The hospital bag is packed and sitting by the door.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGgd53CZt1
Three onesies, tiny mittens, a pink baby blanket.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY32GeCHht
The one with little clouds on it—Henry picked it out.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCoXA922hB
I remember the way he smiled when we bought it together at the baby store, said she'd be "a little storm with dimples." I believed every word. Every crooked, practiced word.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWUML8zDtV
I'm eight months along, bloated and tired, the skin on my stomach stretched to the edge of what I can carry. Everything aches—but what hurts most is the waiting.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Kk2cgn9u9
He said he'd come. He promised he'd take me to the check-up today.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6inuqyXJ4J
But he's two hours late.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMR1oNFUck
I stare at my phone. No calls. No messages. Just a bunch of screenshots from baby name websites and a photo of the first sonogram. I scroll through the texts I sent today.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUQgtmFIK1
"Babe, are you coming?"360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ05uCoglG
"Doctor said today's check-up's important. I need you."360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cfrIf792h
"Where are you?"
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kIodAUJnV
Nothing.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEV8wpFyqf
The flashback cracks wider when I remember the conversation from three days before.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzr79rQfioH
He was distracted, fidgety. Said he was tired. Said he had "stuff" to deal with.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kaW0bnWGf
I asked what kind of stuff.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9zmrzXA6N
He didn't answer.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNHEEClCfY
He kissed my forehead and told me I was overthinking again.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRneeUg0mfw
Told me to rest.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6HbMUyNHb
Told me I was glowing.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYIKW4IDb5
I didn't know back then that Trina Alfaro had already started calling him "baby" behind my back.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFnvZY4Fli
Didn't know that he was taking her on late-night drives, lying about visiting his cousin,360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsubJsBYc0
telling her I was "just a situation" he couldn't get out of yet.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVmBWy0dFC
The first real sign came like a gut punch.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRZHMTBEmn
It was a week before I was due.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdIGQDVEUJ
Stacy texted me while I was folding baby clothes.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OTy9c9ma5
"Sam. I saw Henry at La Vida. With Trina. Holding hands. Sorry."
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NhEAAkG5r
La Vida was the bar I used to ban him from back when we still had boundaries.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHHTl3BQDQ
Back when I thought rules meant something in love.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb6WoD8tQO
I dropped the onesie I was folding. My legs went numb.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcgNKMBnw9
I wanted to say she was wrong. That it was a misunderstanding. That Henry wouldn't do that to me.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6QMXv7jZH
Not now. Not when we were so close to bringing life into the world.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0aYbYwsSG
But deep down, I already knew.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO3Ks7gjx7
I'd known for weeks.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZBNSz5EOR
You don't just lose someone in one night. You lose them in small silences, in missing replies, in half-hearted kisses and fake laughter.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0yj3a1S4v
Two days later, I called him—one last time.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOfF1RVSLP
He picked up on the fourth ring.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv6sdITmpX
"Sam," he said, sounding annoyed. "What now?"
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dM1j8YXRU
I paused. Then: "Are you seeing someone else?"
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hv316qKve
Silence.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreXFkjWgYb
"I saw the picture, Henry. Her hand in yours."
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAimelNcZbb
Another silence. Then a sigh. "Look, this whole thing is just... a lot. You're emotional. You're blowing things out of proportion."
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVd6u4RBYlB
"I'm due in a week." My voice cracked. "You're supposed to be here. For us."
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gqkEnLK63
"I didn't ask for any of this," he snapped. "You're the one who wanted to keep it."
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtOo5QJhnz
Those words?360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOIbfjyI8K
They carved something out of me that hasn't fully grown back.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9XTQjYDSg
I hang up the memory like a photo I don't want to look at anymore.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZS6OkekWbf
Because Angelique's laugh is echoing from the other room now.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IO15ENt6E
She's playing with her toy kitchen. Serving imaginary meals with plastic spoons.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoLVNyML3Y
Her face is lit with joy. Pure and innocent.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKNm8XULq9
She has his nose.360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmRXto9KMs
But thank God she has my heart.
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfedicw4mHS
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4WB0eWzcJ
360Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlABeZWVO9
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.