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thirteen

Ava

“Errands run. Want to join me?” Annie asks over the phone. “I could use the company.”

Since she got married, Annie and I haven’t spent much time together. It’s to be expected—our lives are changing quickly, in the best ways.

“Yeah, I should probably grab some groceries too,” I say, staring into my bare cupboards.

“Great, I’ll pick you up in thirty minutes,” Annie says cheerfully.

At the store, Annie pulls out her endless grocery list and begins filling her basket.

“Organic kale and broccoli? Organic fruit bars? When did you start eating organic?” I ask, peeking into her basket.

“Since marrying Stewart,” she grins, pushing the basket forward.

I laugh, shaking my head .

“I think I’m done. Do you need anything else?” Annie asks, eyeing the long line at the register.

I think for a moment, regretting I didn’t make a list like she did.

“I might need tampons,” I tell her, somewhat unsure. At least I think I do.

“I just got my period yesterday, too,” Annie says, rolling her eyes.

“Yesterday?”

“Yeah, it was only a couple of days late,” she begins. “Scared Stewart half to death! I think I was secretly hoping, though.”

She laughs, but I’m silent.

Shit. No. Shit.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“I—I’m late,” I realize out loud, my voice shaky.

“How late?” Annie asks, her expression growing serious. “I thought you were on the pill?”

“I am! I am,” I say, fumbling to pull out my phone. I open my period tracker app, and my stomach drops. “Almost two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Annie’s voice is now as panicked as I feel.

“I can’t be,” I tell myself, terrified to even finish the thought .

Annie grabs my hand, pulling me toward the family planning section. “I guess we should pick up a pregnancy test, too, then.”

“How did this happen?” Annie asks when we arrive back at my place.

Suddenly, I feel like a teenager being grilled about her life choices. I wish I had a better answer.

“I don’t know. I guess I just lost track. Maybe missed a pill here or there,” I sigh. It’s a terrible excuse. I should have been more careful.

“Call me,” Annie says before driving off.

She had offered to stay with me while I took the test, but I wanted to face this alone. I need time to process.

I’m scared, but I know I have to do this. Putting it off won’t change the answer.

So, I do it. I pee on the stick and place it on the counter, watching the seconds tick by.

This is it.

The minute hasn’t even passed, but the result is there, clear as day: Positive.

It’s what I expected, but not what I wanted.

Sebastian and I finally turned our relationship into something real, and now this. How will it affect us? We both have our careers ahead of us. I don’t think a baby was in either of our five-year plans.

I’m not ready for this.

My head spins as I grab my phone and call Annie.

“I’m pregnant,” I blurt the moment she answers.

The silence on both ends stretches for a moment. Saying it out loud makes it feel real.

“You need to tell Sebastian,” Annie finally says.

“I know,” I sigh. “I just don’t know how he’s going to take it. I’m still trying to process it myself.”

“You can’t keep this from him.”

“I don’t plan to. I just… I don’t even know what I want to do yet,” I admit, my voice breaking slightly.

“Whatever you decide, it’s okay, Ava,” Annie says softly, her voice warm and sincere—the comfort I desperately need.

“Thank you,” I whisper, meaning it with every ounce of my being.

“Call me if you need anything,” Annie says before hanging up.

With that, I send Sebastian a message, asking him to meet me after practice.

Sebastian calls immediately .

“You’re not coming to practice? Is everything okay?” Concern fills his voice.

“I’m just feeling a little under the weather. I’ll talk to you tonight, okay?” I say, trying to calm his worries.

“Castio’s?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll pick you up,” he offers.

“No—it’s okay,” I assure him quickly. “I’ll just meet you there.”

“Okay. See you then,” he says before hanging up.

I let out a shaky breath. In just a few hours, I may be changing his entire life, and he doesn’t even know it.

My mind spins with a million scenarios, none of them settling into place.

I get dressed, staring at myself in the mirror. My eyes drift to my stomach, and I wonder what it would be like to have a bump.

Is this something I truly want?

I place my hand on my stomach and catch myself smiling. I’m not completely sure of anything yet, but I know one thing—I could do this.

When I step into Castio’s, I find Sebastian waiting for me at the table .

He stands up, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. I return a weak, fake smile and sit down.

“I have great news,” he says, his face lighting up.

I smile, bracing myself.

“I got my inheritance today,” he says proudly, clearly excited.

“Congratulations,” I reply, genuinely happy for him but feeling the weight of my own news pressing down on me.

“It’s all thanks to you,” Sebastian adds, reaching out to grab my hand.

“It was yours to begin with,” I say softly, nerves bubbling in my chest.

“Sorry,” he says, sitting back. “I know you said you had something to talk about.”

As he calls for the waiter, I force myself to steady my breathing.

“Wine?” he asks, gesturing to the waiter.

