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00:02At three months pregnant, my husband, Elijah Hale, handed me divorce papers.
00:07He accused me of cheating.
00:09Cheating?
00:11Elijah, I go to work.
00:13I come home.
00:14That's it.
00:15How could you say that when I'm herring your baby?
00:20How could I?
00:21Easy.
00:25Easy.
00:28They scattered across the floor.
00:31Photos of me in another man's arms.
00:34My baby, don't try to pin some other man's bastard on me.
00:40I froze.
00:41For a second, I couldn't even breathe.
00:44Just a few weeks ago, he'd cried over the positive pregnancy test.
00:48Elijah was St. Matthew's youngest chief of cardiothoracal surgeon.
00:52His hands never shook in the OR.
00:55But that morning, they did.
00:59After that, he canceled his out-of-state consults and built his days around me.
01:03He came to every prenatal appointment, made breakfast before his rounds, and brewed ginger tea for my nausus.
01:10Even at night, he woke before I did, just to help me to the bathroom.
01:14Now, it was all gone.
01:16Monday.
01:17Family court.
01:18Lawyer up, Ava.
01:20Maybe a good attorney can squeeze a little more out of the settlement for you.
01:23I didn't know what to say.
01:24I'd never cheated on him.
01:26Not once.
01:28And he knew it.
01:29Those photos were from last month, my business trip to Chicago.
01:32In the hotel lobby, my blood sugar crashed and I nearly fainted.
01:35Mark, a co-worker, caught me by the arm.
01:37But from that angle, it was damning.
01:39It looked like I was falling into his arms.
01:42This is your proof?
01:43I almost passed out.
01:44Mark just caught me.
01:45You know my blood sugar drops in early pregnancy?
01:48Judges go by evidence, not sob stories.
01:50So to divorce me, you hired a PI to tail me?
01:53I knew you wouldn't admit it.
01:55I needed leverage.
01:58Elijah, what happened to you?
02:00Last week, you said once the baby was born, you'd take us to Alaska to see the Northern Lights.
02:04Now you're using one cropped photo to call me a cheater?
02:12Four years pretending to be the perfect husband.
02:14I'm done.
02:16You're kidding, right?
02:17You think the baby isn't yours?
02:19We can do a paternity test.
02:21Anything.
02:21I can prove it.
02:22No need.
02:23I don't care whose it is.
02:24It disgusts me.
02:29That line snapped something inside me.
02:32I raised my hand to slap him.
02:35Let go.
02:36Save your strength, Ava.
02:40The lock clicked.
02:41My best friend, Madison, stood in the doorway with a bag of maternity stuff.
02:46What the hell is going on here?
02:48Elisha Hale, are you out of your mind?
02:51Madison, this is between Ava and me.
02:54Between Ava and you?
02:56Ava turned down a major promotion in New York for you.
02:59She's carrying your baby, and now you're calling her a cheater?
03:02What the hell is wrong with you?
03:04She knows whose baby it is.
03:07Say that again.
03:08I dare you.
03:10Tomorrow morning, I'm going straight to the hospital board,
03:12and everyone will know exactly how St. Matthew's Golden Boy Surgeonet treats his pregnant wife.
03:18Go ahead.
03:19Tell them my wife cheated on me while you're at it.
03:22Madison was too furious to speak.
03:24My lawyer will call tomorrow about the settlement.
03:27Elijah, if you walk out that door right now, we're over!
03:30Ava, don't tell me you actually thought any of this was real.
03:39What the hell got into him?
03:41Is he cheating on you?
03:42Madison, I don't know.
03:45That was the part that gutted me.
03:48If he just wanted out, he wouldn't need to tail me or fake evidence.
03:51It felt like he was trying to erase me from his life.
03:54The next morning, I went to St. Matthew's Medical Center.
03:59I couldn't believe he'd change like this out of nowhere.
04:02I needed to hear it from him.
04:04Outside the cardiothoracic surgery wing, I waited three whole hours.
04:09Ava, Dr. Hale is in the OR all day.
04:11Please, go home.
04:12I just need two minutes.
04:14Then I'll leave.
04:15The double doors finally opened.
04:17Elijah walked out in his white coat, a few residents trailing behind him.
04:21He saw me.
04:22He didn't even slow down.
04:24Elijah, we need to talk.
04:26If you're going to condemn me, at least tell me what I'm guilty of.
04:30Ava, this is a hospital.
04:32Don't make a scene.
04:33I'm making a scene?
04:35Yesterday, you filed for divorce and called me a cheater over one misleading photo,
04:39and now I'm the one making a scene?
04:41That's her.
04:42Word is the baby isn't even Dr. Hale's.
04:44You told them that?
