FAMILY REACTION
The following weekend, Grace and Ethan gathered her family and closest friends to share the news. Her mother burst into tears the moment she heard.
"Grace, how can you even consider this?" her mother sobbed. "You're already so weak. This will kill you."
Her father, usually stoic, looked away, his jaw tight. "I think your mother's right," he said quietly. "You need to think about yourself."
Amelia, always the voice of reason, spoke up next. "Grace, I love you. But I can't sit here and watch you throw away the time you have left for something so risky."
The room erupted into heated debates, but Grace remained calm, her resolve unshaken. When the noise finally subsided, she stood and looked at them all.
"I understand your fears," she said, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. "But this is my choice. I want this baby. No matter what it costs me."
They all keep quiet and watch her leave.
Ethan tried to be supportive, but Grace could see the struggle in his eyes. Late one night, as they lay in bed, he finally spoke.
"I don't know how to do this," he admitted, his voice breaking. "I love you, Grace. And I want this baby too. But I'm terrified of losing you."
Grace turned to him, her fingers tracing the lines of his face. "Ethan, I'm terrified too. But this… this feels like something I was meant to do. If I only have a short time left, I want it to matter."
He nodded, pulling her into his arms. "Then I'll be with you every step of the way."