Chapter 3 - THE APPOINTMENT THEY CANCELED
Claire’s obstetrician was Dr. Maya Roth.
Maya answered the emergency after-hours line at 6:24 a.m.
Claire spoke from the nursery with the door locked.
She told her everything.
The medication.
The exhaustion.
The pressure to cook and clean.
The pain.
The strange dizziness.
The way Philippa kept telling visitors Claire was “not herself.”
Maya’s tone changed immediately.
“Claire, when was your last post-op check?”
“It was supposed to be Tuesday.”
“Supposed to be?”
“Sullivan said the office rescheduled.”
Silence.
“We did not.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“What?”
“You missed it. My nurse left two voicemails.”
Claire checked her phone.
No voicemails.
Then she remembered Sullivan had taken her phone for most of Tuesday because he said she “needed a screen break.”
Maya continued:
“I want you seen today.”
“Okay.”
“And I want you to bring the bottle.”
Claire looked toward the locked door.
“Okay.”
“Do you feel safe leaving the house?”
The question struck deeper than Claire expected.
Safe.
She looked at Aloan sleeping against her shoulder.
“I don’t know.”
Maya did not dramatize.
“Then don’t announce the plan. I’m going to have someone from our social work team call you. If you believe you’re in immediate danger, call emergency services.”
Claire swallowed.
“All right.”
Before she could end the call, someone knocked.
Sullivan.
“Claire?”
She froze.
“Open the door.”
“I’m feeding Aloan.”
“We need to talk.”
“Later.”
His voice tightened.
“Who are you talking to?”
Claire looked down at the call timer.
Maya whispered:
“Do not tell him if you don’t want to.”
Claire answered:
“No one.”
Sullivan stayed outside the door for five seconds.
Then walked away.
Claire exhaled.
Maya said softly:
“You just lied because you were afraid of his reaction.”
Claire closed her eyes.
May you like
“Yes.”
That one word changed the shape of the marriage.
