ᴄʜᴀᴍᴘᴀɢɴᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs.

ᴠ

ᴀᴜᴅʀɪᴀɴᴀ
ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 2016

"AUDRI, TAKE A deep breath, okay?"

Dani's soft voice reached my ears just as I burst into the kitchen of the guest house, the reverberating slam of the door underscoring the intensity of my emotions. A surge of frustration and hurt welled up within me, making my chest heave as I fought to shape my words.

"I cannot believe he did that!" I exclaimed, my voice laced with tears as I locked eyes with Dani and Sawyer. "That was our news to share. Ours. Not his, not anyone else's," I conveyed, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my fists clenching at my sides. The mounting weight of my emotions fueled my sobs as I gestured toward the door, the turmoil evident in my trembling voice. "I am not going back there," I declared with unwavering determination. "I'm done. I'm not doing it. I'm getting Nick, and we are going home."

"Audriana, sweetie, it's going to be okay," Dani said, her voice carrying a reassuring warmth as she reached out to place her hand on my shoulder. I flinched and pulled away, allowing my shoulders to slump, the sobs still convulsing through my body.

"Why don't they understand? This is my marriage. Mine," I exclaimed, my frustration and hurt palpable as I gestured toward myself with clenched fists.

"I don't think he meant any harm, Audriana. Really," Sawyer said soothingly, her hand resting gently on my arm. "If anything, I think he did you a favor."

Sniffling, I managed, "you heard him. I was the impulsive marriage that Nick got himself into less than two months ago, and now I'm pregnant... I have never felt more alone than I did in that moment... I have never felt more unwelcome than I did back there," I choked out, the burden of my words weighing heavily upon me. I shook my head. "The malice in his voice..."

"I don't think he did it to be malicious," Dani whispered. "I think he's happy."

"Oh, yeah. The expression on his face screamed happiness, didn't it?" I retorted with bitter sarcasm. "He's thrilled for Nick and me, I can tell."

Sawyer's voice was barely above a whisper as she leaned in, the worry etched on her face palpable. "Aud, I honestly think he's still shocked," she confided, her tone softened by genuine concern. "We all are, hun. The whirlwind of everything happening between you and Nick... it's a lot to take in," she added, her empathy threading through her words like a gentle tug on a fragile thread.

But before I could respond, Dani's urgency cut through the air, her voice tinged with both concern and determination. "Sawyer!" The sharpness of her tone broke through the emotional weight that hung heavy in the room.

"Look, you want me to be straight up with you?" Sawyer said, her gaze locking onto mine. I braced myself for the raw honesty I knew would follow. "I've known you for how many years? And you are not one to dive headfirst into anything in your life or make these irrational decisions. Marriage in Vegas, one thing. We get that. You get drunk, you confess your feelings to someone, you wind up in a wedding chapel. A big deal, sure, but not as momentous as people are making it out to be," she remarked, her voice laced with empathy. "But a baby is a little bit different, Audriana. You're bringing a tiny human into this world..."

The weight of her words hung heavily in the air, settling like a shroud of doubt around me. "You don't think I can do it, do you?" I asked, the uncertainty in my voice almost suffocating. "You don't think I can be a mom, do you?" Quiet glances were exchanged between Dani and Sawyer, a fusion of empathy and compassion shimmering in their eyes. "I don't think I can do it either," I confessed softly, my fears spilling out into the hushed space. "I'm going to be such a failure. You saw me hold Valentina... I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown."