Two Months Later
Riya had settled into a rhythm. The quiet ache in her chest still lingered, but it didn't drown her anymore. She had found a routine at Ava's house—tea at sunrise, walks in the garden, and most recently, a job teaching English at the local high school.
It wasn't much, but it was something. Something that made her feel like she could still move forward.
Today was her first day at the school. The nerves bubbled up, a sharp contrast to the calm facade she wore. She wasn't sure what to expect—teaching, connecting with students, or simply getting through the day without her mind wandering too far.
She stood at the front of the classroom, fingers lightly brushing the stack of papers in front of her. The students filtered in one by one, a mix of eager faces and tired eyes. The hum of chatter gradually faded as they all took their seats. Then, one by one, they looked up at her.
"Good morning," she said, her voice steady but quieter than usual.
"Good morning, Miss McKenzie!" they greeted in unison.
She smiled faintly, taking in the room. She had spent years learning and reading, shaping her thoughts in ink and books, but standing here—teaching—felt different. The weight of it was heavier than she had imagined.
Riya introduced herself, outlining the syllabus, and started with a simple icebreaker, asking them about their favorite books or authors. The students relaxed, talking animatedly about their favorite novels and characters. It felt… nice. Almost normal.
As the bell rang, she was still getting used to the rhythm of it all. Teaching was a far cry from the chaos she had lived through, but in its own way, it was a quiet challenge—a way to carve out meaning where the world had once been so loud.
And for the first time in a long while, it felt like she was building something. Something of her own.
The students filed out as the class ended, some with shy smiles, others with questions about the homework she had assigned. Riya gathered her things slowly, already lost in thought, when one of the students lingered.
"Miss McKenzie, that was cool," the girl said. "You don't seem… like the usual teachers."
Riya blinked, slightly caught off guard. "In what way?"
"You're real," the student said, shrugging. "Like, you're not just standing there reading from the book. You actually talk to us, y'know?"
Riya smiled, feeling a warmth bloom in her chest. "Well, I do have a lot to say."
The girl grinned and left with a wave, and for the first time in a long while, Riya felt like she was exactly where she needed to be.
The Next Day
The classroom was unusually quiet. It was the second day of the week, and Riya had managed to settle into a kind of rhythm. The students were more comfortable with her now, asking questions and sharing their thoughts without the stiffness of strangers.
But the exhaustion was catching up with her.
She hadn't realized how much of herself she had been holding back—the sleepless nights, the constant push of grief still simmering just below the surface. She was moving forward, yes, but not without scars.
She pushed through the lesson, her voice steady as she discussed the theme of loss in The Great Gatsby, her hands gesturing with more force than usual as she tried to keep her focus. But as she moved toward the whiteboard, everything blurred.
Her vision wavered, the room spinning in a slow, nauseating whirl. She tried to steady herself by leaning against the board, but it was too late.
Her knees buckled.
The last thing she remembered was a concerned gasp from one of the students.
Then everything went dark.
A few moments later
Riya opened her eyes to the sound of whispers, voices drifting in and out like muffled echoes. For a moment, she wasn't sure where she was—until she felt the cool floor beneath her, the weight of something soft beneath her head.
"Miss McKenzie?" A voice broke through the haze.
Her vision cleared slowly, and she looked up to see a student—Emma, a girl who had spoken to her the day before—kneeling beside her with wide, concerned eyes.
"Are you okay? You fainted. Do you need water?"
Riya blinked a few times, trying to push the dizziness away. Her pulse was loud in her ears, and her head throbbed, a heavy weight that refused to lift. Slowly, she sat up, but her body swayed dangerously.
"Take it easy," Emma insisted. "The nurse is on her way."
Riya didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to panic. She hadn't fainted since… since before everything changed. Since everything had shattered. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding on to until now.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice weak. "Just… a little dizzy."
Emma frowned but didn't argue. "You should probably sit down for a bit. The nurse—"
"I'll be okay," Riya cut her off, forcing herself to her feet, gripping the edge of the desk to steady herself. Her vision swam again, but she ignored it, taking a deep breath to clear the fog. She needed to get through this. She had to.
The bell rang then, signaling the end of class. The students hesitated, unsure of what to do, but Riya managed a shaky smile.
"Go on," she told them, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine. Really."
They filed out, but she could see their eyes lingering, concern written all over their faces. It made her stomach tighten.
Riya stood alone in the empty room, her hands gripping the desk to keep herself upright. She had to pull it together. She couldn't break down—not here, not like this.
But the silence that followed felt heavy, like the weight of the world pressing down on her chest. She had convinced herself she was doing okay. But now, she wasn't so sure.
"Just get through the day," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."
But as she walked out into the hallway to meet the nurse, the thought gnawed at her. Maybe I can't anymore.
The Next Week
Riya had been trying to push through the days, each one blurring together with exhaustion and the weight of everything that had happened. The dizziness, the fatigue—it hadn't let up. The routine of teaching, of being present, was all she could manage. But something still wasn't right.
She finally decided to go to the hospital. It had been a long week, and she knew she couldn't keep ignoring the way her body was betraying her. The dizziness, the constant fatigue, they were too much to push aside any longer.
At the hospital, the receptionist quickly ushered her through the check-in process, and she was soon in a sterile white examination room. She sat on the edge of the table, trying to calm her nerves, but the anticipation of what was to come only made her more anxious.
