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Zoya, who was in a bit of a pickle or more accurately, a giant jar of pickles. After her recent divorce from Logan, the local smoothie enthusiast with a charming smile and a penchant for dramatic exits, Zoya found herself retreating back into her comforting shell, which was starting to feel more like a full-blown tortoise.
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Sandy, her ever enthusiastic maid turned best friend, had tried to help Zoya shake off the divorce blues, but the moment she mentioned "distraction," it wasn’t long before a plan took shape.
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Their first stop? Wobblebottom’s annual Wacky Wombat Festival an event famous for its furry mascots and even furrier antics. "It’s the perfect place for a little distraction!" Sandy exclaimed with the fervor of a hamster on an espresso buzz.
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"Great, but I can already hear the cosmos laughing. ‘She's at a festival for wombats!’” Zoya replied, rolling her eyes.
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Sandy waved her off. "Wombats have feelings too!" And with that, Zoya found herself begrudgingly swept into the town square, where a giant inflatable wombat greeted them with open paws.
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Amidst sticky cotton candy and a questionable pie-eating contest, Zoya’s mind couldn’t quite shake the weight of her secret: she was pregnant. The word itself felt like a rogue circus clown hammering away at her heart, partly because she feared what Logan might do if he found out.
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The thought of him demanding an abortion sent shivers down her spine. On the flip side, if he simply denied the baby existed, well, Zoya was all too willing to take on that challenge. After all, she could always name the child Something Awkward if it came to that.
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Sandy, oblivious to Zoya's inner turmoil, was busy concocting wild schemes. “Let’s enter the pie-eating contest!” she suggested, eyeing the blueberry filled behemoths. “We can distract you with sugar…and calories!”
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Zoya raised an eyebrow. "Because nothing says ‘I’m going through a rough time’ like gorging on blueberry pie?"
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“Exactly! Plus, even if Logan shows up, he won’t recognize you covered in gooey pie residue!” Sandy chuckled.
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So, under a sky filled with confetti and bewildered onlookers, Zoya and Sandy dove into the contest. As they munched, cheeks overflowing with pie, all Zoya could think about was how absurd her life had become. Her ex-husband had once promised her popcorn, romance, and glittering sunsets, not awkward pie-eating contests.
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Just then, who should appear but Logan himself with a hairdo that seemed inspired by a pufferfish and his clinging escort for a secretary. “Zoya!” she imagined him shouting, waving a slice of what looked like a completely out-of-place avocado tart. “I thought it would be fun to try something new! It’s...uh, avocado!”
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In that moment, Zoya realized Logan hadn’t changed much. “Oh great, you brought the most sophisticated tart to a festival of wombats!” she replied still in her imagination , then glanced at Sandy, who mouthed, “Pie face!”
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Zoya, ever the quick thinker, wiped her pie covered hands on her shirt and glanced at her ex. “You know what? I think I’ll pass on the tart. I’ve had my fill of ‘new experiences’ for today.” She thought.
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She was caught by Logan who blinked at her with a stern face, then shrugged. “Am single, she heard him say to a man who exchanged business card's with him!”
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Sandy leaned in and whispered, “Mission distraction? A success!” Zoya couldn’t help but laugh, wiping tears of joy from her eyes as Logan wandered off, oblivious.
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As the day melted into evening and colorful fair lights danced around them, Zoya felt a flicker of strength igniting in her chest. She realized that with a friend like Sandy, and even a touch of humor in chaotic situations, she could face her challenges baby or no baby.
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As Zoya and Sandy left the festival with pie stained shirts and smiles plastered across their faces, she thought maybe, just maybe, life would return to its delightful chaos, with or without Logan’s avocado involvement, not until she accidently bumped into a strangers chest that appeared out of nowhere.
Am sorry she apologized, giggling and thankful it was just a stranger, Sandy winked at her, then at the stranger, Zoya shook her head and pointed to her tummy. The two laughed together as they held onto to each other
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