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Twenty-four hours ago, when she’d walked into the hotel rooet much worse

What a joke And it was her fault

Why had she told hinant, she hadn’t so much as hesitated The lie had come as easily as breath

No, she’d said, you didn’t

So, what had changed?

Not a da, except for her sudden inability to keep her s Nothing good would come of it, she of all people knew that

She was repeating her nant—”knocked up

,” to use her y

Sage stared at herself in the mirror

That she, of all people, should bring a baby into this world bearing the stigitimacy …

She knew that was an increasingly old-fashioned attitude Not for her Illegiti up in a small, very conservative toith athe past behind

Was that hy she’d admitted the truth to Caleb? Had part of her hoped he’d hear the news and say …

What?

That he’d acknowledge the baby as his own? Assume a father’s role? A part-time role, at best Alternate weekends, teeks in the su trips? Show up once in a while so that when other kids said, “This is my dad,” her child wouldn’t have to stand silent?

Sage sank down on the closed toilet seat