Evelyn thought it was the perfect time to talk to her husband about their dream of having kids. But when his lies came to light, she stormed off after an unexpected secret was revealed.
Evelyn couldn't believe it had been three years already. She sat at an exquisitely decorated table in a dimly lit corner of an empty dining hall. The lights of the chandelier were reflected on her gorgeous shimmery dress, and the soft jazz playing in the background only added to the romance of the evening.
"Happy anniversary, sweetheart," Oliver held Evelyn's hands and whispered for the seventh time that evening.
"Happy anniversary, baby. Who knew that the boy I once fought in the middle of the road would become my life partner?"
Oliver smiled at the memory and said, "But do you finally admit that it was your fault for driving without your turn signals on that day?"
"Never!" Evelyn laughed, and Oliver joined in.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
"But seriously, we've come a long way. We fell head over heels in love; we broke up a million times and got back together again. We managed to convince and win back our parents, who weren't happy about the marriage."
"Oh, that was a really long battle. And then, our big move from Bowling Green to Boston..." Evelyn recalled.
When they lived in Ohio, Evelyn was a successful project manager at an international company. She loved every part of her job, especially leading a team of dynamic workers. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone on the team loved working with the ambitious and creative Evelyn.
"When you start your own company, give me a call. I'll quit anything else I'm doing and join you," many of Evelyn's team members often said.
Evelyn went on to finally receive the promotion she had been waiting for for years. At the same time, Oliver got his most significant career break.
"You are lucky for me," Oliver had told her. "We got married, and within weeks, I got the best career opportunity I could ever dream of!" Evelyn was thrilled for her husband - until she learned the job was in a new city.
Evelyn had a choice to make. She could either insist on staying in Ohio and pursuing the career of her dreams. Or she could support her husband's dream, even if that meant uprooting her life from the place she called home since she was little.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
The dilemma in Evelyn's heart had ended with one question she asked Oliver.
"Do you see ushaving a baby in this new place?" Evelyn blushed but her heart was pounding as she waited for the answer. "Baby, if I take up this job, I see us raising a beautiful family and providing every comfort we wish for," replied Oliver.
That was all she needed to hear. The part about raising a family stuck with Evelyn.
While many people who worked with her thought she was a career-driven woman, only those close to Evelyn knew that she loved children and wanted one of her own.
And so, leaving behind everyone and everything that she knew, a teary-eyed Evelyn chose to look forward - to the day when she and Oliver would have a child.
But the big job had taken over Oliver's life since they moved. He wanted to get into the firm's top management and worked 12 to 14-hour shifts most weekdays. Initially, Oliver reserved the weekends for quality time with Evelyn. But as months passed and the novelty of a new marriage wore off, Oliver also began to work on those days.
Evelyn was thrilled about Oliver's rapid success - she wouldn't have had it any other way. But sometimes, when she spotted a woman like her, dressed like a boss, walking with a sense of confidence and purpose along the street, she felt a pinch of disappointment.
She would have loved to find a job in the new city, but then she would barely see her husband anymore.
Three years passed by. During that time, Evelyn had brought up the topic of having a baby on several occasions. But unfortunately for Oliver, there was always a bigger challenge to overcome, or a closer goal to achieve.
But they had everything they could hope for: a beautiful house of their own, a car, and enough savings to care for the needs of a baby.
"Today," said Evelyn as looked into her husband's eyes, her mind returning to the present, "It feels like all of it was worth it."
"I have a little something for you to make it a bit more worth it," Oliver said, holding a tiny square box in his hands under the table. He was saving it until after dinner.
He knew she would love the delicate diamond earrings he had chosen.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
What he didn't know was that Evelyn was hiding a box of her own.
"Oliver, the love of my life, I'm so proud of you. You've worked incredibly hard, forgotten many dates, and missed so much sleep in the last three years. All so that we can comfortably raise a family."
"That's what I thought. But can you imagine us living this life with a baby in it?" the look on Oliver's face shocked Evelyn. She couldn't tell if it was her husband talking or the four drinks he had gulped down earlier in the evening.
"Well, obviously not in this busy lifestyle. We'd happily move things around for a baby, though"
"Exactly. Not in this busy lifestyle. And think about yourself, too. You must be worried sick of not having a career anymore. We still have that to focus on."
"I don't need us to 'focus' on my career." Evelyn was irritated by Oliver's patronizing comment. "I made a conscious choice to quit back then, and I can get started again the day I choose to. But there's a good reason why I haven't done that yet, and you know it."
Oliver didn't even raise his head as he pretended to stare at his phone.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
"I didn't force you to make any choice, did I, Evelyn?" he muttered.
"So that's it? You don't want to have a baby?"
"I've never wanted a baby. I've always subscribed to being child-free. Do you understand what it takes out of you to be a parent? You'll forget to eat, sleep, and struggle to remember who you are. And you can forget about reviving your career. Even pregnancy will take a toll on you and your body, making you so fragile, it'll be like you're sick..."
"Well, in that case, guess what. I AM sick!"
Evelyn's words echoed in the room and were met with a few seconds of speechlessness.
"Are you saying that"
"Yes! I'm pregnant. I thought I would surprise you, but I didn't know you had been lying to me, leading me on for all these years. Sorry about that. I thought after everything we've worked for, everything we turned our lives around for, this would finally be a gift," Evelyn blurted, opening the box. It was the pregnancy test she took that morning, showing two red lines.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
"Well, to me, this is still a gift. And it's not one I'm willing to return!"
While Oliver sat motionless in shock, Evelyn burst into tears and stormed away from the man she didn't recognize anymore.
Months passed, and Evelyn and Oliver's love that had been so carefully built over the past years started to crumble because of the prolonged silence.
Evelyn didn't notice that Oliver was always parked in front of the hospital where she got her pregnancy scans and tests.
Oliver didn't remember that Evelyn's anger was just one honest conversation away from diffusing.
One Sunday afternoon, and nine months after that fateful dinner, Oliver was in the hospital's parking lot, pacing back and forth, hoping his wife was okay.
Inside, Evelyn was getting ready to bring her long-awaited child into the world.
Oliver spent the whole day trying to talk to Evelyn's family, but nobody would engage him.
For the eleventh time that day, Oliver went up to the floor where Evelyn was. Only this time, the doctor greeted him with a smile.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
"Congratulations, sir! It's a girl." Oliver waited outside Evelyn's room, bracing himself to be told never to come back again.
Instead, Evelyn signaled her family to let him in.
"Come, see your baby girl."
Nothing prepared Oliver for the beauty that was about to fill his eyes. At that moment, when he looked at his baby's angelic face, tiny fingers, and toes, he felt something break within him.
Every feeling of resistance, every fear, every shred of doubt suddenly evaporated into thin air.
"This is...my daughter. She's the most divine thing in this universe," he slowly said as he gave words to his feelings with tears pouring down his cheeks.
"Evelyn, baby. I'm so sorry for the way I reacted all those months ago. Not a day has passed that I haven't thought about it, about you, and everything I became blind to. I have wanted to run to you and ask for your forgiveness. I never knew how much I wanted to raise a baby with you until this moment, right here. Can you...forgive me?"
Looking at the man who had kindness in his eyes and a voice that was heavy with emotion, Evelyn knew that her old Oliver was back.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
"Of course I forgive you!" Evelyn tried to nod as she leaned toward her husband to comfort him. He met her halfway and they shared a tender embrace. Watching their daughter move ever so gently in her sleep, the new parents knew their lives had changed forever.
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