2 Lines

Chapter 21 - The Pressure of Expectations

The weeks were passing quickly now, and as my belly grew, so did the pressure from the world around me. The stares in the school hallways had become a daily occurrence, and I could feel people judging, some whispering behind my back, others bold enough to throw me a pitiful or disapproving glance. But I had made my peace with it—most days, at least.

Justin had been making more of an effort lately, showing up to appointments and texting me to check in on how I was feeling. But despite his attempts, the trust wasn't fully there yet. I had Tara and Ethan, who kept me grounded and reminded me that I wasn't alone in this. But even with their support, the weight of everyone else's expectations started to feel suffocating.

One afternoon, after school, I sat on the couch in my living room, my hands resting on my belly as I mindlessly scrolled through my phone. I had been trying to avoid social media for a while now, but curiosity got the best of me. As I flipped through stories and posts, I saw a picture someone had posted from the previous weekend's party. It was of Justin—again—with another girl draped over him, their faces close enough to make me sick to my stomach.

Seriously? I thought. After everything he'd said about wanting to be involved and trying to do the right thing, here he was again, playing around like nothing had changed.

I set my phone down, feeling my emotions bubble up inside me. The frustration was too much. I couldn't just sit here and pretend like everything was fine when it wasn't.

Suddenly, the front door creaked open, and my mom stepped into the room, looking tired but happy to see me. She had been so supportive through everything, and I knew she would always have my back.

"Hey, honey," she said, giving me a small smile as she walked over to sit beside me. "How are you feeling today?"

I shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Just... tired."

She nodded, understanding. "It's a lot to take in. But you're doing great, Mia. You're handling this better than most people your age would."

Her words should've comforted me, but instead, I felt overwhelmed. I didn't want to be the girl everyone praised for handling a situation I never asked for. I just wanted to be normal for a second. To not feel like everything was spiraling out of my control.

"I don't feel like I'm doing great, Mom," I said softly, feeling the tears start to well up in my eyes. "It's so hard. I'm trying to keep it together, but I feel like everyone's watching me, waiting for me to screw up. And Justin—he says he wants to be here for me, but I don't know if I can trust him. I saw another picture of him with some girl today, and it just makes me feel so stupid for believing he'd change."

My mom's face softened as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Sweetheart, you're allowed to feel overwhelmed. You've taken on so much responsibility, and you've been so strong. But that doesn't mean you have to pretend everything is fine all the time. It's okay to be scared, to be frustrated."

I nodded, leaning into her, but the tears still came. "I just don't know if I can keep doing this."

"You're already doing it, Mia," she said gently. "And you're doing it beautifully. You've been honest with yourself, with your friends, and even with Justin. And if he's not willing to step up and be the person you need him to be, then that's on him. You can't carry his weight too. You need to focus on you and Rebecca."

Her words echoed in my mind, and I realized she was right. I couldn't control what Justin did or didn't do, and I couldn't keep holding out hope that he would suddenly change. If he wasn't going to take his role seriously, I needed to focus on what was important—me, and the little life growing inside me.

The next day at school, I tried to keep my mind off Justin. I walked through the hallways with my head held high, ignoring the whispers and stares. I couldn't let them get to me. I had bigger things to worry about now.

At lunch, I found Tara and Ethan sitting at our usual table, their faces lighting up when they saw me approach.

"Hey, Mama Mia," Ethan said with a grin. "How's Rebecca doing in there? Kicking up a storm?"

"Always," I replied, managing a small smile. "I swear, she's going to be a soccer player with the way she's been moving lately."

Tara laughed, but I could tell she was studying me closely. "What's up, Mia? You seem... off today."

I sighed, sitting down and letting my guard down with them. "I saw another picture of Justin with some girl last night. I'm just... I don't know. I'm tired of feeling like I'm waiting for him to change when he clearly hasn't."

Ethan made a face. "Ugh, that guy's a total asshole. I keep telling you, Mia, he's not worth it. You're doing this on your own, and you're killing it. You don't need him dragging you down."

"I know, I know," I replied, rubbing my temples. "It's just hard. I keep thinking, what if Rebecca grows up without a father? What if I made a mistake by not giving him more of a chance?"

Tara placed a hand on mine. "Look, if he really wants to be a part of Rebecca's life, he'll show up. But you can't keep bending over backward for him. You need to protect yourself and your daughter. You've got us. We're going to help you through this, okay?"

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. They were right. I couldn't keep waiting for Justin to change. I had to focus on what was in front of me—the people who actually cared about me and Rebecca. And I knew that no matter what happened with Justin, I wasn't alone.

That weekend, I had my next doctor's appointment. I was now six months pregnant, and the reality of how close I was to meeting Rebecca was beginning to hit me hard. As I lay on the examination table, my mom holding my hand beside me, the doctor turned on the ultrasound machine and began scanning my belly.

"Everything's looking great," the doctor said with a smile. "Rebecca is growing perfectly, and all the tests are coming back normal. You're doing an amazing job, Mia."

I watched the screen, seeing my baby girl moving around, her little legs kicking as if she was eager to come out and meet the world. I felt a surge of love and determination. No matter what happened with Justin or anyone else, I was going to give her the best life I could.

As I left the appointment with my mom, I felt more at peace than I had in weeks. I was learning to let go of the things I couldn't control, and with every day that passed, I was growing stronger. I was ready to face whatever came next, because I knew I had everything I needed inside me to be the mother Rebecca deserved.