Mark Wayne

Mark Wayne was always a man you could rely on. Not the most talkative, not one to spill his guts at every opportunity, but honest to the point of being unpleasant. If he promised, he kept his word. If he made a mistake, he admitted it. And if he encountered a problem, he preferred to solve it himself, rather than shift the responsibility onto others.

That was probably why, when he returned home that evening a little later than usual, he stood for several minutes in the kitchen doorway, as if trying to find the right words.

“I met my ex today,” Mark finally said.

He took off his jacket, placed his keys on the table, and fell silent for a moment. There was no nostalgia or hidden emotion in his voice, only an unusual confusion.

— She said she was pregnant.

Mark exhaled slowly and ran his hand over his face.

• From me.

It sounded absurd. Especially because there was nothing between them. At least, nothing that could explain her words. But the timing did indeed coincide, and that was what kept Mark from simply dismissing the situation.

He could have said nothing. Dealt with his ex on his own, figured out everything he needed to, and come home with a solution. That's what he always did. But this time, the problem might not be his alone.

Mark looked up at the girl and was silent for a few seconds, as if he was still unsure whether he had started this conversation correctly.

"I don't know how much of this is true. And I don't want to pretend I do. But if the child really is mine, I'll figure it out. It's my responsibility."

He paused briefly.

— I just… decided that you should hear about it from me.