision.
She wasn't afraid until she changed into the hospital gown. The sterile smell of the hospital finally made the reality of what was about to happen sink in.
The doctor printed a report and handed it to the nurse.
"You may wait outside," he said kindly.
"We'll call you shortly."
Aira nodded.
Her legs felt strangely weak as she stepped into the waiting lobby.
People came and went.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
Some held flowers.
Some carried newborn clothes.
Every life inside the hospital seemed to be moving toward a beginning.
She alone felt as though she were walking toward an ending.
She sat there quietly, clutching the edge of her file.
Just then...
Someone slowly lowered herself onto the chair beside her.
A woman.
Probably in her late twenties.
Her belly was large, making it obvious she was close to her due date.
She smiled politely.
"Waiting takes forever, doesn't it?"
Aira returned a faint smile.
"It does."
"My appointment is probably going to take a while," the woman sighed, adjusting her gown over her shoulder. "This little one refuses to stay still."
She affectionately rubbed her stomach.
Despite herself, Aira looked down.
The woman's eyes softened immediately.
"First pregnancy?" she asked.
Aira hesitated.
"...Yes."
The woman smiled warmly.
"You look nervous."
"I remember how nervous I was when I first came to these appointments."
"I wish my husband could have been here with me."
Something in her voice changed after mentioning him.
Not sadness exactly.
More like longing wrapped inside gratitude.
Aira noticed the absence of a wedding ring.
Before she could stop herself, she quietly asked,
"Your husband couldn't come today?"
The woman's smile lingered.
But her eyes dimmed.
"He wanted to."
A brief silence followed.
Then she spoke with remarkable calm.
"He was a soldier."
Aira looked at her.
"He died a few months ago."
The words landed softly.
Almost too softly.
"There was an accidental blast at his base," she continued.
"He had been home on leave shortly before it happened."
"I found out I was pregnant after he was gone."
Aira's breath caught.
"I never got the chance to tell him."
"I used to imagine what this day would be like with him."
The woman smiled through the sadness.
"I spent days staring at the pregnancy test... wondering if fate was being cruel... or kind."
She let out a quiet breath.
"My family wanted me to end the pregnancy."
"They said I was still young."
"They said I could start over."
"They said another man wouldn't want someone carrying another person's child."
She laughed softly.
"They weren't trying to hurt me."
"They just wanted to protect me."
She looked lovingly at her unborn child.
"But every time I thought about ending the pregnancy..."
She gently rested both hands on her stomach.
"...I couldn't do it."
"This baby is the last gift my husband, my first love, left me."
"And somehow..."
"It also became the reason I learned how to keep living."
She took a calm breath.
"It gave me strength."
Just then, a little boy came running toward her with a bottle of water in his hand, interrupting their conversation.
"Mom, here. Have some water. I also bought you some candy so you won't feel sick."
He carried himself like a little gentleman despite his tiny frame.
The boy reached into his pocket, searching for the candy, but his expression suddenly changed.
"Mom, wait for me! I'll be right back. Take a sip until then," he said in his adorable lisp before turning around and running back to look for it.
Watching him disappear down the hallway, Aira smiled.
"Is this your second baby?" she asked softly.
The woman hesitated for a moment before answering.
"From my womb... no."
A gentle smile spread across her face.
"I adopted him after my husband enlisted in the army. I had never lived alone before, and honestly, I didn't know how to. Then he..."
She glanced in the direction the little boy had run. "...my son came into my life."
Her eyes softened.
"Everything changed."
"Even though he was still little, I finally had someone to come home to. Someone who filled the silence."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"My family dotes on me, but there are some things you simply can't share with them."
"At first, everyone opposed my decision to adopt him. But after I convinced my husband, everyone else eventually came around as well."
She rested one hand over the other.
"For years, I was practically a single mother because of my husband's postings. But I was never truly alone with this little angel by my side."
She smiled lovingly.
"I could have chosen to keep only him, and I would have been perfectly happy. But motherhood is a different kind of blessing. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to experience carrying my first child in my womb."
She smiled through the tears gathering in her eyes.
"So when life gave me this unexpected chance, I wanted to experience it at least once. And knowing that this child is connected to my first love..." She gently caressed her belly. "...makes it even more precious."
Aira lowered her gaze.
The woman's words echoed in her mind long after the conversation had fallen silent.
She had spent the last three days searching for reasons to let go.
But not once...
Had she searched for a reason to hold on.
For the first time since seeing those two pink lines on the pregnancy test, she allowed herself to think beyond fear.
What if... there was another way?
What if becoming a mother didn't mean the end of everything she had dreamed of?
The questions she had buried deep within her heart slowly resurfaced, one after another.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a nurse stepped into the waiting area.
"Miss Aira?"
Aira looked up.
"The doctor is ready for you."
She slowly stood, her fingers instinctively tightening around the medical file in her hands.
As she followed the nurse down the corridor, her steps felt heavier than before.
Not because she had made her decision...
But because, for the very first time...
She wasn't sure what it was anymore.