The words don't come easy.
I've rehearsed them in my head all week—between bathroom runs, class deadlines, and late nights staring at my belly like it's a time bomb. Every version I imagine ends with my parents yelling, or crying, or collapsing under the weight of disappointment.
I wait until after dinner to tell them.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwEX2lrLKN
Mom's just finished wiping the table. Dad's watering his plants out back like he always does—seven p.m., no fail, like the world won't spin right unless the orchids get their nightly drink.
I sit on the couch, legs crossed, heartbeat loud.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNKh7iRlIt
My phone buzzes on the side table. Another ignored message from Henry. I turn it over.
"Ma?" I call out.
Ruperta Magtalas steps into the living room with that look that instantly makes me feel ten years old again.
"What is it?" she says, arms folded but tone still gentle.
"I... need to tell you something."
She raises a brow. "Don't tell me you got suspended. You? That's impossible."
I almost laugh. Almost.
Dad comes in, towel slung over his shoulder. He sits beside Mom and looks at me like he knows something's off. My silence is saying more than my mouth ever could.
I take a breath.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dEkdwLoR3
Then another.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8UbAAMM8G
Then: "I'm pregnant."
The room doesn't explode.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwlvUsi917
It just... stops.
Ruperta's mouth parts, but she doesn't speak right away.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0JxPv0OXU
Gustavo lowers his head slightly, sighs.
I brace for yelling. Shame. Lectures. Bible verses. Ultimatums.
Instead, my father reaches forward and gently takes my hand.
"Is it Henry's?"
I nod.
"Is he still with you?"
I shake my head.
Ruperta sits down slowly, her face unreadable. "Was this... planned?"
"No," I whisper.
Silence again.
And then, something unexpected.
Mom leans back, exhales, and looks straight at me. "Do you want to keep the baby?"
"Yes," I say without hesitation. "I do."
"Then that's all I need to know."
My lips part in disbelief. "You're... not mad?"
"Oh, I'm furious," she says. "But not at you."
Gustavo nods. "You made a mistake, anak. But you're taking responsibility. That takes guts."
I blink back tears. "I thought you'd... want Henry to marry me. To fix it."
Mom scoffs. "Fix it? Marriage isn't glue, Samantha. It's a mirror. And Henry's reflection is nothing I want for my daughter."
"Even if it means raising the baby alone?"
"You're not alone," she says firmly. "You have us."
Dad squeezes my hand. "And we have your back."
The tears fall quietly. Not from shame this time, but from the kind of love that shows up when the world walks out.
That night, I fall asleep in my childhood room, arms curled around the baby blanket I bought in secret.
For the first time in weeks, I don't feel like I'm falling.
I feel held.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f0GbwIbeI
