Rain, Tears, and the Call

The morning sun tried to break through the gray clouds, its light soft but unwelcome. 

Annie hadn’t slept much,the world still felt heavy on her chest. Her body moved like it was made of glass, every step careful, every breath shallow.

Tasha watched her from the kitchen island, arms folded, bonnet slightly crooked. “You’ve been staring at that wall for ten minutes, girl,” she said softly. “We need to get you out of here. Fresh air, something warm, anything.”

Annie’s voice came out hoarse. “I just don’t feel like myself.”

“I know.” Tasha sighed, grabbing her keys. “Come on. You’re not sitting here all day. Let’s go to the clinic. Maybe the doctor can check you out your body has been through a lot.”

Annie hesitated, then nodded slowly. She didn’t have the strength to argue.

The car was quiet until Tasha reached over and connected her phone to Bluetooth.

“Uh-uh, enough of this silence. We’re not doing the sad girl soundtrack today.”

Annie sighed. “I’m not in the mood for music.”

Tasha ignored her and tapped play.

The beat hit first loud, unapologetic and Doja Cat’s voice filled the car.

 “Niggas ain’t shit come up in your crib…”

Tasha bobbed her head, snapping her fingers… Doja said what she said.”

Annie covered her face, a broken laugh slipping out despite her pain.

Tasha grinned. “Girl, you better sing it. Get it out. No more crying in silence.”

Annie’s lips twitched. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous and right,” Tasha said, turning the volume up. “He doesn’t deserve your tears, Annie. He deserves a diss track.”

Annie leaned her head back, letting the wind from the half-open window brush her hair. The anger bubbling beneath her sadness finally found a voice in the lyrics. 

Then, just as the traffic light turned red, she looked up and saw it.

A giant billboard stretched over the intersection a man in a dark charcoal suit, Ethan Gray. GrayTech Enterprises.

Annie’s breath caught for a second before she forced herself to look away.

“You okay?” Tasha asked, noticing her silence.

“Yeah,” Annie whispered. “Just thinking.”

The clinic was quiet, smelling faintly of antiseptic and lavender. Annie sat in the waiting room, her hands trembling in her lap. Tasha sat beside her, scrolling aimlessly through her phone but stealing glances every few seconds.

When the nurse called Annie’s name, she felt her stomach twist.

“You want me to come?” Tasha asked gently.

Annie shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t fine.

Inside the small restroom, she stared at the pregnancy test in her shaking hands. One line appeared first. Then another.

Two.

Her world spun. Her knees weakened. “No,” she whispered, backing against the wall. “Please no…”

Tears streamed down her face. She pressed a hand over her mouth, but the sobs came anyway.

A soft knock came on the door. “Annie?” It was Tasha’s voice, calm but firm. “Babe, talk to me.”

Annie opened the door with trembling fingers, holding the test up.

Tasha froze. “Oh my God.”

Annie’s voice cracked. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Tasha pulled her into a hug, holding her as if she could absorb the pain through her skin. “You’re going to breathe first, okay? We’ll figure the rest out later. You’re not alone.”

“I can’t raise a child like this,” Annie whispered. “He won’t even”

“Forget him,” Tasha said sharply. “That man’s ego couldn’t fit in this clinic. He doesn’t deserve another second of your energy.”

Annie managed a weak laugh, even as her tears soaked through Tasha’s shirt.

They drove back in silence. The sky gloomy. Annie watched raindrops hit the windshield, each one blurring the world outside.

“Promise me something,” Tasha said as she parked in front of her building. “Don’t call him tonight. You need to rest first.”

Annie nodded, but her mind was already made up.

Later that night, she sat in her car outside Tasha’s apartment. The rain had started again  slowy at first, then steady. She stared at her phone for a long time before pressing call.

He picked up on the third ring. “Annie?”

Her heart pounded. “I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

Then a short, dry laugh. “You sure it’s mine?”

Her blood went cold. “What did you just say?”

“I mean,” he continued lazily, “we haven’t exactly been together lately.”

“You’re disgusting,” she snapped. “You think this is a joke? You think I’d lie about this?”

“I’m just saying, don’t make this my problem now. You said you were done, remember?”

Annie’s voice trembled. “I said I was done because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants! Because you made me beg for honesty and still lied through your teeth!”

“Don’t start the drama, Annie,” he said, his voice sharp with condescension. “You broke up with me. You left. So whatever happens now”

“Don’t you dare,” she interrupted. “Don’t you dare act like I did this to myself. You cheated. You lied. 

He chuckled, low and mocking. “And yet you still ended up calling me. Guess you’re not that over me after all.”

Her hands shook so hard the phone nearly slipped. “You’re sick. You think this is about you? I called because you’re the father of this baby.

Because I thought” her voice cracked “for once you’d act like a man.”

He exhaled, smug. “You always did overestimate me.”

Tears rolled down her eyes, but rage drowned them out. “You know what, Great? You’re pathetic and will forever be a loser.”

There was a pause then a cruel smirk in his tone. “You really think I lost, huh? That walking away made you free?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re stuck with me now,” he said, his voice dark and low. “No matter what you do, you’ll always be tied to me.”

Annie’s breath hitched. “You’re evil.”

“I’m realistic,” he said coldly. “You’re my baby mama now.”

Then, quieter almost gloating “I won.”

The line went dead.

Annie sat frozen, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. The rain outside poured harder.

Her phone slipped from her hand. She pressed her trembling palm to her stomach, whispering through a cracked voice, “God, what do I do now?”