author, you are a genius. absolutely love the chapter. the whole story has been excellent!

the stranger has silver eyes. Zarin has blue eyes. so either he is disguising his eye color to confuse Heaven or there is another entity involved. either way, this is a very captivating story. :) Also, I know from personal experience that sometimes a person doesn't find love. it finds them. I think whoever the silver eyes person is will genuinely care for her but is perhaps scared of her father and grandfather and is perhaps. (both of whom are worth being scared of.)

as a mom that has two sons, both vaginal and lucky to have modern medicine, your description reminds me more of my 2nd kid being born. he was a brat that did NOT want out! I totally understand your description of Hazel's pain! (my first kid, I somehow didn't feel any contractions and didn't realize I was in labor. it was back labor that felt like my insides were being blow-torched. second labor was pretty similar to what you had Hazel go through.)