– I wanted to tell you about our anniversary. I am pregnant, Andrey. Fourteen weeks.
Time seemed to have stopped. Andrey looked at his wife, at her slightly rounded belly, which for some reason he had not noticed right away, at the baby crib, at the teddy bear on the shelf…
– Pregnant? – The word sounded foreign. – But how? We…
– Do you remember that night before your business trip to Novosibirsk? – Marina smiled weakly. – We were both a little drunk.
Andrey remembered. Three months ago. A rare moment of intimacy in their relationship, which by then had already begun to fade.
– Why didn’t you tell me earlier?
– I wanted to be sure. Then I waited for the right moment, – Marina shrugged. – And then you announced your “conference” with Vika.
Andrey turned pale.
– Did you know?
– Of course I knew, – Marina looked him straight in the eyes. – I’m not stupid, Andrey. But I decided to give you a chance. A chance for all of us.
She placed her hand on her stomach, and that simple gesture suddenly made the situation tangible. They were going to have a baby. Their baby.
“Marina, I…” he couldn’t find the words.
“Don’t say anything now,” she stopped him gently. “Go back to the living room. Alexey was just about to leave, we’ll drink some champagne and… talk.”
Andrey nodded automatically and exited the nursery. In the living room, Alexey was already packing.
For illustrative purpose only
“Happy anniversary,” he murmured, shaking hands with Andrey, who was still astonished. “And a happy new addition to the family. “Your wife is an incredible woman.”
“Yes,” Andrey said hoarsely. “Thank you.”
When the designer left, Marina returned to the living room with two glasses. One contained champagne, the other something that looked like juice.
“To us?” she handed Andrey a glass of champagne.
He took it, but was unable to raise it for a toast.
– Marina, I need to say something.
“I know,” she answered calmly. “About Vika, your relationship, about you wanting to leave.”
Andrey looked at her in surprise.
– Where…?
– Your phone di:ed before you left, remember? You took my old one to call a taxi. You logged in with your ID and didn’t come out, – Marina put her glass on the table. – All your messages came to me. Every single one, Andrey.
Andrey felt blood draining from his face. All of his chats with Vika, plans for the future, pledges of divorce…
For illustrative purpose only
– Marina, I don’t know what to say.