Forever Strangers After Loving

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In one week, Im boarding a flight for a medical mission in the remote Rockies, and then Ill never have to see Victoria again. I found out about everything a month ago. Including the secret of the child growing inside her. Just now, she went to the restroom and handed me her phone to hold. The screen lit up with a message from her best friend: Hey, prenatal checkup today. Make sure your husband isn't with you. I scrolled up through the chat history and found something that hit me like a physical blow. Her friend had asked when she planned on telling her husband she was pregnant with some college kids baby. Victorias reply: I promised him one life, one love, just the two of us. If I break that promise, were over. For good. So she had decided never to tell me. To let the secret die with her. She even wrote that shed have the child call me Dad. Just then, Victoria returned. She guided my hand to my cane and cooed, "I was only gone for three minutes and I missed you like crazy." She didn't notice that my sight had returned weeks ago. She didn't see me watching her, really seeing her, from behind the dark lenses of my sunglasses.

1 I placed the phone back in her hand and urged her to go on home. I can handle submitting my resignation myself. You should head back. Victorias brow furrowed, ready to insist on staying with me. But then, a voice called out from across the hall. Vic! Fancy seeing you here. Did you get my text? A young man with an easy smile strolled over. Coming to the hospital, and you didnt bring Henry along to help? Victoria froze, a wave of panic washing over her face. She leaned in close to the newcomer and whispered harshly, Cant you see him standing right here? The guy, unfazed, simply waved a hand right in front of my face. Then he gave Victoria a playful nudge. Relax. Henry here wouldnt know a thing, no matter what you get up to. He grinned at me. A smart man knows when to let his woman be, right, Henry? I just nodded along. Go with your friend. You dont have to stay with me. With that, I turned and walked away. Victoria reached for my hand, but the young man, Liam, intercepted her, his expression a mask of feigned hurt. Vic, he whined, youre not going to leave me to go to the appointment for our baby all alone, are you? Her feet stopped moving. Her hand instinctively found his and squeezed it. Her voice, when she spoke, was syrupy sweet, a tone Id never heard her use before. Of course not, silly. When I submitted my resignation, the hospital director was overjoyed to hear my vision had recovered. But then he asked, again and again, if I was absolutely certain about the medical mission in the Rockies. It was a three-year commitment. I just gave him a firm, steady nod. Leaving the directors office, I walked past the ultrasound room. Through the crack in the door, I saw it all. Liam, his ear pressed gently against Victorias stomach, listening. And Victoria, her hand stroking his hair with a tenderness she once reserved for me. Liam planted a soft peck on her belly, and she let out a little gasp of a laugh. A nurse nearby reminded her to avoid any strenuous activity for the time being. Victoria nodded dutifully, but her friends, gathered around, couldnt contain their giggles. Oh, hows our boy here supposed to contain all his energy! one of them teased. Liam ducked his head, a shy smile on his face, and mumbled, Yeah, I mean, we were all over each other on your and your husbands bed just a few days ago. It was the first time I had ever seen Victoria blush like that. The others piled on. This is more like the Vic we know! Seriously, whats a blind man like Henry Anderson got to offer you anymore? Besides, even if he found out, what could he do? No one wants a blind man. Hed never leave you. The blush vanished from Victorias face, replaced by a dark, thunderous expression. Dont you dare let a word of this get back to him. Understand? she warned, her voice low and sharp. Her friends just waved her off dismissively. Yeah, yeah. You and Liam could do it right in front of his face every day and hed never know. Relax, Vic. Its fine. Just then, a nurse behind me called out. Dr. Anderson? You left this in the directors office. The chatter inside the ultrasound room died instantly. Victoria shot up from her seat, her eyes wide with panic as they darted toward me. Henry, she stammered, her voice trembling slightly, you you didnt hear anything just now, did you? A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but she didnt seem to notice that her hand was still intertwined with Liams. I just got here. Didnt