"I'm going to terminate my pregnancy," I said as I stared blankly at the road ahead. How did I get pregnant? I always take my pills on time. I never failed to take them, even when I wasn't sexually active anymore due to the transition between my relationship with Evan and River."No, you can't," Addy, sitting next to me driving, replied firmly. She then let out a long sigh. “I mean, think it through first, once your mind is calm, once you're able to put your thoughts in order.”I shook my head. "I can't do that.” My shoulders trembled as I clutched my own face. “Why would I get pregnant when things are so messed up like this?”Addy reached out and took my hand, her grip firm and comforting. “Mia, I think you should talk to River. After all, he's the father of your baby. He has a right to know and a duty to take responsibility.”I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "I just can't go through with it, Addy. I do love him, but I don't know if we can make things work. And I d
“Are you sure you want to do this?”It was the first day of work after the Christmas holidays. Addy was standing behind me as I was facing the screen of her computer that I had borrowed. Her hand touched my shoulder to question my decision.My eyes stared at the lines of words on the computer screen. I nodded confidently. "I've thought it through.""Alright," she said. "Get to work then. I will take care of everything here." hhAfter Addy left, I turned my attention back to the computer screen, my fingers trembling slightly as I clicking the print icon there, my heart raced at the sound of a blank sheet of paper entering the printing press and then coming out with text on it.I put my signature on the letter, then put it in an envelope. I put the envelope into my briefcase and got up from my chair."I'm leaving first, Ads! See you in the afternoon!""Be careful on the road!" she called out with a wave, her voice instantly silenced as I closed the door to her unit.As I stepped out of
Stepped out of Pamela Magazine's office building, I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. The winter air felt cold against my skin, but there was a strange warmth in my chest knowing that I had taken a step towards following my heart. As I stood in front of the building, I couldn't help but feel a sense of liberation and trepidation at the same time.My head looked up, observing the Pamela Magazine logo on the top of the building. I'd be lying if I said I was more than willing to leave here after what I'd done in the two and a half years I'd been here to get a promotion to work at The Hera Magazine. In half a year I'll be able to realize my dream since I was a teenager, but I choose to bury it. I now have other responsibilities, I have other paths to travel. My hand rubbed my still flat belly, smiling bitterly at the realization that I had chosen this little creature over my own dreams.The sound of the horn made my head turn. Addy appeared with a big smile
Three years later …The sound of laughter filled the air as Addy played peek-a-boo with my daughter in the living room. I smiled from the kitchen at the sound of their voices. A week after moving to Chicago, I decided to sign up for a cooking class for the good of the three of us, considering Addy and the kitchen were also eternal enemies. Other than that, my other goal was to find something to do, so that I wouldn't dwell in sadness for too long.As I dried my hands on a towel, I took a moment to look around our new home. It was a cozy, three-bedroom house with a small backyard, perfect for us. I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, thinking about the life we had left behind. Yet, I knew that this was the path we had chosen, and I wanted to make sure that it was the best one possible for my daughter.I really had left everything behind. I changed all my contacts that I could reach, changed my job, and left friends behind to start a whole new life. But one thing remained consta
"Who's ready to ride the merry-go-round tonight?!" Addy exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she clapped her hands together. I couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy, knowing that she was just as excited as Shannon for our evening plans.The carnival had rolled into town, its vibrant lights illuminating the night sky. We had been waiting for this day for weeks, and now it was finally here.My daughter's eyes widened with excitement as she clapped her hands, her face lighting up at the mention of the merry-go-round. "Me! Me!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in my arms.I chuckled at her eagerness, feeling a warmth in my chest at the sight of her joy. Setting her down gently, I took her hand in mine as we followed Addy towards the carnival grounds.The carnival grounds were alive with the sounds of laughter and music, the air filled with the scent of cotton candy and popcorn. The colorful lights from the rides danced across Shannon's face, highlighti
Hearing Addy's words, for some reason I was reminded of what happened three years ago.**About a week into my stay in Chicago, I was walking home after a cooking class. I saw a stand on the side of the road selling various magazines. There was something in me that drove me to pull up to that stand, maybe I would find something I was looking for. And when I saw a few stacks of magazines with PAMELA written on them with covers I'd never seen before. Without thinking, I bought them right away.When I got home, I couldn't wait to open it, turning the pages one by one, unconsciously shedding tears because of my longing for some of the names written there: Rory Burnett, Emma Freud, Lukas Cheadle, Cody Vargaz, and even my own name that was still written there as Editor of the Feature Section. And there was one more name that I secretly missed, a name printed quite large on one of the special pages: River Lynch and His Beloved Woman! That's what it says.And I opened that special page, eight
"River ...." My voice trembled at the mention of that name, a name I still sometimes say in my unconscious.I couldn't think straight, my gaze shifted to the distance, Addy was standing there frozen. Both of her hands were holding the popcorn bucket.And just as my words were about to come out of my mouth, a voice from below broke our focus. "Mommy, why are you crying?"Shannon's innocent question pierced through the tension in the air, grounding me back to reality. I quickly wiped away my tears and crouched down to her eye level, forcing a smile on my face."It's nothing, sweetheart. Mommy's just really happy to see you safe," I replied, my voice quivering slightly as I gathered her in my arms once more.Addy finally snapped out of her daze and came over to where we were, her eyes flitting between Shannon, River, and me with a mixture of confusion and realization."River Lynch," Addy breathed out his name in disbelief, her gaze narrowing as she took in the scene before her. "What are
His arms enveloped me in a tight embrace, the familiar scent of his cologne bringing back a flood of memories. We clung to each other, seeking solace in the comfort of each other’s presence after all these years apart. The carnival noises faded into the background as we held onto each other, two souls reunited by fate and the passage of time.“Mia, maybe it's too late,” he said softly in my shoulder, “and I'm very sorry for never saying it, but believe me; whether it was then, when you disappeared, until this moment; believe me that I never stopped loving you.”As River's words lingered in the air, a sense of peace washed over me. The tumult of emotions that had consumed me for years seemed to quiet down in that moment. His confession, filled with regret and love, reached deep into my heart, stirring feelings I had long thought buried. I gazed into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and vulnerability laid bare before me.Those words, the words that I wanted to hear three years ago, that R