Till fate do us part.

I stared at the two pink stripes on the pregnancy test stick and sank onto the bed. My legs gave out under me, trembling from a mix of shock, disbelief, and a strange flutter of something I couldn’t quite name. “Oh my God… I’m pregnant,” I whispered to myself. Then, louder, with a squeal I couldn’t hold back: “I’m pregnant!” My hands shook as I held the test to my chest. My mind raced. What would Damien think? Our marriage had always been cold, stiff smiles, long hours of work, he was gone somewhere, traveling for work or locked in meetings. And when he was home, we barely slept together. The last time had been months ago, when he came home drunk and careless, without thinking of protection. A small, smile touched my lips at the memory. That night, reckless and short, had left this tiny miracle behind. I had to tell someone. I grabbed my phone and called my best friend. The phone range for a few beats before she picked it. “Mira! Guess what?” I said, my voice trembling. “Ava, you know I’m terrible at guessing—come on, spill it!” she replied, her usual teasing warmth in her voice. “I’m pregnant!” I squealed again, almost laughing in disbelief. There was a beat of silence, and then she gasped, “Wait… what?!” “I’m pregnant!” I repeated, this time a little bolder, letting the joy escape into the phone. “How… w.w.w… what?!” Mira stammered, her voice rising with excitement and confusion. “I’m so happy for you, Ava. Congratulations! This is amazing news!” she finally said, her words warm and steady. “Is Damien aware?” “No,” I whispered. My stomach fluttered. “I’m going to pick him up from the airport in an hour.” “I’m a little scared,” I admitted. “I don’t know what he’ll think.” “Don’t worry, girl. He’ll be as happy as you are ,” she said, and we chatted a bit longer before I told her I had to get ready. I slipped into a cute skirt and jacket, glancing at myself in the mirror. Joy tinged with anxiety shimmered back at me. I ran a hand over my stomach, imagining the tiny life inside me, and felt a thrill I hadn’t known I could feel in years. I grabbed my bag and headed out,but not before stopping at the bakery to get a small cake, perfect for the moment. Frosting white and soft, with a pink ribbon of icing looping over the top. Innocent, celebratory. The drive to the airport should have been simple, straightforward. I hummed softly to a playlist I had been listening to for months, one I used to calm myself after long, empty days. The streets glistened with evening rain,I could smell the faint sweetness of the cake, the leather of the car, the lingering scent of my perfume. The phone rang. I reached over to answer it with one hand, the other gripping the wheel. It was Mira, just checking in. I smiled, comforted by her voice, feeling like everything in the world could still be okay. I hummed again, telling her about how excited I was to finally see Damien, to finally tell him the news. The city felt alive, wet, and clean. But then, the road curved sharply a bend I had driven countless times. i didn't see the truck coming and by the time I did it was too late. My heart jumped into my throat. I slammed my legs on the brakes but the tires slid across the wet road like ice. The city blurred. The headlights of other cars streaked across the windshield. I pressed my foot harder on the brake, but it wasn’t enough. The car spun, tumbling forward, tires screeching in protest. The cake toppled over, frosting smearing across the passenger seat. My hand instinctively went to my stomach. A surge of panic hit me. I couldn’t let anything happen. Not to me. Not to my baby. The car collided with the guardrail, metal screaming, shattering glass flying like glitter in the stormy night. My body slammed against the seatbelt, ribs aching. I tried to move, tried to breathe, but the world had gone heavy and cruel. My legs were pinned beneath the twisted metal. The phone rang again. The sound was distant, unreal, like someone else’s life was happening somewhere else. I tried to answer it, tried to reach for help, but my body wouldn’t obey. Blood mixed with the rain that had seeped inside, frosting smeared across my lap, the cake ruined. My mind wandered. Damien. Our engagement party. That first glance when he walked in, late and impossibly perfect. The thought of telling him I was pregnant. The joy I had imagined crashed into me like waves. He would never know. He would never know about our baby, not to talk of meeting them. I thought of Mira, my parents, all the people I loved, all the moments I would never have. My chest ached. My breaths came in shallow, panicked gasps. I had never even gotten to tell Damien that I loved him. The ringing of the phone grew distant, fading like a memory. The sound of the city, the rain, the chaos, all slipped away. And then there was only black.