The Moment of Truth

"Babe, I need to talk to you about something," Ashley said, looking at Gerald with a mix of nervousness and trepidation. But just as she was about to continue, their waiter appeared with their food, interrupting her. "Alright, folks! Here's your carbonara and burger. Enjoy!" the waiter said with a smile, setting the plates down in front of them. Ashley let out a sigh of relief, feeling like she'd just dodged a bullet. She picked up her fork and began to twirl the spaghetti, trying to appear nonchalant. Gerald, however, seemed oblivious to the tension that had just been broken. He dug into his burger, taking a big bite and closing his eyes in appreciation. "Mmm, this is so good," he said, his mouth full. Ashley watched him, feeling a pang of anxiety. She knew she couldn't put off the conversation any longer. A few minutes passed, and Gerald looked up at her, noticing that she was just picking at her food. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Ashley took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "What did you want to talk about?" Gerald asked, his eyes locked onto hers. Ashley looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "Would you want kids with me?" Gerald's expression changed, and he set his burger down on his plate. "Not now, no," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. Ashley felt a lump form in her throat, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, her voice trembling. She glanced up at Gerald, gauging his reaction. His eyes widened in surprise, and he looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Ashley's heart sank, hoping that the conversation wouldn't blow up in the middle of the restaurant. She just wanted to get through this, to process whatever was going to happen next. But as she looked at Gerald, she knew that their lives were about to change forever.