The hospital bag is packed and sitting by the door.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqJcMuQP8n
Three onesies, tiny mittens, a pink baby blanket.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgoX8pZ2nw
The one with little clouds on it—Henry picked it out.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ594hPz5E
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.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnHO2fG7c4
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.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZ9UhS4tvm
He said he'd come. He promised he'd take me to the check-up today.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Gvm2aq9Xg
But he's two hours late.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38pSaY5hKE
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.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiBiHdz7aS
"Babe, are you coming?"387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSpCtBgrUa
"Doctor said today's check-up's important. I need you."387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fqPcZO440
"Where are you?"
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2d8wNC1ps
Nothing.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshqGAXWciu
The flashback cracks wider when I remember the conversation from three days before.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs7J09lmWl
He was distracted, fidgety. Said he was tired. Said he had "stuff" to deal with.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AcQa69RsN
I asked what kind of stuff.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRIm7LMyVZ
He didn't answer.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgjZGV50Cz
He kissed my forehead and told me I was overthinking again.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7igYZqLabw
Told me to rest.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZvZs8aNUn
Told me I was glowing.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZN8LmUejP
I didn't know back then that Trina Alfaro had already started calling him "baby" behind my back.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mlNERqCNB
Didn't know that he was taking her on late-night drives, lying about visiting his cousin,387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyyPHtbyWt
telling her I was "just a situation" he couldn't get out of yet.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXUoYHHR17
The first real sign came like a gut punch.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEepcLTYhf2
It was a week before I was due.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAPE2kgZjH
Stacy texted me while I was folding baby clothes.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNuWV3iQra
"Sam. I saw Henry at La Vida. With Trina. Holding hands. Sorry."
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9Fxqt8Wy8
La Vida was the bar I used to ban him from back when we still had boundaries.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTjuOaK2md
Back when I thought rules meant something in love.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDteeoTZYF
I dropped the onesie I was folding. My legs went numb.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxSxrQ5ZpV
I wanted to say she was wrong. That it was a misunderstanding. That Henry wouldn't do that to me.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCg0cA1vV8
Not now. Not when we were so close to bringing life into the world.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxwvyqD5As
But deep down, I already knew.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnbLZGRCRN
I'd known for weeks.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxnSapR5jz
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.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljtVFW4CaY
Two days later, I called him—one last time.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWRhnfy3U8
He picked up on the fourth ring.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHw2AhZFUN
"Sam," he said, sounding annoyed. "What now?"
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAfgWjsuBW
I paused. Then: "Are you seeing someone else?"
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsJcBCF6Yi
Silence.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQKqNrKTuO
"I saw the picture, Henry. Her hand in yours."
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JkvMRVqG9
Another silence. Then a sigh. "Look, this whole thing is just... a lot. You're emotional. You're blowing things out of proportion."
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPdcV3kq9A
"I'm due in a week." My voice cracked. "You're supposed to be here. For us."
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpscFTJB9S
"I didn't ask for any of this," he snapped. "You're the one who wanted to keep it."
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYYYKQAwuX
Those words?387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLE8QpxKTed
They carved something out of me that hasn't fully grown back.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1GDqkXS99
I hang up the memory like a photo I don't want to look at anymore.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJIezeRUzt
Because Angelique's laugh is echoing from the other room now.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMVec7tYwP
She's playing with her toy kitchen. Serving imaginary meals with plastic spoons.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkzBsuSlhA
Her face is lit with joy. Pure and innocent.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt4ZhR7fq8
She has his nose.387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGEp6kXdRt
But thank God she has my heart.
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hAHVFaAsD
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhPW0zYQrj
387Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmfliAXDbl
and then Add to home screen.