Emma had a wide smile on her face as she sat by the window in the living room after she had long returned from the hospital, staring at the small piece of paper in her hand.
Her heart raced with joy and disbelief. The words on the test result felt surreal. She couldn't believe that she was finally pregnant.
After a whole year of yearning, wanting to give Jake the happiness of holding their baby, Emma could hardly believe that the time had finally come.
She thought as she gently placed a hand on her abdomen, imagining the tiny life growing inside her now. A smile spread across her face, one of pure, unbridled happiness.
"Finally," she said out loud, "Jake and I will have the family we always dreamed of."
For so long, she had prayed for this moment, hoping it would bring back the spark in their marriage, and restore the closeness that had slipped away in the past few months.
But now, with this new life inside her, Emma was certain everything would change for the better.
Emma rose from her chair, her movements light and graceful as she hurried to the kitchen. She wanted everything to be perfect when Jake came home. Tonight was going to be special.
She would cook his favorite meal, and they would sit together, just like they used to, and she would tell him the wonderful news.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, her excitement growing with each passing minute. It was almost time for Jake to return from work.
She could hardly wait to see the look on his face when she told him. "He'll be so happy," she told herself, imagining how he'd wrap his arms around her and tell her how much he loved her. Their life was finally going to be complete.
As she set the table for dinner, her mind wandered to the early days of their relationship. She and Jake had met in college, falling for each other in a whirlwind of romance and shared dreams.
He had been her rock, her confidant, the one who made her believe in happily ever after. They had moved to this suburban home shortly after getting married, and Emma had poured her heart into making it a sanctuary.
The sound of the front door opening snapped her back to the present and she smiled as she hurried over to the living room to greet Jake, her excitement barely contained.
He stood in the doorway, looking as handsome as ever in his tailored suit. She looked at him and even though she could see that he was looking unhappy, almost like he didn't want to be home, she ignored it. He had been that way for some time and she knew it was probably because she was yet to get pregnant as he wanted.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said, leaning in for a kiss. He turned his head slightly, causing her lips to brush his cheek instead. Her smile faltered, but she pushed aside her unease.
He wouldn't be so stoic anymore once he found out about her pregnancy.
"How was work? You look tired...."
"Exactly as I should look after a long day at work," Jake cut in and she nodded.
He was tired. She could understand. "It's okay. I already made dinner. Let's go eat, and I'll run you a bath after we're done," She said and Jake followed her into the dining room, his steps slow and measured.
After they had taken their seats and had eaten in silence for some time, Emma looked at Jake thoughtfully.
"Babe? I have something to tell you," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
He glanced at her briefly, a look of irritation crossing his face. "Can it wait? I'm really tired and need to rest," he said and Emma's heart sank when she heard the coldness in his voice.
He would cheer up after the news, she told herself. "How about you listen first and decide if it can wait or not?" she asked and Jake dropped his cutlery noisily, making it obvious he was irritated.
"What is it? You have my attention now," he said and she sighed.
Emma took a deep breath to calm her mind. "It's finally here, babe. I'm pregnant," she announced.
There was a moment of silence. Emma watched as Jake's face went from his initial shock to something darker. He raised his eyes to meet hers with a look she couldn't quite read.
"You're pregnant?" he repeated, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Yes babe," Emma said, her heart pounding. "Isn't it wonderful? We've been wanting this for the past two years and it's finally here. We're going to be one big family," she said with a wide smile which she imagined to also be on Jake's face.
Instead, Jake stood up and walked out of the dining, leaving Emma confused as she stared at his back. What was wrong? Why was he reacting this way? Was he not happy? Emma mused as she stood up and chased after him.
"What is going on?" she asked, confused the moment she caught up with him at the foot of the stairs.
"What does it look like?" Jake asked back.
"Are you not happy about the news? Wasn't it why you've been acting weird? I'm pregnant, Jake. It should be good news for both of us!"
"Good news to the both of us? Can't you see it, Emma? It's no good news to me..."
Emma quickly cut in, her heart breaking. "But why?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're the one that has been on and on about wanting a kid, not me. This is the last thing I need right now."
"What?" she asked, visibly shocked as she stared back at Jake's gray eyes, his words hitting her hard like a slap. "What do you mean? We've talked about having a family but you didn't say anything about not wanting one. In fact, you also wanted one...."
"That was before," he said sharply. "Things have changed," He said and Emma watched in shock and disbelief as he went up the stairs and returned back with a stack of papers which he thrusted into her hands.
"Here. I want a divorce," he declared and Emma could swear she felt the world around her spin.