I gently stroked the ultrasound image when my phone buzzed with an incoming video message.
The video lasted half an hour. Jenna in the video was extremely crazy. I had never seen that woman so out of control.
In our six years together, Jenna had always been gentle. Even in bed, she was shy and reserved.
So, she wasn't naturally self-restrained. It was just that the person who could ignite her passion was never me.
I watched the video as if punishing myself, wanting to see the Jenna I had never known.
I didn't know how long I had watched before a nurse came to my side.
"Sir, are you alright? Is something wrong?"
Only then did I realize that as the video played, I cried harder and harder.
It wasn't until the nurse spoke that I noticed I was trembling all over, even the hand holding my phone was shaking uncontrollably.
I shamefully discovered that even now, I still loved Jenna.
She wasn't some object to be thrown away when broken, nor was she just an ordinary friend to cut ties with when upset.
She was a living, breathing person, the woman I've loved for six whole years. Loving her had long since become my second nature, ingrained in my very bones.
Everyone said Jenna loved me for six years with all her heart, but hadn't I treated her the same way? After six whole years of knowing and being with each other, only at this moment did I realize I couldn't bear to lose her; I honestly couldn't.
I thought back to the sound of the baby's heartbeat I'd heard during the check-up earlier. I wiped my face hard and took a deep breath. I wanted to give her and this child one last chance.
I dialed her number.
"Can you come back? I want to talk to you."
Jenna's voice was indescribably hoarse, as if he was holding back something.
"Sebastian, I still have some things to take care of here. Let the driver take you home first, we can talk when you return."
"Mmmph ..."
A muffled groan cut through, then the call ended abruptly, leaving only the mechanical beeping.
We were both adults. I knew precisely what Jenna was doing on the other end of that call.
After a long daze, I looked up at the nurse waiting beside me.
"It's nothing, I'll leave now."
It was already dark when I got home from the hospital. As soon as I entered the house, Jenna came to greet me.
"Where did you go by yourself? Why didn't you let the driver go with you?"
Halfway through her sentence, Jenna noticed my red and swollen eyes.
"What's wrong, Sebastian? Why are your eyes so swollen? Have you been crying? Is it because accompanying me for the prenatal check-up today reminded you of Jenna again? It's okay, the baby in my belly is her niece, so it's a kind of remembrance."
"Oh, right. Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"
I carefully studied Jenna's features. She was so beautiful, as beautiful as before, her eyes filled with my reflection.
Precisely the same as in the video Allen had sent me this afternoon.
I lowered my eyes, avoiding her gaze.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask if there was anything you wanted me to bring back. I went shopping this afternoon."
Jenna's shoulders visibly relaxed, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then you should go and rest quickly. You must be tired after a long day."
I nodded and went straight back to my room without replying to Jenna.
I looked to be truly exhausted. My head had barely touched the pillow before I fell asleep. In a daze, I seemed to see eighteen-year-old Jenna again.
The young girl stood before me, her cheeks flushed with shyness as she confessed her feelings.
"Sebastian Clark, I like you very much. Would you be my boyfriend?"
