Chapter Text
The merciless sun bore down as you parked your car. The Austin summer had been relentless, and today, it seemed as if even the universe was conspiring against you.
It had been a thoroughly miserable day. Work had been a disaster; you'd spent hours redoing half of a project your co-worker had botched because she was still hungover from the previous night.
The Texas summer heat, relentless and unforgiving, only added to your misery. As if fate had a personal grudge against you, you realized you'd left your house keys on your office desk when you were already halfway home.
You sighed in defeat and turned your car around to retrieve them. All of this was compounded by your lingering morning sickness, a term you found deceptive as it had resurfaced with a vengeance upon entering your third trimester. You had naively believed you had bid it farewell for good when you'd crossed into the second trimester.
"Whoever called it morning sickness should be shot for lying," you grumbled, attempting to quell the rising nausea that threatened to surface.
Dressed in biker shorts and an oversized t-shirt you kept in your car for emergencies, you got out and beelined to the frozen aisle for a popsicle stick and savored the brief respite offered by the melting ice cold treat.
You sighed in relief and grabbed a pushcart. Your only mission in the store was to grab some Oreos, pickles, and frozen pizza to satisfy your cravings that were so intense, you literally cried in the car on your way over.
As you rounded a corner in the store, you were suddenly face to face with the last person you wanted to see: Joel Miller.
Great. You thought to yourself. Couldn't have been on a better day.
Ah, Joel fucking Miller.
The man who had once been the love of your life.
The same man who had taken you on the most memorable first date you'd ever experienced, and had filled the past five years of your life with the kind of joy you'd never known before.
But this was also the same man who made it clear to you months ago, after five whole years of being together and living together for three, that he has no plans of marrying you and having a family with you.
You and Joel were arguing at the time when he said it.
--
In the midst of your emotional clash, you couldn't help but speak your mind, your frustration boiling over.
"Joel," you began, your voice trembling with pent-up feelings, "if you get mad at every damn little thing, what's going to happen if we were married? That's not the life I want, and definitely not the husband I need."
Joel's eyes flashed with anger as he retorted, "Of course it’s not! And who told you I was going to marry you?" His words cut like a knife, and you felt your heart shatter into pieces.
"We never talked about it, what put the idea into your head?" he continued, his tone harsh and unyielding.
Your jaw went slack in shock, as tears welled up in your eyes as you choked back your emotions.
"But I thought we--," you whispered, your voice barely audible, you couldn't even continue your thoughts when Joel cut you off.
"No." He barked. "You knew from the start that Sarah is my priority. Always was and always will be. I'm not going through the whole marriage thing again." 'And have our hearts broken all over again, when you realize that we're not what you want', he wanted to add. But instead he allowed the silence to linger.
Silent tears slipped from your eyes but you did not respond.
Instead you stood up and went into the closet and started packing. So be it, you told yourself as you zipped the last of your bags before going into the bathroom to hastily shove your toiletries into another bag.
You stopped when you pulled one of the lower drawers open. The positive pregnancy test sticks under your box of tampons glared at you, and for a brief moment you contemplated telling Joel. But when you heard the front door slam shut, you pulled yourself together and shoved the sticks in the bag as well.
--
That was seven months ago and you haven't seen nor heard from Joel since.
Your eyes met for a moment before his gaze fell upon your very round baby bump. Acting on instinct, you hastily placed your handbag in the shopping cart, a futile attempt to hide it from him, though it didn't do much given the fact that you looked like you had tucked an entire overriped watermelon under your shirt.
You grimaced, closed your eyes, and took a deep breath. When you locked eyes with him once more, you began walking backwards, your eyes not leaving him and before he could say anything, you had rounded the corner and all he heard was, “Nope. Not today!”