y heart was pounding, the weight of Julian's words sinking in. "Cleaner," he said. Like this was s

tightness in my chest grow a

sking for his help, his approval, or his opinion on my life. And yet, here he was, suggesting that I let go, that I end what wa

ea

that wouldn't heal, a reminder of the control

nd skin. The shame of letting it happen. I didn't tell him that I hadn't wanted this any of i

round me, suffocating me. It was a stillness that seemed to mock the chaos inside me. I let out a shaky

pen. I didn't need to lo

e

t. I could hear the faintest rustle of fabric as she dropped her bag by the door. She moved towa

asked, her voice g

me. How could they? How could I explain what I was f

voice barely audible. "I don't know w

nchoring me in a way nothing else could. We sat in silence for a long while. She didn't ask about Julian. She didn't quest

felt like an etern

listen

r eyes were steady, her

pens, I've got you. But you need to mak

e silence felt oppressive, but the weight of her gaze made

ng enough for this," I ad

g enough. But it's okay to not know what co

had haunted me for days, his absence a cruel reminder that this wasn't something

hrough emails, organizing schedules, anything to avoid thinking about what was gro

preg

ady or not, my life

hone, hovering over the 'contacts' list. I hadn't heard from Julian since our la

wasn't ready for another roun

control of something. I picked names at random, sometimes for a girl, sometimes for a boy, sometimes for both. A small part of me wa

found me in the living ro

sked, flopping onto

t just... feels like the only

hard, Mira. But you don't have to do this alone. A

g. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother

ore than enough. And no matter what, I

y answer, no neat solution to the mess Julian had left behind. But Lena was right. I didn'

my phone vibrating on the coffee table.

li

d anger mixing together in a tight knot. I stared

, tentative and unsure. "I-uh, I ju

o scream at him, to demand answers, but all I could d

ice flat. "Just... taking

was a pause, as if he was looking for the ri

respond i

elt hollow. Like he was asking just because it was t

oice. "I don't need anything from

ng silence on

d to talk," he said, his voi

lied, my voice strong, steady. "I need to mo

s response, placing the phone back down

I knew something. I

And I didn't need Julian Cro