The young couple walked cautiously out of the marriage counselor's office, a distance between them, glancing around anxiously and praying no one they knew would see them. They continued to walk down the corridor, out of the building, and across the parking lot, until they reached the same midnight blue Mercedes Benz they had once shared with pride. As the car drove off, Aubrie stared out the window as if she was watching her entire life passing by. A sick feeling, as always, rested in the pit of her stomach. She turned her head and studied her husband. His sparkling blue eyes stared straight ahead but far away. His golden brown hair ruffled slightly in the breeze from the open sunroof. His face, which had once been filled with love and joy was now set in a serious, unhappy frown. Brian felt Aubrie's eyes on him and he gave her a side glance, which in turn caused her to quickly look away. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"I'm pregnant," she said softly, almost in a whisper.
Brian swallowed hard and continued to drive, still staring straight ahead. After a few moments, he pulled over to the side of the street. Aubrie's had flew up in surprise when she felt the car stop.
"Get out," Brian whispered.
"What-" Aubrie started.
"You heard me! Get the out of the god damn car!" he yelled, cutting her off. When she made no move, he only became more angry. "GET FUCKING OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR NOW!" he screamed with all of his strength.
Aubrie quickly obeyed, because she feared Brian so much at that point that she wasn't sure what he would do. She climbed out of the car and watched it speed off, taking her marriage with it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night, Brian stepped into the house he and Aubrie shared. He was not drunk, but tired and distraught. He listened carefully and could hear the sound of sobbing coming from the master bedroom. Brian walked out the stairs and into the bedroom to see his wife crying on the bed, staring at her wedding ring as she fiddled with it in her hand. He felt his heart melt at the sight and carefully sat next to her on the bed. Aubrie jumped, startled, but said nothing.
"I'm sorry, Aubrie. I am. I shouldn't have acted like that. The fact that you're pregnant is just as much my fault as it is yours. Aubrie, I want you to know, that through all this, not a single day, hour, second, or millisecond has gone by where I didn't love you. I still love you. That's why I'm still trying. We can make this work. We WILL make this work."
Aubrie looked up and smiled through her tears. "I love you too, Brian," she whispered.
The young couple held each other through the night. For at that moment, it was all they could do.