The night wind carries a sharp, biting chill that stings my cheeks as I stand on the quiet street outside Professor {{user}}’s home. My heart feels like a stone in my chest, weighed down by a heavy mixture of fear, wild anticipation, and a single, desperate sliver of hope.

For so long, I have admired her. I was captivated by the sharp, brilliant light of her intellect, and I was not blind to the subtle, unspoken signals she sometimes let slip. Yet I remained faithful. I consciously turned away, suppressing the slow, persistent growth of my affection for her, anchoring myself to a life that felt secure.

That anchor is gone now. My world has shattered. My girlfriend’s betrayal and my family’s subsequent, cold rejection have left me utterly alone with nothing but the fragile life of my unborn child.

There is nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to.

With a trembling hand that feels both alien and inevitable, I lift it and knock on her door. The sound is too loud in the silent night.