Paul,

I’m writing you a letter because you won’t be back from your trip in time for me to tell you. I know when you left we agreed to take a break and focus on ourselves. But this supersedes that agreement.

I’m pregnant. I found out two months after you had left. It must have happened during our final goodbye. You’re gone for a whole year. So our child will be a few months old when you meet them. But that’s okay, I’ll show them pictures of you and talk about you all the time.

It’s rather ironic, the reason we needed to take a break and think about things was because I wasn’t sure I was ready for children anytime soon. And here we are.

I am nervous, especially since I’m alone. I haven’t told my parents yet. I hope they’ll be willing to help so I can still go to college. I really want to be a nurse as you know.

Anyway I hope if you have access to a phone there you will call me when you get this. I know you’ll be shocked but also so happy. I know how much you want to be a father. If you can’t call letters will suffice until you return.

Love always,

Molly

Molly put the letter in her mailbox and pulled the flag up as soon as she’d finished writing it. Paul was in Africa on a mission trip with the church. As a doctor he was helping with health care. Even before they’d agreed to a break they knew they wouldn’t have much correspondence while he was gone. She hated that their last conversation was so heated and negative. She loved him, and she knew he loved her. They’d been together for two years. The age gap had caused a few problems during their relationship the main one being, children.

Molly was only 21, she didn’t feel ready to be a mother. She still has college to get through and she wanted to travel and settle into her career before becoming a mom.

Paul was 38, he felt like if he waited for her to be ready he would be too old. So they’d ended up agreeing they should use the year he was away to decide if they wanted to stay together and find a compromise, or go their separate ways. Now it felt like fate had decided for them to stay together and be parents.

Days, weeks then months went by and Molly had not heard from Paul. Why hadn’t he responded? She sent him a second letter asking simply why he hadn’t responded to the first a month later. He didn’t respond to that one either. So she wrote a letter to Daisy, a mutual friend of theirs. Daisy was on the same trip and would be able to tell her if Paul was alright.

Daisy’s letter arrived when Molly was five months pregnant.

Molly,

Patrick is here. He is fine. Everything is going really well. He has received a few letters from you. He told me you both had agreed not to communicate during this year. I’m sorry but that is all he said.

Daisy

Molly couldn’t believe it. The man she loved was ignoring the fact they had a child coming. She’d never have believed he could do this. She curled into a ball and cried.

Molly talked with her parents, she would need their help more than ever. They were disappointed in her, and especially Paul. They were shocked he had abandoned her. They had been wary of him at first since he was so much older, but they grew to love him for the way he cared for their daughter.

Her mom was with her through everything. She was there in the delivery room. She helped in the middle of the night when Sophie was crying and Molly was exhausted. Molly didn’t try to contact Paul again.

10 months after the letter

Paul

Paul grabbed his and Daisy’s bags from the over head compartment above their seats. He was ready to be off this plane and walking. He was ready to be home.

“I’m starving!” Daisy said. “Let’s go to dinner before we head home.” She grabbed his arm walking next to him as they left the plane.

“Alright, something quick though. I’m ready for a real bed after a year on a cot.”

Daisy laughed, “I was thinking Rosa’s, they’re quick but have really good food.”

Paul agreed reluctantly. He and Molly had went to Rosa’s all the time. It was her favorite restaurant. He’d expected to hear from her while he was gone, even though they’d agreed not to communicate. He thought once emotions cooled she’d miss him and want to talk. He’d sent her a few letters, but when he got no response he left her alone.

Daisy had been there for him. He’d told her what was going on and how much he missed Molly. He’d cried on her shoulder and she’d consoled him. She knew them both, and was a good listener. She’d eventually told him she had always thought Molly was a little to immature for him. That she needed to have her freedom and independence, and he should let her.

One night he and Daisy had too much to drink and they’d ended up sleeping together. He’d felt guilty. Though they’d agreed not to talk, they had said they wouldn’t pursue anything else either until he got back and they reconnected. When he told Daisy it couldn’t happen again and why she’d told him she’d respect his wishes, but maybe he should write a letter to Molly and ask if she still wanted to be with him or had already decided things were over. He wrote the letter and waited a few months, no response. After that things began to progress with Daisy. And now Daisy was his pregnant fiancé.

He’d been happy about that. Now being home, walking into Molly’s favorite restaurant he had doubts about Daisy and their future. Molly was the love of his life. And while he liked Daisy and was attracted to her, she didn’t make him feel the same way Molly had.

They were seated and ordered quickly. While they were waiting on their food Daisy gasped and grabbed his hand, “oh my god, Molly is here!”

He turned and looked in the direction Daisy was staring and he saw her. She was so beautiful. She’d cut her hair, and gained a little bit of weight. While he stared at her she smiled and reached her arms out, that’s when he noticed her mom holding a baby who she now passed to Molly.

He got up and walked toward them, “Molly.” He said softly, when she didn’t look up he called her name louder. She turned and saw him. The color fled from her cheeks.

“Paul, you’re back.” Her eyes were angry, her tone flat.

“Yes, I just landed. Who’s baby is that?”

“That’s funny Paul. I wrote you about her multiple time. She’s our baby. The baby you apparently didn’t want.”

The shock rocked through him. He reached out to hold onto a chair to steady himself. “What letters? I have a child? We have a child? I didn’t know. I never got a letter!”

“Is that Daisy? Ask her, I wrote her and she actually responded. She said you got my letters but didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Daisy? What? I wrote you, but you never wrote me. I never got a letter! I would have responded, I would have come home if I knew. You have to believe I would never leave you, let alone our child.”

“I don’t know what to believe, Paul. Is this what it looks like are you with Daisy?”

He turned to look at Daisy and she was gone.