The week passed like a dream half-remembered.
Between clean up calls, family messages, and late dinners that always ended with quiet laughter, the apartment began to feel live in, it felt like home.
On a random Thursday, Jason stood barefoot in the living room, a paintbrush in one hand and a playlist of old romantic songs filling the space around him. The walls were slowly coming alive with color.
It was an early afternoon and Elera didn't leave for work that day. Instead, she left in with her sneakers and lip gloss, heading out to meet with two of her best friends, Zehra and Imen at a little café tucked between a florist and a tech repair shop nearby her apartment.
"Here comes the married bitch!" Imen shouted playfully. "Look at her...She's glowing!"
Elara made her way to the empty seat as they scooted closer to her.
Zehra pulled her into a hug. "Awn, look at you. Come here! I can't believe this is happening." She squeezed her tight, rocking them both from side to side in a joyful embrace.
"Show me the ring. Is it expensive?" Imen said, throwing a quick, excited glance at Zehra.
Elara held out her hand, and they all shrieked loud enough for everyone to notice the disturbance.
Imen paused, letting the attention soak in. "You guys", he announced, with a grin still plastered on his face, "My girlfriend just got married." He shot a smug look over at Zehra. "Let's give her a round of applause, shall we?"
He began to clap vigorously, and the crowd quickly joined in with the loud cheers and congratulations. Elera's smile felt stiff managing a strained expression as she mumbled her thanks, desperate to shut down the sudden spectacle.
She closed the distance between them, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper "Why do you like embarrassing me like this?"
"Come on, let's all sit down"
They all took their seats.
"The wedding venue was so cute," Zehra said, "but I don't get why you picked something so small. I was expecting something grand."
"Not everything has to be grand, Zehra. Jason and I wanted something small but memorable. That's why we picked the chapel."
"Let's skip to the juicy part. What happened after the wedding?" Imen smirked.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know…" he leaned in with a grin, "Who made the first move, if you catch my drift?"
Elara's eyes widened. "No! We didn't do anything. We wouldn't. Plus... I'm not really into all that."
Zehra and Imen glanced at each other.
"Really? Y'all were dancing like you wanted to devour each other," Zehra laughed.
"Yeah," Imen added with a flat stare.
Elara rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't you get married then?"
"Oh, honey, gay men cheat, too," Imen replied, waving his finger dramatically.
"And I'm too much of a hoe," Zehra said without shame.
Zehra turned serious for a moment. "So… have you told Jason you don't exactly want kids?"
Imen chimed in, "You know how crazy he is about them. He literally became a preschool teacher just to be around kids. Touching." He pulled a face. Bombastic, even.
Elara exhaled. "I'm not ready to tell him about all that… Plus, my mind might change in the future."
A weird silence settled over them.
It broke when Zehra shrugged and said, "Sorry, but you're so gonna end up doing the deed with him."
Imen gasped dramatically, eyes wide like he just had a vision. "And I'll be an uncle. Ew. I could never imagine you pregnant."
Elara gave the two an unamused look. "Whatever, let's just order food. I'm hungry"
It was late afternoon, and the three were on their way home. Zehra and Imen took an Uber, and Elara decided to walk since she didn't live far. From there, they went their separate ways.
As she walked, the world around her blurred into small, ordinary moments...a boy balancing a soccer ball on his knee, two women talking softly at a corner, the smell of roasted corn drifting through the street. Everything felt alive, yet distant.
Her thoughts pressed louder than the world.
I married a man… and now I have to have a baby with him? What if I don't want that?
She passed a car ahead of her. The noises around her made her think even harder.
There's still so much I want to do before becoming a mom. I want to become a world-renowned technologist, not just someone's mother.
A little girl laughed as she ran past her, holding her father's hand. Elara's chest tightened.
They always make it sound like you'll feel "complete" when you hold your baby. But what if I don't? What if all I feel is trapped?
She was closer to home.
The apartment felt unusually quiet, like something was missing. Jason was nowhere to be found.
"I'm home. Jason, are you still here?"
"Yep, I'm here… I'm around."
As she stepped into the living room, music began to swell, louder with each step she took.
She tilted her head, standing behind him with a puzzled look. "Uhm… what are you doing?"
Jason spun around on his feet, light and clumsy, sweeping her into his silly dance steps. He hummed along to the music, his face glowing with a kind of happiness that was obvious and unrestrained.
"What are you making?" she asked, noticing the easel beside him.
He gestured proudly. "I painted a portrait of us, to symbolize beginnings. Something to hold on to before everything changes."
Elara's eyes flicked to the canvas. Her expression softened, then faltered. "…Wait, why would you do all that?"
"Because we're going somewhere nice for our honeymoon, baby. And I wanted to do something special before we leave." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a fancy envelope with a grin.
"Honeymoon?" The word caught in her throat. It's getting real…
"You know," he said, voice playful but warm, "something couples do before really getting to know each other."
He brushed his hand against her waist, trying to pull her closer, his face shifting into something both eager and almost desperate. "I even bought you dresses. I miss bonding with you."
Elara stiffened, her heart racing. "But… I bond with you all the time. I'm always here."
Jason let out a quiet laugh but said nothing. He turned, walking away with a smirk, glancing back at her once before disappearing into the hallway.
Elara's voice came out quicker than she intended. "Wait… when?"
Jason's smirk deepened. "Tomorrow."