My 74-year-old father invited me to dinner and offered me a drink. I accepted, but the next morning I woke up feeling terribly ill and went to the hospital. When the doctor saw my blood test results, his expression suddenly changed. He asked, “Have you suspected lately that you might be pregnant?”

Unsteady.

Then I nodded.

We sat next to each other, exactly as we had done the night before during dinner.

Dr. Wilson opened my file.

—Sarah, the new tests do not indicate an ongoing pregnancy. The initial hormone result was indeed unusual, but the subsequent evaluation suggests a medical cause unrelated to pregnancy.

She could barely speak.

— What type of medical cause?

—Several conditions can affect hCG levels, including hormonal changes, interference with testing, and certain abnormal growths. We need to perform imaging studies and a specialist evaluation to identify the exact cause.

My father tried to take my hand.

The aside.

"Is it cancer?" I whispered.

—We have no evidence to indicate that. It's important not to assume the worst.

During the following days I underwent more tests.

The wait was unbearable.

My father used to call me every morning.

I barely answered him.

Part of me knew it was irrational to link my medical results to our dinner.