Stop Running Love, I Found Our Child novel Chapter 1

Newport City Hospital wasn't particularly crowded.

Probably because it was a weekday.

It was almost eerily quiet.

Ivy sat on a bench in the corridor, waiting for her test results.

Growing up, she never had proper meals, which ruined her stomach. Things only started to improve after she went to college and adopted a regular eating schedule, keeping flare-ups at bay for a long time.

But lately, something was off.

She was constantly feeling unwell.

Her boyfriend urged her to go to the hospital and get it checked out.

He was on his annual leave and had originally promised to come with her.

But a last-minute emergency at his company called him back, leaving Ivy to come alone.

Her phone buzzed with a notification.

It broke her train of thought.

It was a text from her boyfriend, Cole Donovan.

[How did it go?]

Seeing his message, the corners of Ivy's lips curled up, a soft smile warming her features.

Having grown up an orphan, she had always yearned for a happy family.

Fate had dealt her a terrible hand in childhood, but compensated her with a perfect romance.

Thinking of the man she had been with for three years filled her with warmth.

A subconscious smile always graced her lips at the thought of him.

[Still waiting] She replied.

[I can't pick you up. It's freezing out there, so grab a cab home.]

[It's fine. The bus is convenient enough.]

[Be good and take a cab. I got paid today, so I transferred half my paycheck to your account.]

Her screen lit up again.

A bank notification popped up on her phone.

A deposit of fifty hundred dollars had just cleared.

She was a senior in college, only half a semester away from graduation.

Cole was four years older than her, working at a gaming company with a pretty decent salary.

After getting together, they rented an apartment. Cole paid for all their dates, meals, and entertainment, never letting her spend a single dime.

Three months into their relationship, things had shifted.

He started transferring half his monthly salary to her.

He told her it was her own spending money.

Ivy felt too guilty to accept and initially refused.

Cole merely insisted it was his duty as her man.

Ivy frowned, her protective instincts instantly flaring up. "I never said I didn't want it."

As she walked out of the room with her chart in hand, her thoughts spun.

Her head was buzzing.

She still couldn't wrap her mind around it.

Was she really going to be a mother?

Sunlight poured beautifully through the hospital windows.

She wondered how Cole would react to the news.

Having grown up at St. Jude's Orphanage, her desire for a real family was far more intense than an average person's.

Ever since she started dating Cole, she couldn't help but dream of their future family of three.

Sharing every meal, building a cozy home, and watching the seasons change together.

It was everything she had wished for as a little girl.

Staring at the paper in her hands, Ivy felt like her lifelong dream was finally within reach.

She couldn't wait to share the incredible news with Cole.

A text felt too impersonal, so she decided to call him, wanting to tell him herself and hear his reaction.

She dialed his number. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest.

But after ringing for a long time, the call simply went straight to voicemail.

A wave of disappointment washed over her.