From the floor I watched the three of them standing together, warm and close, and swallowed the mouthful of blood rising in my throat.
Cecil draped his arm around Ruby's shoulders and drew a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing the tears from the corners of her eyes.
His voice went gentle.
"Don't cry, Ruby. None of this is your fault. Her life's worth nothing—she couldn't even hold onto a pregnancy. This one, I'll make sure she carries it safe and sound. It'll be yours to play with."
Vivian chimed in on cue, patting Ruby's hand in hers.
"Exactly. Our Ruby is so kindhearted, coming all the way here to see her. And she doesn't know what's good for her. Once the baby's born, we take it straight away. She won't lay a finger on it."
I lay face-down on the floor, nails scraping across the tile.
Blood seeped through the gaps between my fingers, leaving dark red smears on the surface.
"Give me back my baby…"
Cecil turned his head and looked down at me.
Nothing in his eyes but disgust.
"Give it back to you? You think you deserve it? This baby is Ruby's the second it's born. You sit there and carry it like you're told—and if anything goes wrong, I'm coming for you."