~Narrator’s~

“Keep walking,” Jennie mutters to herself, adjusting the tote on her shoulder. “In, out, done. No drama today.”

The bustling noise of the open market surrounds her—vendors shouting prices, toddlers wailing for snacks, shoes slapping against pavement. She squints against the sun as her fingers brush over tiny socks in pastel blue. One for Blue. One for the one growing inside her.

She breathes. Deep. Tries to forget the heartbreak still welded into her bones.

But something feels… wrong.

The air doesn't feel right.

She doesn’t hear him at first—just catches a blur in her periphery. Then a hard yank. The sharp snap of her purse’s strap splitting off...