The doctor entered a few minutes later, a tall man with a kind but businesslike demeanor. After reviewing her chart, he looked up from his notes.
"So, Miss McKenzie," he began, his voice steady. "I understand you've been feeling a lot of fatigue and dizziness recently?"
Riya nodded. "Yes, that's right. I thought it was stress... but it's not going away. I thought maybe I should get checked out."
The doctor gave a thoughtful nod. "It's good you came in. Let's start with an ultrasound. We'll check things out and see what's going on."
Riya blinked, a little confused. "An ultrasound?"
He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes. Given your symptoms, it's the next step. We'll just take a quick look."
Riya didn't question him, still too foggy to push back or ask more. The technician came in shortly after, and the procedure began. Riya lay back on the table, trying to relax as the cold gel was applied to her stomach. It wasn't uncomfortable, but she felt a rising sense of unease, as though she was waiting for something—anything—that might explain what was going on with her body.
A few moments later, the technician stopped and exchanged a brief look with the doctor, who had entered the room to review the results.
The doctor stepped closer to her, his expression neutral but attentive.
"Miss McKenzie," he began, looking at the screen in front of him. "The ultrasound shows that you are pregnant. About three months along."
Riya's heart dropped, the room suddenly spinning around her. She felt like the floor had just been yanked out from beneath her.
"I… I'm sorry, did you say pregnant?" she whispered, the words sounding foreign on her tongue.
The doctor nodded, his voice clinical. "Yes. Three months along. That's consistent with your symptoms—dizziness, fatigue."
Riya blinked, trying to process the shock. Pregnant? Three months? How had she missed this?
The doctor didn't seem phased by her shock. "We'll schedule your next appointments from here. I'll have the receptionist give you the details. Make sure to keep the appointments for proper care moving forward."
Riya could barely focus on his words. She nodded slowly, trying to gather herself. The room felt tight, suffocating.
The doctor continued. "Take care of yourself, Miss McKenzie. We'll see you for your next check-up soon."
And with that, he left, leaving Riya alone in the sterile room. She sat there in silence for a long moment, trying to make sense of the words he'd just said.
Pregnant. Three months.
She had no idea what to think, let alone what to do next. She forced herself to stand, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on her. Walking out of the room, she was handed a schedule of appointments to follow, but the world felt dizzy again, her mind too numb to fully grasp what had just happened.
That Evening
Riya barely remembered the drive home. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, but her thoughts were a whirlwind, dizzying and distant. The world outside seemed distant, as if she were watching it through a haze. All she could focus on was the single truth that the doctor had told her—three months pregnant. The shock hadn't worn off, and with each passing minute, the weight of the news sank deeper.
When she pulled into Ava's driveway, the house felt smaller than usual, quieter. The weight of it all pressed heavily on her chest as she walked up to the door. Ava was probably inside, going about her evening routine, unaware of the storm Riya was about to walk into.
Riya knocked softly, though she didn't need to. Ava always kept the door unlocked for her. She pushed it open gently, stepping into the dimly lit living room. Ava was sitting on the couch, knitting, her soft hum of concentration filling the space.
"Hey," Riya's voice was almost a whisper, barely louder than the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Ava looked up, her eyes immediately softening with concern. "You're home early. How did it go?"
Riya stood there, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. The reality of everything felt like it had just caught up with her, and she couldn't hold it back anymore. She sank onto the couch beside Ava, her hands trembling.
Ava set her knitting aside, leaning in to rest a hand on Riya's back. "What happened, sweetheart? What did the doctor say?"
Riya closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She didn't know how to say it, how to make sense of it. The words tasted foreign in her mouth. Slowly, she looked up at Ava, her voice cracking as she spoke.
"He said… he said I'm pregnant."
Ava froze for a moment, her expression unreadable, before her face softened, concern and confusion flickering in her eyes. "Pregnant? You're—"
"Three months," Riya interrupted, her voice breaking. "Three months. I… I didn't even know."
Ava's breath caught. "Oh, Riya…"
And then, without warning, the tears came.
Riya's shoulders shook as she finally allowed herself to cry, the weight of it all crashing down on her. The shock, the confusion, and the overwhelming realization that she was carrying a piece of Justin—the one person who should have been here, standing beside her through this, but was gone.
"I'm alone," Riya sobbed, her voice a fragile whisper. "I'm alone, Ava. I can't do this without him. I—"
Ava wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. The kind of hug that said everything. No words were needed; Ava's warmth and steady presence filled the silence. She held her close, letting Riya cry without trying to stop her.
"I'm so sorry," Ava whispered. "I know. I know, sweetheart."
"I miss him so much," Riya's words came out broken, her chest tight as she tried to catch her breath between sobs. "He should be here. He promised me... he promised he would come back. And now... now I have this baby... but he's not here. And I'm scared. I don't know how to do this. How can I do this without him?"
Ava held her tighter, gently rocking her back and forth as she whispered soft reassurances into her ear. "You're not alone, Riya. You've got me. You've got all of us. You're strong. You can do this, okay? You're not alone in this."
But even as Ava said those words, Riya's heart felt empty. The silence in her soul echoed louder than any comfort. It wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. She wanted Justin. She wanted him back. And yet, the reality of his absence, and the life growing inside her, seemed like a cruel joke.
She clung to Ava, the only person left who understood just how much she had lost, and sobbed until she had no more tears to cry.