04:49If you were worried about your reputation, you shouldn't have done it.
04:52Just to force this divorce, you'd destroy my name too?
04:57Security!
04:58There's a disturbance here.
05:01Escort this woman out.
05:03She isn't allowed back on this floor without an appointment.
05:12Ma'am, please cooperate.
05:14Elijah!
05:15Just tell me the truth, and I'll believe you!
05:18Ava!
05:18Keep this up, and I'll call the police.
05:21Suddenly, I stopped fighting.
05:23I let the guards walk me out.
05:31Cold rain was falling.
05:33It hit my face, but I couldn't feel the sting.
05:35My phone buzzed.
05:37It was Madison.
05:40Ava, get home right now.
05:42What is it?
05:43Building management just called.
05:45Elijah's having your key fob deactivated, and he sent movers to the condo.
05:49My mind went completely blank.
05:52That Lakeview condo was ours.
05:54We bought it right after we got married, and my name is also on the deed.
06:01What are you doing?
06:03Ava White?
06:04We got a work order from Dr. Hale's attorney to clear out your belongings.
06:07This is my home too!
06:10Ma'am, we just moved the boxes.
06:11If there's a dispute, take it up with your lawyer.
06:13A young mooper behind him carefully placed my prenatal records and vitamins into a separate
06:17tote bag.
06:18It felt like a sick joke.
06:20A complete stranger was showing me more care than my own husband.
06:24I pulled out my phone and called Elijah.
06:27Straight to voicemail.
06:29I called again.
06:30Voicemail.
06:31That was when I knew.
06:32He'd blocked my number.
06:34I forced myself to stay calm and opened a hotel app to book a room for the night.
06:38But the payment screen flashed red.
06:40Transaction declined.
06:40I opened my banking app.
06:42The screen displayed a single line.
06:45Account restricted by temporary court order.
06:54Elijah.
06:57How far are you going to push me?
07:06By the time Madison arrived,
07:08I'd been sitting by the entrance of the apartment building for ages.
07:12Jesus!
07:13That absolute bastard!
07:15Is he trying to destroy you?
07:18Stay with me.
07:19Tomorrow, we find you a lawyer.
07:21The next day,
07:22I took the divorce papers,
07:24the deed,
07:24and the account notice
07:25to a top family law firm downtown.
07:28Ms. White,
07:29I'm sorry.
07:30Our firm can't take this case.
07:32Why not?
07:33My name's on the deed.
07:34What gives him the right to lock me out
07:36and freeze my money?
07:37We represent St. Matthews,
07:39and Dr. Hale sits on the hospital foundation board.
07:41Taking your case would be a conflict.
07:42Our hands are tied.
07:44So I can't even hire a lawyer without running into his network?
07:47I sat there,
07:48cold to the bone.
07:49I tried four more firms.
07:51Every single one heard me out
07:52and then turned me down with the exact same line,
07:54conflict of interest.
07:55That was when it hit me.
07:57Elijah had mapped this all out.
07:58He didn't just want me homeless and broke.
08:00He wanted me unable to fight back.
08:03My phone rang.
08:04It was Mom.
08:05Ava,
08:06what's going on between you and Elijah?
08:08Mom,
08:09what happened?
08:10A lawyer just called.
08:11He said there's an issue with the title
08:13on your father's storefront.
08:15Elijah helped my parents buy that storefront last year.
08:18They lived off the rental income.
08:19They said the Hale lawyers are trying to take the storefront back.
08:22Your father's blood pressure just spiked.
08:24He's beside himself.
08:28Mom,
08:29it's okay.
08:30I'll handle it.
08:31After I hung up,
08:32Madison found out where Elijah was.
08:37I took a cab downtown to an Upscale restaurant.
08:40Inside,
08:41Elijah sat by the window with Dr. Serena Vale,
08:44St. Matthew's new associate chief
08:46and the board chair's daughter.
08:49Ava?
08:50Oh my God,
08:51why are you soaked?
08:52Elijah,
08:53come after me all you want.
08:55But why go after my parents' storefront?
08:57I paid for it.
08:58You bought it as their retirement gift.
09:00And I regret it.
09:02I won't fund a cheater.
09:05I didn't cheat!
09:08Diners turn to stare.
09:11Ava, we're adults.
09:13If you screwed up,
09:14own it.
09:15Leave with some dignity.
09:17Nobody asked you!
09:20Elijah,
09:21look at her!
09:22Are you done?
09:23Drop the claim on my parents' storefront
09:24or I go to the board and the press.
09:26You want to ruin me?
09:27I'll take you down with me.
09:29Sign it.
09:30Admit you cheated,
09:31give up the condo and the joint account.
09:33Then my lawyer drops the claim.
