Her birthday. Celebrating her life meant a great joy, and the last few years Benny had taken it upon himself to make this day unforgettable for her. But this time he hadn't even remembered it. It was a great disappointment for Frida to wake up this morning and not find her husband by her side, she looked for him around the house but he was gone. At first she believed that maybe he went in search of a gift and that reassured her and excited her at the same time, but when she entered the kitchen she found a note, the message was short but clear:
I left early, I have an important meeting. See you tonight.
That message took all the emotion out of her. Not "happy birthday" not "nice day" not "I love you". She felt unhappy today, extremely lonely and disappointed. That shadow in her heart grew bigger and bigger as the emptiness filled her being. Benny was right; she was no longer the same, something changed and she didn't like what it felt like.
She cried on her bed. Her husband didn't remember her birthday and that was tragic. How much more would she have to endure? He kept drinking, getting intoxicated with alcohol, harming himself and she was on the verge of insanity. She was desperate, the life they both built was slipping through her fingers, her happiness seemed distant, like a blurry memory. She felt miserable. The man who once made her the happiest was now making her unhappy. But she loved him, she loved him so much it hurt.
In her womb she was carrying his child and she was not even able to tell him. Right now it was the only precious thing she seemed to have and she didn't want him to tarnish it. It wasn't fair and it weighed on her soul to hide it, but it was the best thing. For whom? for her. Was she being selfish? yes, but Benny too. At what point did all this become so toxic? She wanted answers, but most of all she wanted solutions.
She had a door in front of her, a way out of all this, but the very idea was inconceivable. Still, it was for the best. Frida packed a small suitcase, she would leave. She needed this space and Benny probably did too. She would be gone, and if he couldn't see what that meant then she would be gone forever. This was a test, for him, for both of them.
With tears in her eyes, Frida closed the suitcase. She took the two pregnancy tests and held them against her chest. She intended to leave them on the bed so Benny would know but at the last moment she decided against it. She wanted Benny to accept therapy for him, not even for her or the baby. She wanted him to realize that he was losing himself. She took the suitcase and looked around the bedroom; these four walls treasured precious moments. She wistfully made her way to the entrance. She would hopefully come back and her life would be like before... well, it would be better. She trusted that Benny would make the right decision.
Benny had just left work when his cell phone rang, it was his best friend. He let the call pass, he would first get into the car and attend it there. Today he was particularly irritating, everything bothered him, yet in the midst of his horrible mood he couldn't stop thinking about Frida. His mind seemed trapped by her. It was tense between them, he felt horrible about it but he didn't know how to handle it, instead he turned to alcohol again. It helped him shut down his emotions.
His cell phone rang again and this time he answered the call. "What's up, brother?"
"Finally someone answers!" Björn exclaimed from the other end of the line. "You tell that it is Frida's birthday. You got her busy huh."
Benny felt as if a bucket of cold water fell on him. What had he just heard? "What did you say?!"
"Yes, bro! I called your house to congratulate your girl but no one answered. I called her cell phone but nothing, so I took it for granted that she would be with you."
