CHAPTER 2: Two Moms, One Fear
990 Words
“I need an abortion.”
Cora's voice was steady, almost too steady as she walked up to Emory and slid a steaming tumbler of coffee toward her. Taking a seat beside Emory on the plush chair in her apartment, Cora let the words hang in the air, cutting through the morning silence like a blade.
Emory paused, fingers curling around the warm cup. “Abortion?” She took a cautious sip. “You mean… canceling a plan or what?”
Cora’s eyes darkened. “I mean exactly what I said.”
Emory sat up straighter. “Wait… you’re pregnant?”
A slow nod.
For a moment, Emory’s mouth fell open in surprise, then a small spark of excitement lit up her face. “That’s… unexpected. Who’s the father?”
Silence. But Cora didn’t need to say it. The look on her face was enough.
Emory’s stomach sank. Alex.
The tumbler made a soft noise as she set it down on the table. “Cora, no,” she whispered, reaching for her friend’s hand. “Maybe this is a sign. Maybe you should tell him.”
“Tell him?” Cora let out a dry laugh, pulling her hand away. “How do I walk up to a man who left me for another woman, acted like he never knew me, and say, ‘Hey, I’m carrying your child for one month now’?” Her lips twisted in bitterness. “What do you expect? That he’ll just come running back like nothing happened?”
She let out a shaky breath, fingers brushing against the bandage on her forehead. “Besides, going to his wedding got me into that accident two weeks ago.”
Emory picked up the coffee tumbler from the table, gripping it tightly as she took steady sips. “I know it hurts, but you survived. And so did the unborn baby. That’s nothing short of a miracle, Cora.”
Cora’s eyes darkened. “A miracle?” Her voice was heavy with something else but guilt. “At the cost of someone else's life.”
Emory’s face changed. “What do you mean?”
“The cab driver.” Cora’s voice shook. “He died.”
Silence.
Her throat felt dry as she continued. “He had a family. A wife, kids… And he didn’t just die, Emory. He was shot.”
Emory’s eyes grew wide as she drank the last sip of coffee in one go, then slammed the tumbler onto the table. “Shot?”
Cora nodded, holding onto the edge of the table. “By a man I barely saw. He aimed at me first… but then, at the last second, he turned the gun on the driver.”
Emory swallowed hard. “Maybe he had enemies.”
“No.” Cora shook her head. “That man wouldn’t hurt a fly. I knew him.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping. “And that’s what’s been bothering me. Why did the shooter change his target?”
Emory paused for a moment. “What are you trying to say?”
Cora met her eyes, her jaw tightening. “I think the bride’s father had something to do with it.”
Emory’s breath caught. “But… the cops said he’s innocent.”
A week ago, while Cora was in the hospital, the police had questioned her about the accident.
Cora let out a dry chuckle. “That’s what they said.” But deep down, she knew somebody wanted her dead.
Emory gently took her hands again, her voice calm but firm. “Maybe you’re just overthinking, letting the heartbreak and the accident mess with your head. Let’s focus on the present and leave the past where it belongs.”
A heavy sigh escaped as Cora stared at the floor. “Maybe I am overthinking,” she admitted. “But one thing’s for sure is that I’m never reaching out to him.”
Emory nodded. “That’s okay. I get it.” She hesitated, then let out a small, sad laugh. “But you have something I wish I had… a child growing inside you. If not for all the mistakes I made before I met James, maybe I’d have that too. Now, he suffers in silence for my past, and it kills me.”
Cora looked up, frowning.
Emory squeezed her hands. “I don’t want you to go through what I did.”
Cora’s chest tightened. “I can’t even take care of myself, Emory. How do I take care of a baby? What if no man ever wants to be with a single mother? What if… I end up being a terrible mom?”
Without a word, Emory pulled her into a tight hug. “You won’t go through this alone. I’ll be here, every step of the way. And this baby?” She smiled softly. “It’s not just yours. It has two moms, you and me. And trust me, you’ll be the best mom.”
A warmth spread through her chest as she held on tightly, silent tears slipping down her cheeks. For the first time in weeks, the fear wasn’t so loud. Maybe, just maybe she could do this.
Then her phone rang.
The moment shattered.
She pulled away, wiping her face as she reached for the phone on the table. One glance at the screen, and her stomach dropped. Her boss.
Her fingers hesitated over the answer button. She already knew what this was about.
With a deep breath, she picked up.
“Cora,” his voice was firm but not unkind. “I’ve been patient. I know you’re going through a lot, but it’s been three weeks. The company can’t afford this anymore.”
Her grip tightened around the phone. “Sir, please, I can explain.”
“You’re fired.”
The line went dead.
She stood there, frozen, the words echoing in her head.
Her one surviving job…gone.
- Writer
