I woke up to the sterile scent of disinfectant and the muffled beeping of machines. A soft light filtered in through the blinds, cutting across the white hospital ceiling. For a moment, I had no idea where I was. The bed beneath me felt foreign; too clean, too stiff. My head ached as if I had been banging it against concrete. My mouth felt like sandpaper.
As soon as I stirred, I felt a warm hand clutching mine. Lindsey. Her big brown eyes were puffy, and her lips trembled with relief. "Thank goodness, Tessa," she whispered, her voice tight with emotion. "You scared the hell out of me."
"What happened?" I croaked, my voice barely audible. I winced as I tried to sit up; my body protested with every movement. "Why am I here?"
Lindsey's eyes darted toward the corner of the room. That's when I saw him.
Ethan.
He stood leaning against the doorframe, a white bandage across his nose. His eyes met mine unreadable but not indifferent. Concern? Guilt? I couldn't tell. I turned my gaze away from him.
"You fainted," Lindsey answered gently. "By the lake. You just collapsed and scared the living daylights out of me."
Mr. Carter stood beside her, looking strangely fatherly at that moment. He hovered anxiously with his hands tucked into the pockets of his expensive slacks. "I'm going to call the doctor," he said, giving me a reassuring nod before stepping out.
I rubbed my temples, trying to piece it all together. I remembered running, the heat of the sun, the sand stinging my soles, my chest aching, and then... nothing.
When the doctor came in, she was followed by a nurse who looked like she'd stepped out of a commercial too cheerful for a hospital setting. She checked my vitals and flashed a practiced smile.
"Everything looks okay," she said warmly.
"Did I faint? What's wrong with me?" I asked.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, you fainted due to a combination of emotional distress, physical exhaustion, and dehydration. But there's another reason, Mrs..."
She glanced at my chart, hesitating.
"You're pregnant."
The words hit me like thunderclaps.
Pregnant.
My vision blurred, and the room tilted slightly. I heard her speaking, but it was like she was at the end of a tunnel. Her voice was soft, measured, and filled with medical advice I couldn't digest.
"...you must stay hydrated, rest, and avoid stress. It's still early, but the baby's heartbeat is strong."
Heartbeat?
I turned my head to the side, and something hot slid down my cheek.
Tears.
This couldn't be happening.
How? When? Why now?
I scrambled through my memory. It had been two months since that night when Ethan slipped into bed beside me. I was numb, emotionally shattered, lost in my own thoughts. He touched me gently and whispered apologies in the dark. I didn't say no. I didn't say anything. I hadn't even remembered to take my contraceptives that week. I had been skipping meals and missing pills, ignoring everything.
I hadn't known. I hadn't wanted to.
Lindsey squeezed my hand, smiling through her tears. "Everything is going to be okay," she whispered.
I stared at her. Was she serious? How could she say that?
My reality was crumbling. Ethan stepped forward slowly, cautiously, like I was a wounded animal. He crouched down by my side and reached for my hand. I felt his fingers tremble.
"Tessa..."
Tears streaked his cheeks. Real ones.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I never wanted to hurt you. I... I still…"
I snatched my hand back like it burned.
"Don't," I snapped, my voice hoarse. "Don't pretend to care now."
He flinched. I didn't care.
I turned to the nurse. My voice cracked, but I forced the words out.
"Please... I want to know all the options."
She blinked. "Options, ma'am?"
"Yes, about the pregnancy. I want to know everything. Every possibility."
Ethan's face drained of color. His mouth opened slightly, but he didn't speak. Not a word.
I didn't look at him again.
The nurse hesitated, then nodded.
"Of course, ma'am. I'll get someone to talk to you right away."
As she walked out of the room, the air thickened with silence.
Lindsey looked at me, alarmed. "Tessa... are you sure?"
I didn't answer.
I didn't know.
The baby. My baby. Ethan's baby.
A life inside me.
But what kind of life could I give it in the middle of this mess?
I stared at the ceiling, willing the tears to stop. They didn't.
In the corner, Ethan sat down in a chair, his face in his hands.
I closed my eyes and tried to disappear.
And in that moment, with a heartbeat pulsing inside me and my own heart threatening to shatter, I knew nothing would ever be the same again.