09:34You want me to confess to a lie?
09:36It's your only way out.
09:39Elijah,
09:40do you really not care about me anymore?
09:42Or the baby?
09:43What does your kid have to do with me?
09:53I don't remember how I walked out of that restaurant.
09:56I stumbled down the street alone
09:59until a sharp pain tore through my lower belly.
10:02I grabbed a lamppost
10:04and doubled over.
10:07Help.
10:09Somebody, please.
10:12With shaking hands,
10:14I called Madison.
10:17Ava?
10:18Where are you?
10:27When I came to,
10:29I was in a hospital bed
10:30at St. David Matthews.
10:36The baby.
10:37It's okay.
10:37The doctor said it was a threatened miscarriage.
10:40If you'd gotten here any later,
10:41you could have lost the baby.
10:43I covered the deposit on my card.
10:45But for the rest of the stay and meds,
10:47we have to wait on insurance.
10:49My heart sank.
10:50I didn't have a single working card to my name.
10:54Elijah Hale!
10:55Your wife almost lost the baby
10:57and you won't even look at her?
10:58I already told you.
11:00That baby has nothing to do with me.
11:02The R stabilized her.
11:03If she can't cover further observation,
11:04follow protocol.
11:05St. Matthews isn't a charity.
11:08You're going to kick her out?
11:13Say whatever you want.
11:24If he could be that heartless,
11:26then I was done holding back.
11:28A week later,
11:29at the temporary orders hearing,
11:30I still had no lawyer.
11:32I showed up alone.
11:33I sat by myself at the respondent's table.
11:37Across from me,
11:38Elijah sat stone-faced,
11:39his divorce attorney beside him.
11:41Counsel for the petitioner?
11:43Your Honor,
11:44these photos show Ms. White
11:45in inappropriate contact with a male co-worker.
11:48Based on the alleged affair,
11:50we ask the court to move forward with the divorce
11:52and deny her any claim to the marital property.
11:56Ms. White,
11:57do you admit to the affair alleged in the petition?
12:01No.
12:01But the divorce,
12:02I agree.
12:03Since both parties agree to proceed,
12:05we'll address temporary property orders.
12:08Ms. White,
12:08do you dispute the evidence?
12:11I agree.
12:17FBI.
12:18Your Honor,
12:19this hearing needs to stop right now.
12:23Dr. Hale,
12:24you can drop the act now.
12:25The operation is over.
12:27Acting?
12:27Ms. White,
12:28did you really think he came here today to divorce you?
12:35Agent,
12:35this is a family court hearing.
12:37What's the meaning of this?
12:41Your Honor,
12:41please suspend this hearing immediately.
12:43Dr. Hale is a key witness
12:45in a federal investigation into medical crimes.
12:52Key witness?
12:52The man who had been cold and untouchable a moment ago
12:56now looked like all the strength had drained out of him.
13:00It's over.
13:00Victor Kane's people are in custody,
13:02and the St. Matthew executives involved are in custody too.
13:11And Ava?
13:12She's safe.
13:14She's safe.
13:23What are you talking about?
13:25What operation?
13:26What key witness?
13:30Ms. White,
13:31I'm sorry for what we put you through.
13:37We didn't have a choice.
13:39We didn't have a choice.
13:40We didn't have a choice.
13:43We didn't have a choice.
13:45What is going on?
13:50A month ago,
13:51Dr. Hale found mismatched serial numbers
13:53on a batch of imported heart valves at St. Matthew's.
14:04He dug deeper
14:05and found someone using hospital procurement
14:07to move counterfeit implants
14:08with links to an underground transplant ring.
14:11When Victor Kane's people realized he was onto them,
14:14they moved on him fast.
14:21How is that related to me?
14:29It showed Luna's collar,
14:31the cat I'd raised for three years,
14:33stained with blood.
14:36A card was tucked beside the collar.
14:39Two weeks ago,
14:40Elisha told me Luna had slipped out
14:42and never came back.
14:43They didn't just kill your cat.
14:46They put a tracker on your car.
14:48They threatened that if Dr. Hale
14:50tried to expose them,
14:51you and the baby
14:52would end up on an underground operating table.
14:58So that's why he suddenly turned on me?
15:02To protect you
15:03and to work with the FBI
15:05on a covert operation,
15:06he had to make them believe
15:07he didn't care about you at all.
15:09The photos,
15:10the humiliation,
15:11it was all an act?
15:13Driving me to the edge?
15:15That was protection too?
15:20Every single thing he did
15:21had a reason.
15:23I'll explain everything.
15:33But not now.
15:34He's barely holding on.
15:39I followed her gaze.
15:42A dark red stain
15:43was spreading across the side
15:45of Elijah's white shirt
15:46near his ribs.
