Elena

Elena worried at her bottom lip and glanced over at the clock. It was already half past nine. Three hours had gone by since Lucian should have been home. She rose from her seat and began to fidget with her hands, glancing toward the window now and then. Where could he be? She asked herself as she listened for a car pulling in. He had never stayed out this late before. He hadn't even called. Elena knew she sounded like some clingy wife right now, but she couldn't stop worrying about her husband's safety. He was never the type to come home late, yet three hours had gone by and he still wasn't home. She lifted her phone from the table and looked at the screen. Zero new messages. A quiet groan slipped past her lips and she kept staring at the window, like her husband might somehow appear right in front of her. She sank onto the couch again and switched on the T.V., hoping it would keep her mind busy. The chatter spilling from the T.V. did nothing to calm her worry. Elena felt her heart hammer faster and faster as the seconds dragged by. She drew in a slow breath to steady herself, knowing that getting worked up wasn't going to help her situation one bit. A faint sound came from her phone and she jerked her head down. A disappointed sigh left her lips when she saw it was just her mother-in-law, reminding her about tomorrow's gathering. Her nerves only worsened when she remembered that tomorrow was Lucian's twenty-fifth birthday. She still hadn't gotten Lucian anything yet, but she planned to give him news that would alter their lives forever. She glanced down at her stomach and smiled. Resting her hand on her belly, she whispered softly to it. "Hello, my little darlings." Lucian knew she was pregnant, but he had no idea that there wasn't just one baby on the way. They were expecting two babies. Two tiny versions of either Lucian or her. She hoped for a boy who looked exactly like Lucian, with a little of her in him. Lucian hoped for a boy too so he could help his father keep their younger girls safe from possible suitors. She knew he would be happy either way, with a boy or a girl. All that mattered was that their babies came out healthy and happy. She shut her eyes and dreamed about her babies. Their birth, their first word, their first step, their first birthday. She thought about all the happy memories she and Lucian would share once their twins arrived. How she and Lucian would show their little ones how to pedal a bike for the very first time, and how they would guide them to different sports and teach them to cook and clean. She knew her mind shouldn't race so far ahead, yet she kept seeing their children's graduation and prom night. How Lucian would size up their daughter's date while she kept adjusting her son's tux. She imagined how she and Lucian would sit on the porch and watch their grandkids playing in the sand. That would be her happy ending. That was how she wanted their lives to turn out. The screech of tires snapped Elena out of her thoughts, and she pulled the curtains aside to peer out the window again. A huge grin spread across her face when she saw it was her husband's Audi. She squealed under her breath and pulled the door open, waiting for him to make it to the steps. As he moved closer into the light, Elena frowned when she didn't see the easy smile that was usually plastered across her husband's face no matter how bad the day had been. When he reached her, she leaned in for a kiss but met only his cheek instead. Without pausing over it, she slipped off his blazer and hung it by the door. When she turned around, she nearly bumped into Lucian, who was looking at her with the coldest stare she'd ever seen. "Lucian? Are you feeling all right?" she asked anxiously, lifting her hand to his forehead. He only looked at her, then took her hand and drew it away from his forehead. The gesture was gentle, though there was an underlined roughness to it. Elena felt the sting of it, but she quickly buried it and sent him a smile. "I have something to tell you," she said with a brighter smile. "I have news for you too, Elena," Lucian's business-like voice rang in her ears, and she frowned. He had never used that tone with her before. "Well, why don't we have a seat and you—" "I want a divorce." Lucian said calmly, looking straight into her eyes. Elena's eyes widened, and she felt her heart pounding hard against her chest. "What? Lucian, what was it you just said?" "Did I stutter? I want a divorce, Elena." He repeated it again. The moment those words left his mouth, Elena knew her life would never be the same again.