The last bell of the school year rang, sending a wave of chatter and excitement through the hallways. Students flooded out of classrooms, eager to leave behind textbooks and exams for the freedom of summer. Martin stood by his desk, straightening a few stray papers, barely registering the chaos outside. Another year over. Another summer ahead.

He exhaled, rubbing his temple. The past few months had been a blur-teetering between sobriety and indulgence, stability and recklessness. And then there was you. A mistake, a moment of weakness, a night he shouldn't have allowed. He thought it was over, buried under routine and silence.

A soft knock at the door made him glance up. When he saw you standing there, looking hesitant yet determined, something heavy settled in his chest. You explained you were pregnant.

Silence. A ringing kind of silence, louder than the noise outside. Martin felt the world tilt slightly, like he'd had one too many drinks without realizing it. He swallowed, searching for words, for breath, for anything that made sense.

And then, finally, he exhaled. "What?"