15:48Elijah,
15:49you're bleeding.
15:52He was stabbed last night
15:54while luring out
15:54Kane's second commander.
15:55He refused the hospital,
15:57got stitched up at a clinic
15:58and insisted on finishing this today.
16:06Are you insane?
16:12As long as you're safe,
16:15that's enough.
16:19Medics!
16:19Now!
16:30Elijah,
16:31you absolute lunatic.
16:33The sight of his blood,
16:34the baby,
16:35the courtroom,
16:36everything,
16:36it all crashed over me at once.
16:38My chest tightened.
16:41The room tilted.
16:42Then everything went dark.
16:50When I woke up again,
16:52I was in a hospital room.
16:59You're awake!
17:00Are you okay?
17:03Where's Elijah?
17:04Still in the ICU.
17:06He lost too much blood
17:07and the wound's infected.
17:09Doctors say he's not
17:10out of the woods yet.
17:14I stared at the ceiling
17:16like a weight
17:17was crushing my chest.
17:30Mrs. White,
17:31in court,
17:32you asked why Elijah
17:33drove you to the edge.
17:36The Lakeview condo was bugged.
17:38It wasn't safe anymore.
17:40Kane's people were already
17:41tracking your transactions.
17:43The moment you used that card,
17:46you'd expose your location.
17:51Did he ever think about
17:52what I was supposed to do?
17:54Locked out of my home
17:55and penniless?
18:00He left you an emergency card.
18:03It was tucked into the lining
18:04of your maternity bag.
18:06I remembered the young mover
18:08who had placed my prenatal records
18:10and vitamins
18:11into a separate bag.
18:14That mover.
18:15One of ours.
18:16His job was to make sure
18:17you took your ID,
18:18prenatal records,
18:19and meds
18:20and made it to Madison safely.
18:21And the hospital?
18:23He tried to kick me out?
18:27St. Matthew's OB unit
18:28had Kane's people there too.
18:30So Elijah arranged
18:31her transfer
18:31to a safe hospital.
18:35Serena didn't show up
18:36at that restaurant
18:36by accident either.
18:37Her father does business
18:38with Kane.
18:39She was there that day
18:40to test whether the split
18:41was real.
18:43Then why didn't he tell me?
18:44Because you were probably
18:45already being watched.
18:47He couldn't risk
18:48even the smallest slip.
18:49And he didn't want
18:50to scare you.
18:51Every memory came rushing
18:52back in that instant.
18:53But every moment
18:54still hurt.
18:55His protection
18:56might have been real.
18:58But the security guards
18:59dragging me out of the hospital
19:01was real too.
19:02The way he said the baby
19:03had nothing to do with him.
19:05Humiliating me like that
19:06was real too.
19:08And the divorce agreement
19:10he threw in front of me
19:11was the hardest to erase.
19:16These are Elijah's things.
19:17Whether you read them
19:18is up to you.
19:22inside the bag
19:23were a phone
19:23with a shattered screen
19:25and a black notebook.
19:37NOV4
19:37The heart valve
19:38batch numbers
19:39don't match.
19:40Someone tampered
19:41with the St. Matthew system.
19:42The director found out
19:44I'm investigating
19:44and told me to shut up.
19:46NOV9
19:47Luna is dead.
19:48They said Ava is next.
19:50I can't let them touch her.
19:52Never.
19:53NOV12
19:54Laura says the only way
19:55is to cut her off.
19:56I have to drive her
19:57completely out of my world.
19:58The crueler, the better.
20:00But when she cried
20:01and asked me why,
20:02I almost broke.
20:03Still,
20:04I'd rather she hate me
20:05for the rest of her life
20:06as long as she stays alive.
20:08deck 1
20:09She almost lost the baby today.
20:11When I walked down
20:12that hallway,
20:12I heard her crying.
20:14But Kane's man
20:15was right behind me.
20:16I didn't dare
20:16even glance back at her.
20:18If the baby is gone,
20:19if something happens to her,
20:20what's the point
20:21of me being alive?
20:24For a whole month,
20:25I'd endured
20:25every ounce
20:26of the pain
20:27and the scorn.
20:28And now he was telling me
20:30it was all an act.
20:31It was absurd.
20:35Ava,
20:36Laura said the surveillance
20:37in the condo is gone.
20:39Your card works again.
20:40In your parents' shop,
20:42the title never changed.
20:43That document was fake.
20:46I want to see him.
20:51Madison pushed the wheelchair,
20:53taking me to the ICU.
20:57Through the thick glass,
20:58I saw Elijah lying in the bed.
21:08Elijah,
21:09you promised to take me to Alaska
21:11for the Northern Lights?
