Mia is Pregnant?

Anna opened her eyes to the dark and stayed perfectly still, listening to Maya’s steady breathing on the couch. The fridge hummed. Every creak of the floor told her this place was already letting her go.

She slipped out of bed, made coffee, showered, and by eight she stood in the middle of the living room with one suitcase, one carry-on, and the small box that held everything she refused to leave behind.

Maya shuffled in, wrapped in a blanket draped like a cape with her hair sticking up in ten directions. She blinked at the stripped room.

“That’s it?” she asked, voice still rough with sleep.

“Yeah,” Anna said. “Five years packed into three pieces of luggage. Apparently that’s all it takes.”

Maya crossed the room and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to miss you so damn much.”

“You’re flying over in three months. I already booked the guest room.”

“I know the date. I’m still going to miss you every single day until then.” Maya squeezed once, then stepped back. “Shower. Coffee. Then we wrestle this disaster into my car and get you on that plane.”

Loading the car took forty minutes and every swear word they both knew. They were just slamming the boot when heels clicked sharply across the pavement.

Mia.

My boyfriend snatcher herself stood there in a fitted coat, one hand resting on her stomach like it was already precious, eyes wide as she took in the open car boot and the suitcase.

“Anna?” Mia’s voice cracked with surprise. Her eyes wide as saucers “You’re… leaving? Like, right now? How can you move so fast?”

Anna turned slowly with a blank expression. “Morning, Mia.”

Maya’s whole body tensed beside her.

Mia stepped closer, chin lifted. “I came to tell you in person. I’m pregnant with Jack’s baby. We found out last night and he’s super thrilled. We both are. I thought you should hear it from me before you… before you disappear like this.”

Anna felt her heart sting, but pride would never let her show it. “Congrats. Hope the morning sickness isn’t too bad.”

Mia blinked, thrown. “That’s it? Anyways I'll be sure to invite you to our wedding.” She said, flashing a crystal ring. "Yeah, your guess is correct. He proposed last night. We're so excited to start our new family. We hope you'll be part of it though. Regardless of what happened Jack does care for you, you know?"

Maya moved before Anna could speak.

She lunged forward, hand already rising, the slap so close Mia flinched and stumbled back. “You have the nerve to show up here glowing about your pregnancy and ugly ring after stealing her man and calling her inadequate to her face? I swear on everything—”

Anna caught Maya’s wrist mid-air, her fingers tight. “Don’t. She’s not worth the hassle.”

Maya’s chest heaved, eyes blazing, but she let Anna pull her back. “One day, Mia. One day you’ll need someone to be decent to you and there won’t be anyone left who is.”

Mia’s face flushed red. " Oh shush, Jack was mine first, Anna snatched him from me first." She turned to Anna, how words laced with venom. "Don't blame me cause you can't keep a man. You are so pathetic, running away like a chicken. Jack said you’d probably come back begging anyway.”

“Jack can say whatever he wants,” Anna cut in, voice calm and final. “I’m not running. I’m choosing not to engage with animals. Now if you’ll excuse us, I have a flight to catch.”

Mia stood frozen, hand still on her stomach, clearly expecting tears and screaming, anything except a calm composure.

Maya slammed the car door. “Get in, Anna. Before I change my mind and finish what I started in that car park.”

They climbed inside. Anna didn’t look back at Mia once as Maya peeled away from the kerb, leaving the other woman standing alone on the pavement with her mouth open.

The drive started quiet. Maya turned the music low. Streets slid past. The café, the park, the corner that led to the office she would never walk into again.

Maya finally spoke. “Jack won’t forget you. Not because he loved you, but because you’re the one who walked out first. And now he’s stuck with her and a baby while you’re flying to a whole new life. Men like him carry that scar forever.”

Anna turned from the window. “I can't wait to forget his existence.”

“You don’t care if he remembers?”

“I don’t. I only care if I still remember him. And I can wait until the day I don’t.”

Maya nodded once. “Good.”

The airport terminal rose ahead. Maya swung into the drop-off lane and killed the engine. They sat with the car ticking, goodbye sitting heavily between them.

“I’m not going to cry,” Anna announced.

“But you’re already tearing up.” Maya smiled.

“No. It's just dust that's making my eyes water.”

Maya laughed softly, reached over, and took her hand. “Come on. Let’s get the bags out before security drags me away.”

“You have to come,” she said. “London. Three months. I’m holding you to every single day of that promise.”

“I’ll be there. I swear. We’ll drink terrible British tea, you’ll show me your fancy new office, and I’ll give you my honest opinion on whether your crush is as stupidly beautiful in person as you keep saying he is.”

“He’s not my crush,” Anna felt her cheeks burn. “Fine. I hear you.”

Maya pulled her into a long, tight hug that neither wanted to end. “You’re going to be okay,” she whispered against Anna’s hair. “More than okay. You’re going to be magnificent. Years from now you’ll look back at today and realise this was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Anna wanted to argue. Instead she nodded against Maya’s shoulder. “Text me the second you land.”

“First thing I do.” Anna hugged her once more, quick and fierce, then grabbed the suitcase handle.

She walked toward the sliding doors without looking back.

Inside the terminal the crowd swallowed her. Some traitor part of her still scanned faces, still waited for Jack to step out of nowhere and call her name.

Stop it, she told herself. Stop it right now.

She squared her shoulders, tightened her grip on the handle, and kept walking.