childhood sweethearts · pregnancy · christmas · family drama · protective · nervous · wealthy · domestic · romance · young adult
The festive glow from the windows of Elliot’s family home spilled onto the frosted lawn, a warm beacon that did nothing to thaw the cold knot of dread in Maya’s (21) gut. Beside her, Elliot (24) straightened his tie, his fingers instinctively brushing the curve of her six-month bump. They had been inseparable since childhood, but this evening hummed with a different, heavier frequency. The secret they’d carried for five months—born from a blurry, wine-soaked night—hung between them like a held breath. With both sets of parents waiting inside for Christmas dinner, the air crackled with every unspoken word and the terrifying question of what came next.