CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE – PHYSICAL BREAKDOWN

They settled on the couch, talking about the evening and their plans for the nursery. As the night wore on, Miguel felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He had been pushing himself hard for weeks, and the stress of the dinner with Karina's parents had taken more out of him than he realized. "Miguel? Are you feeling alright?" Karina's concerned voice cut through the fog in his mind. He tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine, just a bit tired. Maybe we should head to bed." As they stood up, Miguel suddenly felt dizzy. The room spun around him, and he reached out to steady himself against the wall. "Miguel!" Karina's voice sounded distant. He felt her arms around him, trying to support his weight. "I'm okay," he mumbled, but even as the words left his mouth, he felt his knees buckle. The next thing Miguel knew, he was lying on the floor, Karina's worried face hovering above him. "Miguel, can you hear me? I'm calling an ambulance." He wanted to protest, to tell her he was fine,