He had to figure out how to not lose her. He wanted to beg her to stay. He wanted to tell her that he couldn’t live without her. She was his everything, even if he hadn’t shown it much in the last month.

They met before she got promoted, before she was always busy and seldom had meals on time, let alone had time for lunch dates. They started dating when he was still the only one who always had to make excuses about why he couldn’t make it to yet another dinner date. He knew her, and understood her, and promised her that someday they would get married.

So, breaking up, as eager as she could have been to leave the relationship where she seldom got the attention she deserved, was not an option.

“Trevor!” The deep voice of his friend, Sam got him out of his deep thoughts. Trevor looked back at him.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out since I got here.”

Trevor smiled, shaking his head. Sam’s bushy brows were raised as he waited for his friend’s response.

“I’ll be okay. By the way, do you know where to find the best homemade chocolates?”

~*~

Sobahle was pacing in her room as she thought about how to talk to her boyfriend. They had been dating for a bit more than three years. Will he be understanding? Will he be angry? Will he…hate her?

Dammit, she just wanted to go to bed and actually enjoy her first free weekend in the whole month with her man. Instead it seemed that they could be arguing, or even breaking up.

No, she shook her head, a break up was unacceptable.

She looked at the small paper bag on the bed again, holding her hands together as she thought of how to break the news.

She jumped when she heard the knock on the door.

Slowly, she walked to it, knowing who it was. Who else could it be? She was glad that he decided to knock and not use the key that he already had. It gave her enough time to take in a few breaths and gather her thoughts.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans before she opened the door, only to be shocked to see a bouquet of pink roses.

Her eyebrows rose as the childlike face of her boyfriend popped up from behind the flowers. He seemed worried, she noted. Did he know? Did he realise? Why did he bring flowers along?

“Wh-what’s this?” She was even scared to ask how much he knew and understood.

“Bahle wami,” my Bahle, “I know it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, but I love you.” He started. She was still in shock and just blankly stared at him. “I love you more than I do music. More than I do myself.”

“Trevor… Uhm…” She loved him too, as much as she always said she did, but seeing her boyfriend confess his love again with a bouquet of pink roses made her forget what she wanted to say. “I know.” She took the roses and held them to her chest.

“Can I come in?”

She suddenly remembered, they were standing in the doorway. Anyone could see them…their distress.

“Yeah,” she shook her head, moving out of the way, “of course.” She nervously chuckled, closing the door behind him.

“I also bought chocolates from Pistachio’s,” he said. “They sell really good chocolate there. It’s the kind made with natural ingredients. It tastes really good too. I know you’ll like it.”

She listened, watching him as he put a paper bag on her kitchen table. He took out a medium sized gold chocolate box with green and brown swirls on it.

“I know it’s been a dry month. I didn’t put enough effort in our relationship and I was always busy. I’m sorry I took so long to answer your messages as well. It’s all my fault really.”

In a panic and also confused, Sobahle asked what was on her mind. “Trevor, Honey, what are you talking about?” She put the flowers next to the box of chocolates on the counter but did not walk any closer.

“I don’t want to break up. I want us to be together for many more years to come.”

“I don’t want us to break up either. But…”

“No buts. Let’s not. I’ll change.”

Sobahle bit her bottom lip. “No, don’t change. Please…” Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She was no longer sure how to say what she wanted to say. He was saying all those things, but would he keep on saying them if he knew the truth?

“Bahle…” He was about to hug her, but she pushed him away. Not yet. She wasn’t supposed cry. She promised herself that she would hold it in. “What’s wrong?”

She wiped the tears away. “I wasn’t supposed to cry… Not yet, at least.”

“What happened?”

“I…” She looked up at him, the anxiety shining through her delicate eyes. “I think I might be pregnant.”

Trevor paused. “You might be what? What do you mean? We did everything right.”