The party buzzed with anticipation, but everything shifted when we cut into the cake. Instead of pink or blue, the inside was a flat, lifeless grey. Guests looked around in confusion as Tom pulled out his phone to call the bakery. Then we noticed Maddie was missing. I found her upstairs, curled on her bed in tears, whispering that “Granny” said the baby couldn’t be real because I wasn’t able to have children.