21:12If you dare die,
21:14I'll take the baby and leave
21:15and he'll never know
21:16who you were.
21:18That night,
21:19I sat outside the ICU.
21:20I never closed my eyes.
21:25At dawn,
21:26the doctor finally came out.
21:28He pulled through.
21:29His numbers are stabilizing.
21:30He can move to a regular room
21:31this afternoon.
21:33But watching them
21:34wail Elijah out,
21:35the images came stabbing back
21:37one by one.
21:38The whispers of the doctors
21:40and nurses in the hallway.
21:41My belongings piled
21:42outside the condo door.
21:44Me, alone,
21:45collapsing in the rain
21:46outside the restaurant.
21:47Reason told me he did it
21:48to save me.
21:49But the wounds to my body
21:50and my heart
21:51wouldn't vanish over one truth.
21:54In that month,
21:55more than once,
21:56I felt I couldn't go on.
21:58That tearing feeling.
22:00I didn't know what expression
22:01to wear when I faced him.
22:04Take me back to my room.
22:12Three days later,
22:14Elijah woke up.
22:23Ava.
22:28I'm sorry.
22:30I know everything now.
22:35Then do you still hate me?
22:39I do.
22:41I know you saved me.
22:42I know you almost died
22:44in that operation.
22:44But in the hospital hallway,
22:46when you had security
22:47drag me out
22:47in the restaurant,
22:48when you threw the divorce papers
22:49at me in front of Serena,
22:50and when I was in that hospital bed
22:52thinking I was losing the baby
22:53and you walked away cold,
22:56that pain was all real.
22:58I know.
22:58In those moments,
22:59I wanted to take a knife
23:00and stab myself.
23:02But I had no other way.
23:04Cain's man is a psychopath.
23:06If I hadn't gone that far,
23:07you wouldn't have lived
23:08to see today.
23:09But you didn't give me a choice.
23:13You saved my life,
23:15but you also destroyed
23:16my trust in you.
23:22I drew in a deep breath.
23:23death, Elijah.
23:25Right now,
23:26I don't know how to hold you again.
23:35Ava.
23:37If you want me back,
23:38stop hiding behind your sacrifice.
23:40You have to earn the trust back,
23:42piece by piece.
23:44I will.
23:46First,
23:47learn to stop deciding things for me.
23:52Over the next two weeks,
23:53I went to the hospital
23:54to see him every day.
23:55I brought him meals,
23:57sat with him through rehab.
23:59We were like the most polite strangers.
24:01I'd say the weather was nice today.
24:03He'd say,
24:04hmm.
24:05I'd ask if the wound still hurt.
24:08He'd say it didn't anymore.
24:09He wanted to reach out
24:11and touch my belly.
24:13Every time,
24:14his hand made it halfway
24:15before he pulled it back,
24:16holding himself in check.
24:17He was afraid I'd flinch away.
24:20The day Elijah was discharged,
24:22light snow was falling outside.
24:25Agent Laura sent a car
24:26to take us back
24:27to the Lakeview condo.
24:29A new security system
24:30had been installed at the door.
24:32Elijah stepped forward
24:33and entered six digits.
24:35The new code was my birthday.
24:37I pushed the door open.
24:39The living room was spotless.
24:41None of the luggage
24:41that had been thrown everywhere that day.
24:43On the coffee table,
24:44the wedding ring he'd taken off
24:45sat inside a jewelry box.
24:47Ava, welcome home.
24:49There was a plea in his eyes.
24:53I walked in,
24:55calm.
24:55Your wound isn't healed.
24:57Take the master bedroom.
25:01And you?
25:02I'll sleep in the guest room.
25:04I didn't give him a chance to argue.
25:06I walked straight into the second bedroom
25:08and shut the door.
25:09That night,
25:10I lay in the guest room,
25:12tossing and turning.
25:13The second I closed my eyes,
25:15I saw those photos in the courtroom
25:17and the way he'd coldly said
25:20that baby has nothing to do with me.
25:22In the middle of the night,
25:24I jolt awake from a nightmare.
25:27Hurried footsteps
25:28sounded outside the door.
25:33Ava?
25:34Can I come in?
25:41Don't come in.
25:46Okay.
25:48I'll be right here at the door.
25:53The next day,
25:55Elijah set breakfast,
25:56ginger tea,
25:57and prenatal vitamins
25:57on the table.
25:58Every single thing,
26:00just like before.
26:01But watching it,
26:02all I felt was a tightness
26:04in my throat.
26:07Breakfast is ready.
26:15May I?
26:21I'm sorry.
26:22I should wait until you're ready.
26:31Ava, I know you can't get past this.
26:34I won't push you.
26:37Just let me take care of you.