“I’m okay, thank you,” I say, covering my glass with my hand.

Sebastian looks at me, then at the waiter, sensing something is off.

“Could you give us a moment, please?” he tells the waiter, who quickly steps away.

An awkward silence falls between us .

“What’s going on, Ava?” Sebastian asks, leaning forward, his brows furrowing.

“I have something to tell you,” I begin, rubbing my hands together nervously.

“Tell me what?” he presses.

“I’m pregnant,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. My fists clench under the table.

“You’re what?” he chokes out, his voice cracking.

“I’m pregnant,” I repeat firmly.

“You’re joking,” he says, letting out a nervous laugh.

“I took a test this afternoon,” I explain, feeling my hands tremble in my lap.

Sebastian pinches the bridge of his nose, exhaling loudly.

“This isn’t great timing, Ava.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart races faster at his reaction.

“And you think it’s good timing for me?” I snap, anger flaring in my chest.

“What do you want me to say, huh?”

“I don’t know!” I catch myself before my voice rises. “I guess I was just hoping for a different reaction. ”

Sebastian sighs deeply, his frustration visible.

“I’m at the peak of my career, Ava. I can’t have a kid right now.”

I take a moment to absorb his words, feeling my emotions swell.

“I’m not forcing you to do this,” I say, my voice trembling. Tears threaten to spill, but I fight to keep them at bay. Right now, he doesn’t deserve my tears.

Sebastian leans in, his hands resting on the table.

“Ava, you don’t have to do this either,” he says. His words hang in the air, heavy with implication. “You can get an abortion. This doesn’t have to derail either of our lives.”

I let out a sharp breath and cross my arms.

“No,” I say firmly, meeting his gaze.

“Have you even thought about how much this will change your life?” His voice rises, louder than he intended. “Think about it, Ava.”

“All I’ve been doing is thinking about it, Sebastian,” I say, my voice steady but laced with emotion. “Since the moment I saw those two lines, I’ve thought about nothing else. How this would change my life. How this would change everything . I’ve made lists, weighed my options, and tried to envision every possible outcome. But you know what? I’ve made my decision.”

Sebastian stares at me, his expression unreadable .

“This baby is mine, Sebastian,” I say firmly. “And I’m keeping it.”

In the end, I couldn’t see myself not having this baby. But now, it feels like I may not have Sebastian either.

“I can’t force you to be a father,” I finally say, my voice trembling. “Just like you can’t force me to get rid of it. So, let’s just agree to let this go. We both got what we wanted: you got your inheritance, and I got my project funded.

“I’m not going to ask anything of you, Sebastian. I promise. But I’m having this baby, and I’m also walking away.”

The lump in my throat grows as I push back from the table. I get up, determined not to look at him because I know if I do, I’ll break.

“Ava!” Sebastian calls out, grabbing for my hand. I pull away sharply, refusing his touch.

“You’re nothing but a coward,” I say, my voice low but cutting. It feels as if my whole world has just shattered into pieces.

Screw him.

“Ava, you’re overreacting. Sit down.” His voice softens, but I hear the undercurrent of frustration, and I have no intention of indulging it.

I’m done.

“Ava!” he shouts again as I make my way to the door .

I pause for just a moment, glancing back at him one last time. The man I thought I knew, the man I thought cared for me, isn’t there. He’s someone else, someone who can’t see beyond himself.

There’s nothing left to say.

At home, I sit on my bed, staring at the wall, buried in my thoughts.

I can’t force him to be a father, and I wouldn’t want to. But I had hoped— hoped —he would support me, that he’d understand.

The drive back was numb, my emotions tangled and raw. Sebastian’s reaction keeps replaying in my mind—his shock, his resistance, his casual suggestion to “get rid of it.” As if this baby, our baby, is meaningless.

How could I have been so wrong about him? I thought what we had was real, something that could withstand anything. But at the first real test, he crumbled. He put his career, his desires, his ambitions above everything else—even the life we created together.

Tears blur my vision as I pull into my driveway. I sit in the car for a long moment, my hands gripping the steering wheel like it’s the only thing keeping me grounded. Everything feels like it’s spiraling out of control.

Slowly, I make my way inside, each step heavy with the weight of my new reality. I collapse onto the couch, clutching a pillow to my chest. The tears I’ve been holding back finally break free, streaming hot and fast down my face .

My phone buzzes on the table, the screen lighting up with an incoming call. It’s Sebastian.

I stare at his name, my finger hovering over the button. Part of me wants to answer, wants to hear him apologize, to tell me he didn’t mean it, to promise that he’ll be here for me and for our child no matter what.

But deep down, I know that’s just a fantasy. He’s already shown me who he is.

No.

I let the call go to voicemail, my heart aching as I set the phone back down.

I resign myself to this new reality—a life without him.

I can do this. I can raise this baby on my own.

I just don’t want to.