I lived in those “maybes.” I was afraid to dream too far ahead. I kept silent about it even to myself.
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My husband, Aiden, and I had tried for years. Charting ovulation. Weekly doctor visits. Hope that rose and collapsed again.
Aiden had held me through every negative test… until that moment.
When I finally saw those two lines, I didn’t believe them at first. I sat there in silence, holding the test to my chest like something sacred.
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“Aiden?” I called my husband in a trembling voice. “We’re having a baby.”
He walked out of his office like someone had summoned him for a job interview.
“What? I thought you said it wouldn’t work anymore.”
“I thought so too. But look…” I showed him the test, then another. “And the doctor confirmed it—almost nine weeks now.”
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He stepped closer. Smiled. But his eyes… they stayed distant.
“So… you want to keep it? Maybe it’s not too late to reconsider?”
“What?! Are you serious?! Aiden, this is what we dreamed of!”
“We used to dream. Things changed. Life changed.”
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I didn’t know how to respond. I told myself it was shock, surprise. Maybe he was scared. People say foolish things when they’re scared. But something inside me clicked. A tiny alarm bell—danger.
I tried to hug my husband. He let me, but he didn’t hug me back.
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***
The days that followed should have been filled with warmth, with excitement. Instead, they felt like a cold draft moving through my life.
Aiden had grown quieter, more distant, like a ghost in our home.
He didn’t touch the baby books I left on the coffee table. Didn’t react when I showed him the tiny onesies I ordered online.
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One evening, I sat beside him on the couch, holding two swatches of paint in my hands.
“Sunshine Pearl or Soft Meadow?” I asked gently.
“For what?”
“The nursery. You said you liked yellow last year…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
He didn’t even look at the colors.
“I’m too tired to think about that now, Lynn. Can we not do this?”
“It’s our baby, Aiden.”
He sighed.
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“I know. But do we really need to plan the entire future in one week?”
I stared at him, my throat tightening.
“I just want to feel like you’re in this with me.”
His only answer was silence.
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***
The next day, he suggested we visit Gloria.
“My mom’s been gone for years,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t mind some advice.”
Aiden nodded vaguely and grabbed the car keys.
“You two should talk. Woman to woman.”
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I followed, hoping, like a fool, that this was a step forward.
Gloria opened the door with a tight-lipped smile. She led us into the sitting room, where nothing ever changed.
She didn’t offer me tea.
“Congratulations, Lynn. So you got yourself pregnant after all.”
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I blinked. The words were sharp. They sliced deeper than I expected.
“Yes,” I forced a polite smile. “I’m really happy about it.”
Her tone turned sharper.
“Well, I hope it’s a boy?”
“I don’t care either way. As long as the baby’s healthy.”
