The café buzzed with the usual mid-afternoon hum—the clinking of spoons against ceramic mugs, the soft murmur of conversations, and the occasional laugh that floated above the din. Leslie sat by the window, her fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of chamomile tea. At 27, she had the air of someone who had lived more than her years suggested. Her divorce from her ex-husband, now serving time for embezzlement, had left he...

Emily stepped out of her car, a sense of anticipation mingling with the cool evening air. She hadn’t seen Jane in months, and the thought of catching up with her oldest friend was a welcome distraction from the stress of the past year. At 24, Emily had settled into the role of housewife, her days filled with routines and quiet evenings with her husband, Matthew. But the one thing they both desperately wanted a baby had re...