26:40Okay?
26:47Do what you want.
26:50The doorbell suddenly rang.
26:52Elijah got up to answer it.
26:54The door opened.
26:56My parents stood outside.
27:03Ava, how did you get this thin?
27:10Laura told us the truth.
27:16I'm very sorry.
27:18We know you did it to protect her.
27:20But a reason isn't an excuse.
27:24You left her pregnant,
27:26thinking she had no home,
27:28no money,
27:30no one who wanted her.
27:33Ava,
27:34you don't have to force yourself
27:36to forgive him.
27:37Just because he almost died.
27:42Ava,
27:43come home with us.
27:45You don't have to stay here.
27:49Dad, Mom.
27:53I respect Ava's choice.
27:59I'm staying.
28:01I'm staying.
28:07Okay.
28:08But the moment you call,
28:10we'll come get you.
28:16After the door closed,
28:18it was just me and Elijah.
28:24After a long silence,
28:26he walked back to the dining table,
28:28pulled a card from his pocket,
28:30and placed it in front of me.
28:33It read,
28:34trauma therapist.
28:36Laura recommended her.
28:37I booked an appointment for tomorrow.
28:41For me?
28:43For me?
28:45You were right.
28:46I shouldn't have made every decision for you
28:48and called it protection.
28:52I also found someone for you.
28:55Only if you want it.
28:57So this time,
28:59you actually asked me.
29:02I'm learning.
29:07There's more.
29:10Tell me.
29:11Money.
29:12Medical decisions.
29:14Any safety plan for this family.
29:16All of it stays transparent.
29:19From now on,
29:20no matter how dangerous things get,
29:23you don't get to cut me off.
29:24Lie to me,
29:25or push me away by yourself.
29:30Okay.
29:31I'll put it in writing.
29:33A legal agreement,
29:34if that's what you need.
29:35Your lawyer can review every word.
29:38Good.
29:40Whatever it takes
29:43to earn your trust back.
29:48In the days after that,
29:50Elijah was even more attentive
29:51to me than before.
29:52He canceled out-of-state consults
29:55and non-essential trips
29:56and pushed his surgery schedule
29:58to daytime as much as he could.
30:00He drove me to every
30:01prenatal checkup on time.
30:04My morning sickness was brutal
30:05and I couldn't keep food down.
30:07So he got creative,
30:09making me nutritious meals.
30:11At night,
30:12when my calves cramped,
30:14the moment I shifted
30:15even a little,
30:16he'd rush over
30:16from the master bedroom
30:17to rub my legs.
30:20Madison came by to visit.
30:22Watching Elijah
30:23bustle around the kitchen,
30:24she smirked.
30:26Well, look at that.
30:28He does have a conscience.
30:32Ava, have you forgiven him?
30:34I rubbed my belly.
30:37I don't know.
30:40Every time I see him
30:41being good to me,
30:42my mind can't stop replaying.
30:46The way he told me to get out.
30:49My head and my heart
30:51are out of sync.
30:53Madison sighed and patted my hand.
30:56Take it slow.
30:58He walked through death's door
30:59this time too.
31:00A week later,
31:01Elisha put an agreement
31:02in front of me.
31:10I had an independent family lawyer
31:12look it over.
31:14In this agreement,
31:16he's handed nearly every decision
31:17over to you.
31:22I opened the file.
31:26On the last page,
31:28Elisha had already signed his name.
31:30From now on,
31:31how we move our joint assets
31:33is your call.
31:34Your medical decisions,
31:35only you confirm them.
31:37If there's danger again,
31:38I can't cut you off,
31:39lie to you,
31:39or force you to leave on my own.
31:44And if you choose to separate
31:46or divorce,
31:48I'll move out.
31:50I'll still cover housing,
31:51medical,
31:52and living costs
31:53for you and the baby.
31:59You're not afraid
32:00I'll actually leave?
32:02I am.
32:04But I'm more afraid
32:05of using love as an excuse
32:08to trap you again.
32:13Something touched my heart,
32:15light as a feather.
32:18A few days later,
32:19St. Matthew held
32:20an internal hearing
32:21on the Victor Cain case.
32:24I hadn't wanted to go.
32:27But Elisha said he owed me
32:29a public accounting.
32:34So the photos were all fake.
32:36Who knows?
32:37A federal operation is one thing.
32:39A marriage is another.
32:49Dr. Hale,
32:51regarding the affair accusation
32:52you previously filed
32:54in family court,
32:55do you have anything to add?
32:58The room fell silent.
33:02I do.
33:04Ava White never betrayed
33:05our marriage.
33:09Those photos were misdirection
33:11I created in cooperation
33:12with the federal investigation.
33:14The baby she's carrying
33:16is mine.
