Maya stepped out of the house she had once called home, her suitcase rolling behind her. The late evening air was crisp, biting at her exposed skin as she walked toward the cab waiting at the curb.
She didn't look back. The tears she had fought so hard to suppress spilled over the moment she settled into the back seat.
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Rough day?" he asked gently. Maya nodded, unable to trust her voice. She pressed her hand to her stomach, where the faintest hint of life grew.
The apartment she had rented was modest but cozy. Boxes were stacked in the corner, and the air smelled faintly of fresh paint.
Maya sank onto the worn-out sofa, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.
Her phone buzzed with a message from her best friend, Priya: *"Call me when you're settled. We'll get through this together."*
Maya clung to those words like a lifeline. She wasn't alone. She had friends, and soon, she would have her baby. That thought gave her the strength to start unpacking.
The next morning, Maya woke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She brewed herself a cup of tea and sat on the balcony, letting the sunlight warm her face.
For the first time in months, she felt a flicker of hope. She would build a new life, one step at a time.