I wanted to embrace Ryder, but my body felt frozen, as if rooted to the spot. The pregnancy test result left me utterly speechless, on the brink of tears.

“Nova, what’s wrong?” Ryder's concerned voice broke through the silence.

“It's negative… again,” I murmured, barely audible. Glancing at him, I noticed the furrow in his brow.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

“I don’t know anymore. We've tried everything, put in so much effort to conceive, and yet, nothing,” I replied, frustration creeping into my tone.

“Did you take the test because your period was late? How many days, sweetheart?” he inquired gently.

“I missed...