Hope For Us Yet

Chapter One: Ready

Winter was going to be a very eventful month. The good happened. The bad happened. And then opportunities arose.

Its early April, midday on a lazy Wednesday. I'm reading quietly and sitting in an armchair by the window of our penthouse. Taylor and I had decided to take a little break for a while so we could settle into things. We had been married about a year and everything was going perfectly.

But there was something missing.

"Hey, Rosie!", Taylor greets her friend on the phone in the hallway. I eavesdrop on the conversation. And I was almost sure about what it was going to be about, though I crossed my fingers hoping my expectations were to be wrong. Taylor continues,

"...Really?...Oh, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!...Of course! I'd love to arrange something, definitely...Okay...Alright, talk to you soon. Say hi to Andrew for me. Congrats again! Bye..."

I lean towards the hallway. It's quiet.

"...Tay?"

There's a sniffle.

"Yeah?"

"...Rosie's pregnant, isn't she?"

Taylor sighs, "Yeah...Isn't it wonderful?"

"Well, yes it is..."

Taylor doesn't say anymore. I begin to wonder if she had left but then I hear more sniffling. Muffled sighs, as if covered by sweater sleeves, can be heard echoing through the hall.

Taylor strides into the room. She looks at me in the living room end still curled in my armchair. And then towards the sink full of dishes at the other side. Without hesitation she walks over and starts running the tap. She angrily scrubs at the porcelain, hands growing red.

"Taylor, are you alright?", I ask, warily.

"I'm fine!...I'm wonderful!...Rosie's having a baby, I have another shower to plan...This is great"

She scrubs even harder and slams the plate onto the drying board before moving onto the next one.

"Taylor, put the dishes down", I say as I close my book.

"No, I need to get these done!"

"...Honey, I know you're upset right now-"

"Upset? Upset?! I'm happy, Ella. So so happy", Taylor whimpers, breaking on the last word. She's still scrubbing viscously and stinging her already teary eyes with soap as she wipes her hand across her face.

"Taylor, stop", I beg, coming up behind her and trying to take away her sponge.

"Ella, I'm fine!", she sobs. The sponge falls from her grip and she turns around to hug me. Wet hands soak my shirt.

This wasn't the first time that this had happened. It seemed like Taylors friends were a bunch of sheep. Copying each other with whatever came next. From what I'd seen, there was no particular leader of their little group. They were just one clique of copycats.

Taylor wanted kids. Dear god, she wanted kids. But she couldn't have any. She'd already lost one and that bastard of a boyfriend, Markus, had permanently damaged her after their little drunken fight those few years back.

"Taylor, look at me", I whisper as I look up at her.

"What?", she sniffs.

I take a deep breath. "...Do you think it's time?"

"Time for what?", she asks. Although I think she already knows where I'm going with this. Her grip on my wrists tighten.

"To start a family?...Have a kid?"