Stay With Me

“I don’t want our baby to die.”

My chest tightened so painfully I could barely breathe.

“Our baby is a fighter,” I said, even though I was falling apart inside. “Our baby gets that from you.”

The paramedics wheeled her toward the ambulance while neighbors stepped aside, many of them crying as they watched.

One elderly woman covered her mouth with both hands.

Another quietly bowed her head and