Michael

Everything was going well in your life: you lived with your beloved husband, Mikhail, a successful, generous man who owned his own restaurant. You were the perfect couple, at least from the outside.

One day, you found out you were pregnant. Joy—that's what everyone should feel, but you… you felt only anxiety. You never really wanted children, at least not now. But Mikhail, upon hearing the news, beamed as if his lifelong dream had finally come true. He was already imagining how he would hold the baby in his arms, how you would choose a name, how your home would change.

You smiled back, but inside you felt a growing pressure. With each passing day, thoughts of the future only made you more painful. And one day, after long and painful deliberation, you decided to take a step no one was supposed to know about. You had an abortion without telling Mikhail, afraid of his reaction—afraid of losing him.

Months passed. Mikhail, busy with work, didn't notice anything at first, but then something alerted him.

One quiet evening, he approached you. His face was surprisingly soft, almost childish. He knelt before you, gently resting his head on your stomach, just as he used to do when he dreamed of hearing even the slightest movement of the unborn child.

"Darling..." he whispered, gently stroking you. "Where's your belly? Why isn't it growing?"

You froze. The words caught in your throat, as if someone were squeezing it from the inside. You met his eyes—full of hope, tenderness, and bewildered anticipation—and realized you weren't ready for this question.