hear a thing. She let out a breath she hadnt realized she was holding. Then, she quickly added, I was just here with my friend. For her and her husbands prenatal checkup. As she spoke, Liam hooked his pinky around hers, his eyes meeting mine over her shoulder with a look of pure provocation and contempt. I lowered my head. Im heading home. You guys carry on. I wont disturb you. I turned and walked away, my pace quickening until it felt like I was running. Once in my car, I stared out at the blur of traffic, a knot tightening in my chest. A bitter sting pricked my eyes, and my vision blurred for a different reason now. Even though I had already made my decision to leave, the pain was a physical, crushing weight. Before the accident, my eyes were fine. I once had a patient, a man who had gone blind. His family treated him like a burden, and the woman he loved left him without a second thought. I remember telling Victoria about it, and shed said with such conviction, That kind of woman is just trash. She swore that even if the world ended, she would love me until her last breath. And now, here we were, at a fork in the road. And I was choosing my path first. Back home, I collapsed onto the floor, the stark white light of the ceiling fixture stabbing at my newly healed eyes. I met Victoria in a university club. She was the campus queenperfect grades, scholarships piling up. I fell for her the moment I saw her. She was gentle even in her rejections. Every day, Id stand under her dorm window like a fool, bringing her breakfast Id made myself, even as she politely turned me down. Until the day one of the guys shed rejected came at her with a knife. I stepped in front of her. And that was how I lost my sight. My future, shattered. The surgeon I was meant to be became a psychologist. In that chaotic moment, she had pressed her trembling hands to my bleeding eyes, her voice choked with tears. Henry, Ill be your girlfriend, just please, dont scare me like this. And so we were together. She was relentless in my recovery, massaging my eyes every day, buying the best medical equipment. She promised to be my eyes. The sound of the lock turning snapped me back to the present. Victoria stepped inside. Seeing me sitting there in the dark, she chided gently, Why are you still up? Its so bad for your eyes. I didnt answer. She must have sensed the shift in my mood. She came closer, leaning in to kiss my eyes as she always did. But my gaze fell on the mans jacket draped over her shoulders, and a wave of revulsion washed over me. I flinched away, pushing her back. A look of stunned surprise crossed her face. The timing of my recovery had been a cruel twist of fate. A month ago, I woke in the middle of the night to a sharp, stabbing pain in my eyes. I blinked them open, and to my astonishment, I could see. The world rushed back in blurry shapes, then sharpened into focus. I turned my head, ecstatic, ready to wake Victoria and share the miracle. But I saw a third person in our bed. Liam and Victoria, tangled together right beside me. At the height of their passion, I heard her whisper, Keep it down youll wake him. I choked back a sob, clamping my hand over my mouth to stifle the sound. I didnt sleep a wink that night. The next day, I applied for the medical mission in the Rockies. Henry, dont scare me like this. Victorias voice was laced with a genuine, painful confusion. I brought myself back to the present, closing my eyes. Im just tired. Thats all. But her mind was already racing, connecting dots I hadnt intended for her to see. Henry, this morning at the hospital, I swear I was just there with my friend for her checkup. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. Her voice trembled. Henry, I love you, as God is my witness. If I didnt have you, I dont know who would ever love me. That night, she clung to me as she slept, her arm a dead weight across my chest. She never let go, as if she was terrified Id vanish by morning. The next day, she prepared a huge breakfast, a feast laid out just for me. She watched with hopeful eyes as I sat down to eat. It was the middle of summer, but she was wearing a turtleneck. If I hadnt seen the dark, angry love bites on her neck the night I regained my sight, I might have asked her if she was feeling sick. She noticed my gaze and looked away. I think Im coming down with a cold. My stomach churned. I forced down a few bites before putting my fork down. Victoria watched me with a worried expression, then suggested we go on a date. This time, she didnt grab my cane. She led me by the hand straight to the car. As I settled into the passenger seat, my eyes landed on