Chapter 63: Contraceptives

Henry’s internal clock woke him at 6:30 a.m. as usual, but he didn’t rise immediately, cautious not to disturb Giselle, who had been sleeping poorly these past few days. Instead, he held her close, cherishing the serene moments they shared in the quiet of the morning. Time slipped by unnoticed until a notification buzzed on Henry’s phone. He rolled over to check it—it was from Mark Hughes, announcing that the test results were ready. Unable to make sense of the complex strings of data in the lengthy PDF report, Henry simply sent a question mark back to Mark, prompting his phone to ring almost instantly. The sound, though faint, roused Giselle from her sleep. She turned her body away, shifting further from him. Henry glanced at the now-empty space in his arms and then back to the screen, where Mark Hughes' name flashed. Annoyance flared within him—he hoped Mark had a good reason for the call. He answered, his voice laced with frustration, “What’s the matter?” Catching onto Hen