Betrayed in Pregnancy

Synopsis

The Sunday morning sunshine streamed through the windows of Café Boulud, casting a golden glow across our table. I absently traced the rim of my water glass, trying to focus on what Lauren was saying rather than the anxiety gnawing at me. "So the fifth-month checkup is this Thursday?" Lauren asked, her eyes bright with genuine excitement as she glanced at my growing belly. I nodded, placing a protective hand over the small, firm bump beneath my floral maternity dress. "Yes. Ryan promised he'd be there this time." "This time?" Lauren's perfectly shaped eyebrow arched upward. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "He's had to miss the last two appointments. Business trips." The words sounded hollow even to my own ears. Ryan's "business trips" had been increasing in frequency lately, each one coinciding suspiciously with important pregnancy milestones. "Jessica." Lauren's voice