a pair of mens briefs lying on the floor mat. Victorias face went pale. She snatched them up, folded them neatly, and stuffed them into her pocket. She drove us to an orphanage on the outskirts of the city. She seemed to know the place well, pulling me by the hand toward a group of children playing in the yard. She passed out candy, encouraging the kids to come and talk to me, to cheer me up. Their laughter was a balm, and for a while, the knot of tension in my shoulders began to ease. Victoria watched me the entire time, rushing to my side if I stumbled while playing with the kids, her hands hovering, ready to catch me. When she finally saw a genuine smile on my face, she visibly relaxed. Then, when the moment felt right, she approached me, her voice soft and gentle. Henry, youve always wanted a child, havent you? I have some wonderful news. Im pregnant! As if on cue, Liam appeared, walking slowly toward us. Victoria pulled the folded briefs from her pocket and discreetly passed them to him. He gave her a knowing look. Then, she took my hand and placed it on her flat stomach. This is my friends husband, she explained smoothly. Hes been a great help to her during her pregnancy. Since itll be harder for me to take care of you now, I was thinking maybe he could move in with us for a while? To help you out? The joy Id felt playing with the children evaporated. A chill spread through my veins. My voice was colder than I had ever heard it. Are you sure its my child? Rage, hot and blinding, surged through me. Help me? Or help them carry on their affair under my own roof? Make me a father to her lovers child? I wasnt interested. My question made Victoria flinch. Henry, what are you saying? Thats not a funny joke. The rage boiled over. In a single, fluid motion, I spun around and drove my fist into Liams jaw. He crumpled to the ground. The next thing I knew, Victoria was screaming at me. Henry Anderson, youve gone too far this time! It was the first time shed ever used my full name. The first time shed ever raised her voice to me in anger. I let out a bitter laugh, playing right into Liams hands. So what if I have? For a second, her hand rose, ready to slap me. But it hung there, trembling in the air, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she lowered it, her jaw tight. Im taking Liam to get some ice for his face, she said, her voice strained. You can find your own way home. She helped Liam to his feet and wrapped her arm around his, leading him away without a backward glance. After she left, the sky opened up. A cold, driving rain began to fall. It seemed she had forgotten she hadnt brought my cane. She had forgotten what it was like for a blind man to be abandoned in an unfamiliar place, with no one to guide him. But I wasnt blind anymore. I walked over to a nearby trash can, pulled the dark glasses from my face, and dropped them inside. With my own eyes, clear and sharp, I looked down the road and walked out of that place for good. In the final days before my flight to the Rockies, Victoria was rarely home. When she was, a message would pop up on her phone, and she would leave in a hurry. Believing I couldnt see, she made no effort to hide the screen. Thats how I discovered her second account, a private one she used to message only one person: Liam. Three days before I left, Liam posted a picture of an ultrasound on his social media. Friends commented on how much the baby already looked like Victoria. That day, I took everything Victoria had ever bought me on our dates and donated it to the orphanage. Two days to go. Victorias private account posted a photo of a heart-shaped breakfast shed made for Liam. I listed the wedding suit shed bought me on a second-hand website. The final day. Liam used Victorias main account to post a picture of her sleeping peacefully. The comments were flooded with congratulations. My flight was boarding soon. I picked up my suitcase, ready to walk out the door. And then she appeared. She stood in the doorway, phone in hand, her eyes red and swollen. Henry, she demanded, her voice shaking with rage, why is your name on the list for the Rockies medical mission?! Her words barely registered. Of course. As the Head of Surgery, she would have to approve the list of volunteers. Her agitation was a stark contrast to my own profound calm. I wanted to go, so I went. Whats the problem? The problem? Its a three-year post, Henry! Three years! Not three hours, not three minutes! If youre not here, what am I supposed to do all by myself? she shrieked, all composure gone. I gave a small, careless shrug. Oh, but youre not alone. You have Liam. And, of course, your baby.