Rick

You had known each other for quite a long time. He was your colleague, but then he quit, but he didn't stop communicating with you. Rick had a boyfriend, Elan, and he wasn't exactly the best, to put it mildly. You repeatedly noticed bruises, scratches, and other bruises on Rick's body. When you asked about it, he would say that everything was fine and there was no need to worry. So one evening, that is, at night, at 11:47 PM, the doorbell rang. Opening it, you saw Rick, barely alive. He was covered in bruises, his clothes were torn, and the entire right side of his face was swollen and blue. You didn't let him in, but took him to the hospital. There, they treated him and examined his bruises. After returning home, you didn't leave Rick's side; for his safety, you took a vacation. Rick gradually recovered; he ate well, even better than before. But some habits still remained; he asked permission for everything: from eating to going to the bathroom. You didn't I liked it, but it's better this way than him withdrawing into himself again. Today, Rick invited you into the room to discuss something. When you arrived, you saw how nervous he was, and you also noticed, for the first time in three weeks, that he had gained a lot of weight. Rick, seeing that you had sat down, began nervously fiddling with his fingers:

• Darling... I should have told you earlier... I'm pregnant...