"How did you guys get here? I thought River never gave his password to anyone else."Indeed,” Evan replied, his smile growing, “but it's easy to guess whose birthday date is the password River used.”My breath caught when I saw Evan glance at Alison with a proud, triumphant smile. And he suddenly changed his expression to one of surprise and concern when he looked at me. "Jeez, Mia, you really don't know anything, do you?""Evan, honey, don't talk to Mia like that. She'll get confused." Alison said softly, like a mother to her five-year-old son. Gosh, Alison wasn't even around when Evan was five! They probably never even met before. Evan should be upset at Alison for abandoning him. Or at the very least, their relationship should have been awkward, instead of being so close and sweet like this, as if nothing bad ever happened to them.Evan shrugged indifferently, then grinned. "Sorry to have confused you, Mia."Putting aside the fact that had just pierced my heart, I let out a long si

When the lift opened on my unit floor, a familiar face was the first thing I saw. "Mia?" The girl was startled when she saw me, either because of why I was suddenly in this building, or perhaps because of the condition I was in. I couldn't be sure which.My face pained at the sight of those blue eyes and blonde hair. Geez, Cailin, I can't if I have to face you again at this time.I tried to ignore her and walk through, but suddenly my steps staggered and Cailin managed to catch me."Mia, are you okay?" Cailin's face showed concern.I couldn't refuse when Cailin insisted on walking me to my unit. My head was too dizzy to press the keys on the padsword so I told Cailin my door code for her to open it for me. Let me replace it with a new code later.After the door successfully opened, Cailin fumbled around the wall for the light switch, perhaps she had visited Addy's unit a few times so she knew where it was, since the layout of my room and Addy's-and probably all the units in this build

"I'm going to terminate my pregnancy," I said as I stared blankly at the road ahead. How did I get pregnant? I always take my pills on time. I never failed to take them, even when I wasn't sexually active anymore due to the transition between my relationship with Evan and River."No, you can't," Addy, sitting next to me driving, replied firmly. She then let out a long sigh. “I mean, think it through first, once your mind is calm, once you're able to put your thoughts in order.”I shook my head. "I can't do that.” My shoulders trembled as I clutched my own face. “Why would I get pregnant when things are so messed up like this?”Addy reached out and took my hand, her grip firm and comforting. “Mia, I think you should talk to River. After all, he's the father of your baby. He has a right to know and a duty to take responsibility.”I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "I just can't go through with it, Addy. I do love him, but I don't know if we can make things work. And I d

Stepped out of Pamela Magazine's office building, I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. The winter air felt cold against my skin, but there was a strange warmth in my chest knowing that I had taken a step towards following my heart. As I stood in front of the building, I couldn't help but feel a sense of liberation and trepidation at the same time.My head looked up, observing the Pamela Magazine logo on the top of the building. I'd be lying if I said I was more than willing to leave here after what I'd done in the two and a half years I'd been here to get a promotion to work at The Hera Magazine. In half a year I'll be able to realize my dream since I was a teenager, but I choose to bury it. I now have other responsibilities, I have other paths to travel. My hand rubbed my still flat belly, smiling bitterly at the realization that I had chosen this little creature over my own dreams.The sound of the horn made my head turn. Addy appeared with a big smile

"Who's ready to ride the merry-go-round tonight?!" Addy exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she clapped her hands together. I couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy, knowing that she was just as excited as Shannon for our evening plans.The carnival had rolled into town, its vibrant lights illuminating the night sky. We had been waiting for this day for weeks, and now it was finally here.My daughter's eyes widened with excitement as she clapped her hands, her face lighting up at the mention of the merry-go-round. "Me! Me!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in my arms.I chuckled at her eagerness, feeling a warmth in my chest at the sight of her joy. Setting her down gently, I took her hand in mine as we followed Addy towards the carnival grounds.The carnival grounds were alive with the sounds of laughter and music, the air filled with the scent of cotton candy and popcorn. The colorful lights from the rides danced across Shannon's face, highlighti