The maternity ward was loud that afternoon—five newborn cries rising and falling like a single breath. The young mother lay exhausted but smiling, tears slipping down her cheeks as she looked at the five tiny lives curled beside her. They were small. Fragile. Perfect.
Her partner leaned closer to the bassinets.
The color drained from his face.
“They’re… Black,” he said quietly, suspicion sharpening his voice.
She stared at him, confused and hurt.
“They’re ours,” she said. “They’re your children.”
He shook his head, backing away as if the truth itself had struck him.
