"Facing the Truth"

"Ash, what's going on?" Gerald asked, his brow furrowed in concern as he looked at Ashley. She had suddenly become quiet, her eyes fixed on some point on the wall. Gerald followed her gaze, but there was nothing there. He turned back to her, his expression softening. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, getting up from the couch and sitting down beside her. Ashley took a deep breath, her eyes still fixed on the wall. "Gerald, if we're going to do this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "you need to get clean." Gerald's expression changed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her. He seemed to be searching for something, but Ashley couldn't tell what. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice neutral. Ashley turned to him, her eyes locked on his. "I know about your past, Gerald," she said, her voice gentle. "I know about the drinking, the parties. And I'm not judging you, but if we're going to be parents, you need to get your life together." Gerald's face went still, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and defensiveness. "So you're saying I'm not good enough?" he asked, his voice low and even. Ashley reached out, her hand touching his arm. "No, that's not what I'm saying," she said, her voice soft. "I'm saying that we need to be a team, that we need to be strong and healthy for our baby. And I love you, Gerald, but your drinking is a problem." Gerald looked at her, his eyes searching hers. For a moment, Ashley thought she saw a glimmer of understanding, but then his face hardened again. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice cold. "You don't know what it's like to be me." Ashley felt a pang of sadness as she looked at him. She knew that she was touching a nerve, but she also knew that she had to be honest with him. "Maybe I don't," she said, her voice gentle. "But I do know that I love you, and I want to help you. I want to help you get clean, to be the best version of yourself." Gerald looked at her, his eyes still hard. But Ashley could see the faintest glimmer of hope in them, a spark of understanding that she was trying to fan into a flame. "Why are you doing this, Ash?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Ashley took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Because I love you," she said, her voice soft. "And I want us to be happy, together. I want us to be a family."