Stumbling

01 surprise

Life had a way of tricking us into thinking we had control, and then rerouting in a way we never thought it could.

I loved life, I really did, but it was those rerouting moments that weren't my favorite.

"Crap," I hissed, dumping my head into my hands.

"Ellie, are you okay?" Veronica's worried voice filtered through the thick wooden door. "What does it say?"

My eyes burned with unshed tears. I lifted my head and peaked at the test, a dark blue plus-sign stared back at me.

"It's positive." I said weakly.

Veronica remained silent before the door creaked open. She held out another pregnancy test, "Do you wanna take another one?"

I chuckled, glancing at the three positive pregnancy tests on the counter as I sniffled. "No, it's pretty obvious that I'm pregnant."

She lowered her extended hand, a solemn expression on her face. "What're you going to do?"

I sighed, shaking my head. I didn't want to answer that question, I didn't know how.

"Are you going to tell him?" She prodded gently.

Thinking about him brought a wave of nausea, one that wasn't because of my recently discovered state.

Veronica was referring to my husband, or ex-husband, at that point. He and I had split after being married for four years.

We'd started dating our senior year of high school. It felt like something out of a fairy tale, our relationship was perfect. Too perfect.

College rolled round, and we felt like we were ready to face the world, so we got engaged and then got married two months later. We quickly moved into an apartment together in downtown New York, and continued our studies whilst being a married college couple.

It was great, until it wasn't.

One day all hell broke lose and a never-ending chain of fights broke out between us for two consecutive years of our marriage. We never said it out loud, but we both felt the love fizzle out each day we'd lay in bed together or wake up beside each other.

Something had changed.

So, one sunny Sunday afternoon he sat down on our Boho couch and handed me an envelope and said, and I quote, "I love you, El, but I can't do this anymore."

As if he was the one suffering!

It felt like I knew what was inside the envelope before I even opened it, but I opened it nonetheless and was met with divorce papers.

Things hadn't been the same ever since that day.

Within a week I'd moved out of our luxury apartment and moved in with my childhood best friend, Veronica. A month later I'd signed the papers and had sold my wedding ring so I could pay off my car.

A couple weeks later I started feeling sick, but I'd ignored it and blamed it on stress. After missing my period, which never happened, along with other symptoms, I knew it wasn't stress.

I knew the baby was definitely his. I hadn't been with anyone besides him in my entire life – and I could vividly remember the last time we'd been intimate. I could also remember that I hadn't taken my birth control consistently that month, and we hadn't used protection.

"No." I sighed.

Veronica's mouth hung open, "Why not? He's the father, he should know."

"We're divorced, Vee."

"It isn't finalized, is it? And in any case, that doesn't make this baby disappear." She stated before pushing the door open wide. "C'mon."

I looked up, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to schedule an appointment with a OBGYN, and then we're going to practice how you're going to tell him."

I didn't have it in me to fight back, so I sighed and reluctantly agreed.

She remained silent before kneeling in front of me. "Everything will be okay, Ellie."