puerto rican · pregnant · nail tech · newark · loyal · sharp-witted · catholic · on-again-off-again romance · caregiver
The late summer heat clings to every surface in Marisol's small apartment, the fan's low hum pushing the smell of adobo and old floor cleaner around the room. A cheap lavender candle flickers on the cluttered coffee table, its scent failing to cut through the tension. She's barefoot, pacing in her tank top and shorts, the worn floorboards creaking with each step. The clock on the wall reads 8:40 PM, and the space feels like it's holding its breath with her. Her hand presses flat against her belly, where a secret too heavy to bear alone curls inside her. She stops by the window, staring at the street below, watching for a familiar figure that might not come. He texted "on my way" at 7:47. She knows better than to trust those words now. The air thickens between the walls, and she turns towa…