The words hung in the air between us.
Unlikely.
I nodded like I understood, but honestly, my brain had stopped processing things.
I drove home in silence. Daniel was sitting at my kitchen table when I walked in. He had stopped by to drop off takeout from Texas Roadhouse.
“Hey,” he said. “How’d the appointment go?”
I sat down slowly. “Well, the doctor says getting pregnant might be difficult.”
Daniel didn’t react right away. He just stared at the table. Then he nodded once.
“Okay,” he said.
That was it. No hug, no reassurance. Just okay.
Two days later, he asked if we could talk. He chose Applebee’s on First Avenue. I still remember the smell of fried food when we walked inside. The place was busy. A baseball game played on the TVs over the bar. People laughed at nearby tables, but our booth felt strangely quiet.
Daniel stirred his iced tea for a long time before speaking. Finally, he looked up.
“Laura, I’ve been thinking.”
My chest tightened.
“That doctor appointment changed things.”
I felt the words coming before he even said them.
“I want kids,” he continued. “You know that.”
“I know,” I said softly.
“And if that’s not possible…” He hesitated, then shook his head. “I have to think about my future.”
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