33:17Every bit of damage
33:18I did to her reputation,
33:20I take on myself.
33:23Do not pin any of that stigma
33:25on her again.
33:26If St. Matthew needs
33:27to hold someone accountable,
33:29come after me.
33:32She's just an innocent person
33:34I hurt.
33:38On Christmas Day,
33:39snow began to fall
33:40outside the window.
33:47The doctor said
33:48more protein
33:49is good for the baby.
34:04What is it?
34:06Not feeling well?
34:16He just kicked.
34:22May I?
34:28You can.
34:44Hey there,
34:45little guy.
34:47I'm your daddy.
34:52I'm so sorry.
34:54Daddy,
34:55so sorry to you
34:56and to Mommy.
35:03The following summer,
35:05inside the delivery room
35:06at St. Matthew's Medical Center,
35:09with one loud,
35:10ringing cry,
35:12utter exhaustion
35:13washed over me,
35:14leaving my body
35:15soaked in sweat.
35:22Congratulations.
35:23It's a healthy baby boy.
35:28Elijah,
35:29the top surgeon
35:30who never lost his cool,
35:33when a heart stopped
35:34on the OR table,
35:35was now crying uncontrollably,
35:39just like a helpless child.
35:46Elijah didn't reach
35:47for the newborn
35:48in the nurse's arms first.
35:50Instead,
35:51he dropped to one knee
35:52beside my delivery bed
35:53and gently,
35:54almost reverently,
35:55took my hand
35:56in both of his.
35:57You did so amazingly well,
35:59Ava.
36:00I'm so sorry.
36:03I'm so sorry
36:04for putting you
36:04through all of this.
36:07Mrs. White,
36:08you wouldn't believe it.
36:10Dr. Hale was pacing
36:12back and forth out
36:12in the hallway
36:13like a madman.
36:14If you didn't know better,
36:16you'd think he was going
36:17to scrub in
36:17and deliver the baby himself.
36:21Why are you crying?
36:22Go look at our baby.
36:32He's so small.
36:34Dr. Hale,
36:35you're holding that baby
36:36more nervously
36:36than a first-year intern
36:37stepping into the OR.
36:43Welcome to the world, baby.
36:45Thank you for coming
36:45into our lives.
36:51From that courtroom storm
36:53to the baby's birth,
36:54half a year had passed.
36:56Victor Kane
36:57and the St. Matthew execs
36:58involved
36:58had been federally indicted,
37:00corps members
37:01pled guilty,
37:02and the medical device group
37:03was fully investigated.
37:07St. Matthew went through
37:08a major overhaul.
37:09As the key witness
37:11in the federal medical crime case,
37:13Elijah submitted
37:13the core evidence.
37:15The hospital wanted him
37:16to move into management.
37:18He turned it down.
37:20He said he only wanted
37:22to keep holding the scalpel
37:23and to give more
37:25of his off hours
37:26to me and the baby.
37:38The day I was discharged,
37:40Madison charged
37:40into the room
37:41with a mountain
37:42of baby supplies.
37:43Let me see,
37:44my godson!
37:53Genius surgery chief,
37:54do you have to look this serious
37:55even changing a diaper?
38:16What do you want
38:16for dinner tonight?
38:21All right,
38:21you two are so sweet,
38:23you're giving me a toothache.
38:24I'm out.
38:26I'll come see my godson
38:28another day.
38:32After Madison left,
38:34the hospital room
38:35fell quiet.
38:35The baby slept
38:36in the bastinet,
38:37his tiny chest
38:37rising under the blanket.
38:39Elijah sat beside him,
38:40watching.
38:41Miss White,
38:41we need the birth certificate worksheet,
38:43baby's full name,
38:44father's information
38:44if you want it listed.
38:48Elijah stood.
38:50I'll wait outside.
38:51This should be your decision.
38:53Elijah.
38:57Are you leaving
38:58because you respect me
38:59or because you're afraid?
39:03His face went still.
39:05Both.
39:08That answer was honest
39:09enough to hurt.
39:12After what I did,
39:13I don't know
39:13what I'm allowed
39:14to be anymore.
39:15I looked at Noah.
39:16Elijah had once
39:17taken choices from me.
39:18Now guilt was making him
39:19disappear from choices
39:21he needed to face.
39:22I picked up the pen.
39:23Under baby's name,
39:25I wrote,
39:25Noah White Hale.
39:27Elijah's breath caught.
39:29Then,
39:29I moved to
39:31father's information.
39:33You don't get to run
39:34from being his father
39:35just because guilt is easier.
39:38I wrote his name,
39:40Elijah Hale.
39:45Noah deserves
39:46a father who stays.
39:53I'll stay.
