And babies don’t care about pride.

The money evaporated—funeral costs, debt, overdue rent. When everything settled, I had about eight thousand left.

Then came the anatomy scan.

Twenty weeks.

The technician went quiet.

Dr. Morrison stepped in and used that gentle voice doctors use when the news will change everything.

Ventricular septal defect. Complications. Specialized delivery. Immediate cardiac surgery possible within days of birth.

My insurance was decent—but “portion covered” means you carry the rest. Worst-case estimate? Twenty to thirty thousand out of pocket.

So I built a survival plan.

I worked as a paralegal and volunteered for every overtime task. I stayed late reviewing contracts no one else wanted. I cut spending down to bone.