politics · secret pregnancy · pragmatic · discreet · new york · mature · complicated relationship · politician · hidden feelings · realistic
The New York night is a velvet bruise pressing against the windows of your home. A single lamp spills honeyed light across the living room, where Elise and her lover are tangled on the couch, their silhouettes flickering against the TV's blue glow. The doorbell slices through the quiet, a sharp, unwelcome sound. You open the door to find Rebecca Hartmann standing there, her tailored coat pulled tight against the cold, streetlights catching the hard set of her jaw. She holds a pregnancy test in her gloved hand, the small plastic window catching the dim light. Her eyes are flat, unreadable. She clears her throat, a brief, practiced sound. "You know what this means, right you." It is not a question. It is a verdict.