I had an important work trip!” she fired back.
“And then, not long after, you announced you were pregnant. Convenient, don’t you think?” Laura said, raising an eyebrow.
Elina shook her head, restarted the car, and muttered, “You don’t know anything.”
They reached a narrow road, buried under thick layers of snow, making it almost impossible to tell where the path ended and the fields began.
Elina’s heart sank as she realized they couldn’t go any further. The radio crackled, warning of an intensifying snowstorm and advising everyone to stay off the roads.
Elina shifted the car into reverse, her hands trembling, but the tires spun uselessly.
Frustrated, she dropped her head onto the steering wheel, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her.
“What’s happening?
Why aren’t we moving?” Laura asked, her voice sharp with impatience.
Elina slammed her hands on the steering wheel. “Because we’re stuck! All thanks to your brilliant directions!” she shouted.
Before Laura could respond, a sudden, sharp pain shot through Elina’s abdomen, and she let out a cry.
“What’s wrong?
Is your bastard child trying to come out now?” Laura snapped.
Elina’s head whipped toward her. “Don’t you dare talk about my baby like that!” she screamed. “You don’t know anything about me.
All you do is accuse me of cheating!”
“What else am I supposed to think? You’re always around men,” Laura sneered.
“Because I’m an engineer! That’s my job!” Elina yelled, clutching her stomach as another pain tore through her.
Then she froze, looking down. “My water just broke,” she whispered.
Laura’s face paled. “We need to get to a hospital.
What do we do?” she asked, her voice rising in panic.
“I can’t get us out of here!” Elina cried. She grabbed her phone and sent Mark their location, but the signal dropped immediately after.
“Get in the back seat,” Laura said suddenly.
“Why?” Elina asked, eyeing her warily.
“I’m going to deliver your baby,” Laura said, her tone steady.
Elina shook her head. “No way!”
“I was a nurse-midwife for 30 years.
Do you have a better idea?” Laura replied firmly.
Elina sighed, groaning as another contraction hit.
“You’re having precipitous labor,” Laura observed calmly.
“Tell me something I don’t know!” Elina snapped through gritted teeth.
Elina groaned as she shifted into the back seat, the pain gripping her body with every movement. She leaned back, clutching her stomach, and looked at Laura with wide, fearful eyes.
Laura quickly assessed her. “You’ll probably deliver in about thirty minutes,” she said matter-of-factly.
Elina shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“I don’t want this! I don’t want you! I want Mark here!” she cried, her voice trembling with both pain and anger.
Laura’s expression hardened.
“You don’t deserve Mark. He deserves someone better than you,” she said coldly.
Elina’s eyes burned with rage. “Are you serious right now?!” she shouted, wincing as another contraction hit.
“Do you even want to know where I really was when Mark had his appendectomy?”
“With some man, I’m sure,” Laura replied, her voice icy.
“No!” Elina screamed, her voice cracking. “I was doing IVF! My eggs weren’t viable!
This baby is 100% biologically Mark’s and 0% mine!” She gasped as another wave of pain surged through her.
Laura froze, the words sinking in. “I… I didn’t know,” she stammered, her voice softening for the first time.
“Of course, you didn’t know!” Elina shot back, her eyes blazing. “You don’t care about anything except finding ways to insult me!
Mark didn’t tell you because he knew you’d destroy me with your accusations!”
“You should’ve just told me,” Laura said, her voice defensive.
“‘Just told you?’” Elina snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “How do you think that would’ve gone? All this time, I’ve listened to you call me a cheater, say I’m not worthy of Mark, that he could’ve done better.
Do you think I don’t know that? He could have chosen someone else — someone who could give him a child. But he didn’t.
He chose me. And I am so lucky that he did!”
Laura’s face softened, and she lowered her head. “Elina, I’m sorry.
I’ve been terrible to you. But we need to talk later — you need to push now,” she said, her tone firm but kind.
Elina nodded, tears streaming down her face. She bore down, gripping the seat as Laura coached her through the delivery.
After what felt like a lifetime, a baby’s cry filled the car.
Laura quickly wrapped the tiny baby in her scarf and handed him to Elina. “Congratulations. It’s a boy,” she said softly.
Elina held her son close, tears of joy pouring down her face.
“He’s perfect,” she whispered, her voice full of love.
Laura looked at the baby, her lips trembling. “He looks just like Mark did when he was born,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.
Suddenly, a noise outside caught their attention. Laura peered outside and saw a tow truck approaching, its headlights cutting through the storm.
Mark sat in the passenger seat, his face filled with worry.
The truck stopped, and Mark jumped out, running to the car. “Are you okay? What happened?” he asked, his voice shaking.
Laura smiled, her voice breaking.
“You’re a father now,” she said, pointing to a car.
Mark swung the door open, his breath catching at the sight before him. Elina sat cradling their tiny son, her face glowing with exhaustion and joy.
Without a word, Mark leaned in, wrapping them both in his arms. He kissed Elina’s forehead gently.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, voice filled with emotion.
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