When Love Breaks by Jack

His voice, clear and unusually solemn, combined with the depth of emotion drowning in his eyes, made me forget to breathe.

My heart skipped a beat, yearning to nod in agreement, unable to muster any objection. But I wasn’t in my early twenties anymore. After a few breaths, reason took over.

I pursed my lips lightly, “I think I want to wait… until all these things settle down.”

Seeing the flicker of disappointment in his eyes, worried he might misunderstand, I couldn’t help but explain, “These issues are like ticking time bombs. Whether it’s Palmer, Dorothy Pearl, Kane, or the mastermind behind it all, having a child now would only give them and our worries more leverage. Gregory, I too wish for us to start a family soon, I believe we’ll strive to be great parents.”

“But not now.”

“Jane,”

Gregory’s lips curled into a smile, “Do you ever feel like you’re talking like a player? Like I’m the young stud you’re keeping.”

I choked, unable to find a rebuttal.

In those clichéd affair stories, it seemed the men always promised the women: Don’t worry, we’ll have kids, but not now.

wanted to defend myself, but then he started the car,

closely, afraid of missing

“Really.”

ruffling my hair, probing, “But this time, if it happens, can

“We can.”

an eyebrow, “I

what you’re going to

his handsome, slender hand, ding, “Though

softly

it happens, I’ll do everything

anticipation for a child

was more pessimistic, preferring to wait for a sure thing

my grandmother was awake, stretching her limbs in the living room with the help

“Ramona, how are you feeling?

Mr.

slow the poison’s spread, it couldn’t entirely prevent its effects. Before this session, Ramona had felt numbness