"The kind of disease that won't allow me to abort the little piece of shit inside me."
Freya's eyebrows knitted in confusion as her heart throbbed dangerously inside her chest. Her hug almost went loose on Ingrid, as the statement sent her into deep thoughts fueled by nothing but more questions. "Ingrid, what are you saying?" She asked as she got her out of her embrace. Ingrid's eyes were heavy with tears, and sadness pulled from the corner of her lovely eyes.
"Once upon a time Freya, my mom's family had this strange illness; her two sisters, one brother, and father. And they all died from it."
"What illness? Was it a family thing?" Freya asked, confused.
"I can only but say yes…" She wiped away her tears. "My mother was the lucky one. I dunno how but she never had it, at least that's what we thought. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with it, and turns out I had gotten it from my mom."
"Wait, you have me confused."
"It works almost like leukemia. One member of the family might have it, another might not."
"I don't pay attention in biology class." She mumbled.
"Okay, she had it in her but it was recessive, biology stuff happened… yada yada yada and I was born with it too. It was however four years ago that we all knew I had it."
"Ingrid I'm so sorry to hear about that."
She got back into Freya's arms. Hugging onto her tightly, she continued. "Freya, I messed up. I messed up really bad. I got pregnant and now I'm... I'm fucked up."
"But you said that you had no problem with it?" She asked.
Sighing, she told her, "That's what I told everyone, and that's what I wanted to feel. You think that I'm happy with this thing inside me?" She asked, her voice lingering with pain. "I'm not."
"Why are you telling me this?" She asked, stuttered.
"Because this thing has been killing me silently Freya." She confessed as tears meandered down her face. "The guilt, the pain… it's too much for me to handle all alone."
"Ingrid, why did you have to keep such information by yourself?" She asked, shaking her head whilst wiping away Ingrid's tears.
"I don't know Freya, I don't. But I needed to talk to someone before it took over me completely." She paused for a while. "I try to battle it out every day… I always tell myself that this is the best thing to do, that it's the right decision." She shook her head. "I had only one thing to do… never come home pregnant as Ethan had told me, and my parents before him. And now…" her hands slipped to her belly. "Fuck!"
Freya took a curious look at the tin as she brushed Ingrid's hair. "What are you really sick from Ingrid?"
"It's really complicated but, it affects the uterus or something."
Freya gasped as her eyes drifted to Ingrid's belly. "Is it cancer?"
"No…" She answered. "Cancer might kill me. This however will kill me… if I mess with my sex parts."
"Like an abortion?"
"Yes… like an abortion. If I abort it, Freya, I might be following it to the grave."
Freya gulped.
"The doctor's advice was that I should never… you know, not to get pregnant before time. And if I happened to then I must not do the abortion. Just let the baby get out the normal way."
"So that's why you still have it around?"
Ingrid snuffed and wiped away another stream of tears. "You have no idea of how I hate the baby inside me, Freya. I just wish that I could take my chances and get rid of it." Her confession felt like a cold chilly sneer. Freya couldn't believe that these words were actually coming from her. They were bitter and filled with hate.
"But if you do that then you will be putting yourself in a critical condition," Freya told her later on.
"I know, I know." She closed her eyes. "I'm just tired of this and everything. I'm fucking carrying a baby and the father is not supportive of me. You know I do not blame Ayden if he doesn't want it. To be a part of this… I mean fuck, I'm literally the one carrying it and I would get rid of it if I had any opportunity."
"You also don't want anything to do with it, but you're trying to keep it, so it's not fair. It's not fair that you have to struggle with this all alone while he's out there living his life. He has to stand with you and help you in each and every way."
"He told me he wants to help. And I trust him. If he knew why I still have it then I'm sure he will be willing to help even further."
"Wait, he doesn't know? About your condition?"
"Yes. Ayden knows I'm that perfect girlfriend Freya. He knows I have no flaws whatsoever. He knows I'm pretty, I'm smart and loving. He knows I'm fun. I cannot let him see the one weakness I have."
"You'd rather let him know that you're pregnant but not let him know that you're sick?" She asked.
"Yes, that's the point."
"Ingrid… stop lying to yourself," Freya told her calmly. "You're afraid of him knowing because you're scared that he might leave you."
"No…"
"You know that's the reason."
"No, it's not." She pulled away from Freya's arms.
"You don't have to lie Ingrid. Why can't you just stop thinking about him every now and then? If he will truly care then he'll stay. I mean why have you told me and not him? Because you know that he might leave…"
"And you?"
"You know that I'll stay."
"Why?"
"Because I love you… and he…?" Freya shrugged.
Ingrid slid over till she was leaning on the red car Ayden had knocked Freya against moments earlier. "No, he loves me too."
"Like I told you before… I pity you." Freya mumbled. "I won't lie… there was a time that Ayden was in love with you. That I am pretty sure of. The way you guys laughed or played together... I always felt jealous whenever you two met. Because that was true love. I'm sorry to say this Ingrid but when you got pregnant and he knew about it… he became another person. Today alone was enough to cement those thoughts in my mind."
"I don't know what to believe now Freya. You tell me one thing… he shows me another."
Freya took Ingrid's hand and cupped it with both of hers. "I just want you to choose the right thing Ingrid… which is mine by the way." Ingrid chuckled a little bit.
The two girls heard Hannah's voice seek them from afar.
"We need to go," Ingrid mumbled.
Freya got up and grabbed Ingrid's hand and helped her up. Once again, they did this unrehearsed, and Ingrid dropped back on the ground bringing Freya along. They stared at each other for that moment, their eyes giving way to scour their lovely faces. It took a while before Freya got up on her feet, and helped Ingrid up. There was no falling this time. The two girls held each other's hands and walked towards the approaching Hannah who was looking at them mockingly. On her hand were the three sheets. She afforded a smile at them.
"You guys look adorable together." She said. Freya blushed away immediately. Ingrid played with her feet. "How comes no one has ever told you that?" She continued. The other two girls looked at each other longingly before they continued walking to catch Miss. Esther by the door of the restaurant.