“Anything else?” I asked, watching the busy street traffic. During the warmer months, the place opened their outdoor area for pick-up orders. Currently, I was sitting at one of the tables they had set up waiting for the food.
“Well… since you asked…. I ate the last of my pickles when I got home from work, so if you can…” Her voice trailed off.
“Stop by the store and grab you a jar? Got it. Anything else.”
“You’re the best, hubby! That’s it. The baby thanks you! See you when you get here.”
Chuckling, I said my goodbye before hanging up. It was nice to finally be at peace in my own home. Even when we were getting along before my birthday, there were always lingering, unaddressed issues between us. Now that everything was on the table, things had calmed and had been running smoothly.
I was in the middle of looking reading an email when a familiar voice calling my name caught my attention
“I thought that was you!”
My eyes bucked when I looked up and laid eyes on my ex-girlfriend Sierra. Seeing her wasn’t what shocked me, the large belly she attached to her was. When we were together, she insisted that she didn’t want to be a mother and wife. So seeing her pregnant caused a knot to form in my stomach.
“I guess the belly is a shocker, huh?” She released a small laugh.
I forced my eyes off her stomach and up to her face. It was a bit fuller than I was used to, which I assumed was because of the pregnancy.
“Sierra,” I said, finally finding my words. “I wasn’t aware you were back in town.”
Her hand went to her stomach and she waddled over to me. “Do you mind if I sit? My feet are killing me.”
It was then that I noticed the rock on her finger too. The knot in my stomach grew. It had been years since we’d been together,but seeing her living a life she was so sure she didn’t want when she was with me was like a gut punch.
“Have at it.” I nodded at one of the chairs across from me.
“Thanks!” I waited for her to pull the seat out and sit down. “I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been seeing your name mentioned in a lot of business articles. I’m happy to see you were able to start your company and it’s doing well. I knew you would do great once you got it started.”
“I appreciate it.” I turned my head, giving the area a quick scan then turning back to her. “Are you back home permanently?” I locked my phone, setting it on the table and resting my forearms there. Last I’d heard, she had relocated for work.
She nodded. “I am. With the baby coming, me and my husband wanted to be closer to family.”
My eyes bounced around her face. She still looked good. A shadow of fatigue rested in her eyes, but nothing too serious. Her hair was braided and pulled into a ponytail. The dress she wore was off the shoulders and gripped her breasts that were noticeably bigger than before. Still, her golden skin was glowing.
“Husband, huh?” I drummed my fingers on the table. “I’m surprised to hear that coming from you.”
I was no longer in love with Sierra, but I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t a bit envious knowing she’d built a life with someone who wasn’t me and even looked happy. It had been seven years since we’d broken up, and of course people’s minds could change, but it still left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
“Yeah.” She looked off to the side. “Three years now.”
“Is that your first?” I wondered, referring to the baby.
“It is.” She faced me again with a smile. “Two months to go and this little girl will be here.”
“So I guess when you said you didn’t want the family life you just meant with me.” It shouldn’t even matter what my ex hadgoing on. I was married now with a kid on the way myself. When me and Sierra broke up, it was a mutual decision. No doors left open. So why did I feel like there were some unresolved issues between us?
The smile on her face slowly dropped and her eyes fell on the table.
“I did feel that way, or at least I thought I did until I met my husband.” Her voice softened, and when she looked back at me, I noticed her eyes light up when she referred to her husband. “I didn’t realize until I started dating Kevin that Ididwant to start a family, but without the pressure.”
“Pressure? You saying I was pressuring you?”
A deep sigh fell from her lips. “Not intentionally, but you never hid the fact that you wanted me pregnant or that you wanted us married. We were both young and getting our footing in the world, it was a lot and I…” She paused again and looked off.
“You what?” I pushed.
“I felt trapped I guess.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “A little overwhelmed too. I loved you, but you were so set in this life you created in your head that you didn’t leave room for any other path.”