Shifting Tides

The next two weeks passed in a blur of activity and mounting tension. Leonard was rarely home, caught up in preparations for his trip to Germany with Charlotte. I threw myself into my work, taking on extra projects to keep my mind occupied. The pregnancy was still my secret, a small flame of hope I nursed quietly, growing increasingly unsure of when or how to share the news with Leonard.

One evening, I came home to find Leonard in his home office, poring over some documents. I paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of him. He looked tired, the lines around his eyes more pronounced than usual.

"Hey," I said softly, making him look up. "You're home early."

He barely glanced at me. "Just going over some last-minute details for the trip. How was your day?"

I stepped into the office, perching on the edge of his desk. "Busy. I've taken on a new project at work -redesigning the city's community center."

Leonard nodded absently, his attention already back on his papers. "That's nice, Claire."

I watched him for a moment, gathering my courage. "Leonard," I began, "I was hoping we could talk about something important before you leave."

He looked up again, his brow furrowing. "Is everything okay?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm-"

But before I could finish, his phone rang. I saw Charlotte's name flash on the screen, and my lips thinned in irritation. Leonard gave me a dismissive look as he reached for the phone.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I have to take this. We'll talk later, okay?"

I nodded mutely, sliding off his desk and leaving the room. As I closed the door behind me, I heard Leonard's voice, warm and concerned, asking Charlotte what was wrong. The familiar ache in my chest returned, along with a new resolve. I couldn't keep waiting for the perfect moment to tell Leonard about the baby. But I was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a right time.

The next morning, I woke early, determined to catch Leonard before he left for work. I found him in the kitchen, hurriedly gulping down a cup of coffee.

"Leonard," I said, my voice stronger than I felt, "we need to talk. Now."

He glanced at his watch, frowning. "Can it wait? I have an early meeting-"

"No," I interrupted, surprising both of us with my firmness. "It can't wait. This is important."

Something in my tone must have gotten through to him because he set down his coffee cup and turned to face me with a deep sigh. "Alright, Claire. What is it?"

I filled my lungs, my hand unconsciously moving to rest on my still-flat stomach. "I've been thinking... about our future. About having a family."

The words hung in the air between us. I watched as a myriad of emotions flickered across Leonard's face - surprise, confusion, and something that looked almost like annoyance.

"A family?" he repeated, his voice hard. "But... why now? We've never really discussed this before."

"I know," I said, a hint of defiance creeping into my voice despite the tension. "That's why I wanted to talk about it. I think it's time we considered taking that step."

Leonard ran a hand through his hair, his expression darkening. "Claire, this is... I don't know what to say. We never planned for children. With my work, with Charlotte's situation..."

The mention of Charlotte's name sent a flash of anger through me. "And what about my situation, Leonard? What about us? When do I get to be the priority in your life?"

He looked taken aback by my outburst. "Claire, you know how important you are to me-"

"Do I?" I challenged, years of pent-up frustration finally bubbling to the surface. "Because from where I'm standing, it seems like Charlotte's needs always come first. Even now, when I'm talking about our future, about starting a family, you're thinking about her."

Leonard's face hardened. "That's not fair. Charlotte needs me. She's been through so much-"

"And what about what I need?" I interrupted, my voice rising. "What about what our potential children would need? Are you going to miss doctor's appointments because Charlotte called? Are you going to skip important moments in our child's life because she needs you for something?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw something shift in Leonard's eyes. But instead of understanding, I saw only cold determination.

"We'll discuss this later," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Right now, I need to focus on my work and finishing up the plans for Charlotte's trip. We can figure out... this situation... another time."

With that, he turned and left the kitchen, leaving me standing there, stunned and hurt. As I heard the front door close, I sank into a chair, one hand rubbing my stomach tenderly.

"It's okay, little one," I whispered, fighting back tears. "No matter what happens, you and I are going to be just fine."

Little did I know that things were about to get much, much worse.