39:55However you let me.
39:56Only then did he place
39:57another document
39:58beside the birth certificate.
40:00My lawyer prepared
40:01the stipulation
40:02to dismiss
40:02the divorce petition.
40:03I signed it.
40:05I looked at the two papers.
40:06One began Noah's life.
40:09One stopped
40:10our marriage
40:10from ending.
40:11I signed the dismissal.
40:15File it tomorrow.
40:17Then we bring Noah home.
40:24Home?
40:31Yes.
40:32Home.
40:33A new beginning.
40:45The next afternoon,
40:47we brought Noah home.
40:48Elijah carried the car seat
40:50inside like it held a bomb.
40:52Relax.
40:53He's not gonna break.
40:55I've repaired hearts
40:57with less pressure.
40:58I almost laughed.
41:00Noah made a small,
41:01angry sound.
41:02Elijah straightened.
41:06Diaper?
41:09Maybe.
41:10I can do it.
41:18You sure?
41:19I watched three videos.
41:21Terrifying.
41:30Elijah,
41:31he's your son,
41:32not a patient.
41:33Patients don't kick this much.
41:39I stared at him,
41:41then burst out laughing.
41:43A real laugh.
41:45Elijah looked down
41:46at his soap shirt,
41:47then at Noah.
41:49Betrayed by my own bloodline.
41:52I laughed harder.
41:54For the first time in months,
41:56the room didn't feel heavy.
41:58It felt alive.
42:01I missed that sound.
42:04My laughter faded.
42:06Our eyes met.
42:08Noah fussed again.
42:10I stepped beside Elijah
42:11and adjusted the clean diaper.
42:13Here.
42:14Fold it like this.
42:15This time,
42:16I didn't pull away.
42:18I handed him a clean onesie.
42:20Finish dressing your son,
42:21Dr. Hale.
42:24Elijah smiled through red eyes.
42:27Yes, ma'am.
42:34That night,
42:35I woke to Noah's soft cry
42:37from the living room.
42:39Elijah's nervous voice
42:40came through the dark.
42:43Okay, little man.
42:44Diaper duty.
42:46We trained for this.
42:47I walked to the doorway.
42:50I know.
42:51Terrible service.
42:53One star review.
42:55Despite myself,
42:56I smiled.
43:01Left tabs higher.
43:05Did I wake you?
43:07Noah did.
43:13But you survived.
43:15Elijah looked at Noah,
43:16then at me.
43:18Barely.
43:20Noah calmed in his arms.
43:23For once,
43:25Elijah didn't look like
43:25he was begging forgiveness.
43:27He just looked like
43:28a tired father
43:29trying to stay.
43:33I'll stay out here.
43:34You should sleep.
43:37I looked at his exhausted face.
43:41Bring him in.
43:45Noah sleeps better
43:46when you hum.
43:48And I sleep better
43:50when he's close.
43:52Elijah's voice roughened.
43:56Are you sure?
43:58About tonight, yes.
44:03Three months later,
44:05we took Noah to the park
44:06by the lake.
44:07It was early autumn.
44:09The air smelled like rain
44:10and fallen leaves.
44:12Noah slept in the stroller,
44:14his little gray hat
44:16sliding over one eye.
44:18Dr. Hale,
44:19very busy today?
44:20Elijah smiled.
44:22Husband and father,
44:24full-time positions.
44:26I looked at him.
44:28You're getting better
44:30at both.
44:30His smile softened.
44:33We walked to the water.
44:35The city shimmered
44:36across the lake.
44:37For a while,
44:38neither of us spoke.
44:40Then Elijah took
44:41a small velvet box
44:42from his pocket.
44:44My old wedding ring
44:45lay inside.
44:46My breath caught.
44:50The day I took this off,
44:52I hurt you with it.
44:54I can't undo that.
44:58But if you're willing,
45:01I want to put it back
45:02on you the right way.
45:03I looked at the ring,
45:05then at the man
45:06in front of me.
45:07He no longer looked
45:08like the man
45:08who had once pushed me away.
45:10He looked like the man
45:11who had spent three months
45:13learning how to stay.
45:15Elijah.
45:19I held out my left hand.
45:23Ask me properly.
45:25His eyes
45:26filled with tears.
45:33Ava White,
45:34will you give me the chance
45:36to love you better this time?
45:37My throat tightened.
45:40Yes.
45:44Elijah lowered his head
45:46and kissed my hand.
45:49Noah stirred in the stroller.
45:50I laughed softly.
45:54Your son approves.
45:56Elijah smiled through tears.
46:03Let's go home.
46:05I looked at our joined hands.
46:07Together.
46:07Together.
46:08Together.
46:09Together.
46:11Together.
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