The car eased down the familiar gravel driveway, the crunch under the tires a small, steady sound in the heavy quiet that had settled inside me. Outside, the sky was a soft gray, clouds hanging low like a promise of rain. It suited the storm of emotions swirling inside my chest.
My hands rested instinctively on my swollen belly, the weight of it both comforting and terrifying. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep running—not just from Dominic, but from the life that had taken root in me, demanding a future I hadn't planned.
The house came into view—the same old farmhouse where I'd spent every summer of my childhood, where my parents had held me through every scraped knee and heartbreak. The porch light was on, flickering softly against the dusk.
As I reached the front door, it swung open before I could even knock.
There stood my mother, her eyes immediately locking onto me, taking in the way my figure had changed—the curve of my belly impossible to miss beneath the loose dress I'd chosen. For a heartbeat, her breath caught.
"Lila…" she whispered, a mixture of surprise and something softer—wonder? Concern?—shining in her eyes.
I offered a small, tired smile, but the tears I'd held back for months pricked at the corners. "Hi, Mom."
Without hesitation, she pulled me into her arms, holding me as though she might never let go. The warmth of her embrace was like a balm, but it also made the weight of everything I'd hidden so long press heavier against my ribs.
Behind us, the hallway opened, and my father stepped out. His gaze swept over me—slow, careful, and then it settled on my belly. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, his mouth parting slightly.
"Lila…" His voice was rough, filled with a mixture of shock and something like disbelief. "You're… pregnant?"
I nodded, feeling my throat tighten.
My mother pulled back just enough to cup my face in her hands, her eyes glossy. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I wasn't ready," I confessed quietly. "I was scared. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know who I could trust."
My father stepped forward, wrapping his arms around both of us. "You don't have to go through this alone," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "We're here. Always."
The room felt like it was spinning—memories, regrets, hopes swirling all at once—but in that moment, surrounded by the two people who'd always been my anchor, I let myself believe maybe there was a chance for a new beginning.
My mother's fingers traced the curve of my belly lightly, reverently. "We'll help you every step of the way, Lila."
I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely now, feeling the steady, unspoken promise in their presence.
Maybe home wasn't just a place.
Maybe it was this.
The car eased down the familiar gravel driveway, the crunch under the tires a small, steady sound in the heavy quiet that had settled inside me. Outside, the sky was a soft gray, clouds hanging low like a promise of rain. It suited the storm of emotions swirling inside my chest.
My hands rested instinctively on my swollen belly, the weight of it both comforting and terrifying. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep running—not just from Dominic, but from the life that had taken root in me, demanding a future I hadn't planned.
The house came into view—the same old farmhouse where I'd spent every summer of my childhood, where my parents had held me through every scraped knee and heartbreak. The porch light was on, flickering softly against the dusk.
As I reached the front door, it swung open before I could even knock.
There stood my mother, her eyes immediately locking onto me, taking in the way my figure had changed—the curve of my belly impossible to miss beneath the loose dress I'd chosen. For a heartbeat, her breath caught.
"Lila…" she whispered, a mixture of surprise and something softer—wonder? Concern?—shining in her eyes.
I offered a small, tired smile, but the tears I'd held back for months pricked at the corners. "Hi, Mom."
Without hesitation, she pulled me into her arms, holding me as though she might never let go. The warmth of her embrace was like a balm, but it also made the weight of everything I'd hidden so long press heavier against my ribs.
Behind us, the hallway opened, and my father stepped out. His gaze swept over me—slow, careful, and then it settled on my belly. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, his mouth parting slightly.
"Lila…" His voice was rough, filled with a mixture of shock and something like disbelief. "You're… pregnant?"
I nodded, feeling my throat tighten.
My mother pulled back just enough to cup my face in her hands, her eyes glossy. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I wasn't ready," I confessed quietly. "I was scared. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know who I could trust."
My father stepped forward, wrapping his arms around both of us. "You don't have to go through this alone," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "We're here. Always."
The room felt like it was spinning—memories, regrets, hopes swirling all at once—but in that moment, surrounded by the two people who'd always been my anchor, I let myself believe maybe there was a chance for a new beginning.
My mother's fingers traced the curve of my belly lightly, reverently. "We'll help you every step of the way, Lila."
I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely now, feeling the steady, unspoken promise in their presence.
Maybe home wasn't just a place.
Maybe it was this.