The Coffee Shop

[ALESSIA'S POV]

Sandra's hands won't stop shaking.

I notice it the second I slide into the booth. She's gripping her coffee cup like it might fly away, and her eyes they're red. Puffy. Like she's been crying for hours.

"San, what's wrong?"

She doesn't answer right away. Just stares at the table between us, breathing too fast.

The coffee shop hums around us. Someone's laughing at the counter. A barista calls out a name. Everything feels normal except the woman sitting across from me.

My best friend since we were seven years old.

"Sandra. Talk to me."

She finally looks up. Her mascara's smudged at the corners.

"I'm pregnant."

The words hang there for a second. Then I smile, reaching across the table for her hand.

"That's amazing! Why didn't you tell me sooner? How far along are you?"

She pulls her hand back.

"Two months."

"Two months? San, we talk every day. Why would you—"

"It's Edward's."

The noise in the coffee shop doesn't stop. The espresso machine still hisses. The door still chimes when someone walks in. But I can't hear any of it anymore.

I laugh once. It sounds wrong coming out of my mouth.

"That's not funny."

"I'm not joking."

My hand moves to my belly. Seven months pregnant. I can feel the baby moving under my palm, like he knows something's wrong.

"You're lying."

"I wish I was." Her voice breaks. "Alessia, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. It just—"

"Just what?" My voice comes out louder than I mean it to. A few people glance over. "You just accidentally slept with my husband? For two months?"

Tears roll down her cheeks. "I tried to stop. I swear I tried."

"You tried." I repeat the words like they're in a foreign language. "You tried to stop sleeping with Edward."

"Please don't hate me."

I stand up so fast the table shakes. My water glass tips over, spilling across the surface. Sandra jumps back, but she doesn't move to clean it.

"How long have you been planning this?" I ask. "How long have you been waiting to take my life?"

"It's not like that"

"Then what is it like, Sandra? Explain it to me. Make it make sense."

She opens her mouth. Closes it then opens it again.

"His father likes me. Mr. Seaman thinks I'm... better for the family."

The words hit like a slap.

"Better for the family," I repeat slowly.

She won't look at me now. "My family has money. Old money. The kind that"

"The kind that makes me worthless?" I finish for her. "Is that what you're saying?"

"No! That's not what I meant. Alessia, please….."

The door chimes again.

Edward walks in.

His eyes find mine immediately. He's breathing hard, rain in his hair, tie loose around his neck. He looks like he ran here.

"Alessia."

I take a step back. "Don't."

"Let me explain"

"Explain what? That my best friend is pregnant with your baby? That your father thinks a news anchor from a humble background isn't good enough for the Seaman empire?" My voice shakes. "Or maybe you want to explain how you begged me to have this baby. How you promised you'd be there. How you said you loved me."

He reaches for my arm. I pull  away.

"Don't touch me."

"Please, just come home. We can talk about this"

"Talk about what, Edward? How you've been screwing Sandra while I've been growing your child?"

The entire coffee shop has gone quiet now. Everyone's watching.

Edward's face flushes red. "Not here."

"Why not here? You don't want people to know? Too late. She's two months pregnant. That means you started this while I was four months along." I press both hands to my belly. "While I was sick every morning. While I was working double shifts to save money for the nursery. You were with her."

Sandra's crying harder now. "I never wanted to hurt you"

"But you did!" I turn on her. "You looked me in the eye every single day and lied. You helped me pick out baby clothes. You threw me a baby shower. And the whole time, you were sleeping with my husband."

"I know," she whispers. "I know, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix this."

Edward steps closer. His voice drops. "Alessia, I made a mistake. A huge mistake. But we can work through this. Think about the baby…."

"I am thinking about the baby." I look him dead in the eye. "Which is why I'm done."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm filing for divorce."

His face goes pale. "You don't mean that."

"I've never meant anything more in my life."

I grab my purse from the booth. My hands are shaking so badly I can barely hold it.

Sandra reaches for me. "Alessia, please. Can we just…."

"Stay away from me." I look at both of them. "Both of you. Stay away from me and my baby."

I walk toward the door. Edward calls my name, but I don't stop.

Outside, the rain has started again. Cold and Heavy. It soaks through my coat in seconds.

I stand on the sidewalk, breathing hard, feeling the baby kick against my ribs.

My phone buzzes.

A text from an unknown number: We need to talk Mr.Seaman

I stare at the screen.

Edward's father.

The man who never wanted me in his family to begin with.

The man who probably planned this whole thing.

Another kick from the baby. Harder this time.

I delete the message and start walking.

I don't know where I'm going.

But I can't stop moving.

Because if I stop, I'll fall apart.