The moment she walked through the door, she announced she wanted to sleep in our master bedroom. Her old room hadn't been used in so long, she said, that it smelled like mildew. She asked Paul and me to spend just one night in her room instead.
I didn't want to. That bedroom held so many memories between Paul and me, every small and precious one.
The thought of handing it over to a complete stranger I'd never even met sat wrong in my gut.
I was sure Paul would say no. Instead, he ruffled Eleanor's hair with an indulgent smile. "Fine. But just one night."
Right in front of me, Eleanor hooked her arm through Paul's and pressed herself against him. "I knew you'd be the best to me, Paul."
Then she turned to look at me. "You don't mind, do you, Jess?"
I opened my mouth, ready to say that I did mind.
Paul cut me off. "Of course she doesn't mind. You think everyone's as petty as you?" He gave Eleanor a gentle push toward the stairs. "Go on up and get some rest. You're still jet-lagged."
I stood at the foot of the staircase, watching them laugh and jostle their way up, feeling like a stranger in my own home.
He'd promised me once. The bedroom was our little world, just the two of us. He would never let anyone else set foot inside.
Now Eleanor was the exception.
When I confronted him about it afterward, he waved it off. "Ellie isn't an outsider. She's like a sister to me. That's all."
In that moment, it was as if I'd never known him at all. So he could play these hollow word games with me too.
When it came to matters of the heart, I'd always been too easily swayed. A few soft words from Paul and I let it go.
It wasn't until after that night that I found out what Eleanor had done in our bedroom: she'd punctured every single condom we had.
I'd found out I was pregnant just yesterday morning. Figured I'd make peace with it and tell Paul that evening.
By the afternoon, a dull ache had settled low in my belly. I called Paul, but he never picked up.
It wasn't until Eleanor sent me a photo that I realized where he'd been. He'd thrown a party for her.
Paul caught the shift in my focus, and a flicker of guilt crossed his face.
He'd conveniently forgotten about Eleanor puncturing the condoms.