A World Seen Through Shattered Glass

This story is about a young couple who are having a tough time adjusting to the responsibilities of pregnancy.

 

A world seen through shattered glass.

 

 

I open my eyes to a world of shattered glass. The shriek of metal upon asphalt penetrates my ears.  I can’t think, can’t move, only feel as serrated glass slices into my hands and face. Pain sears through every muscle, every fiber of my body as if someone injected hot wax into my veins. Tears stream down my face and I cry out, but I can hear nothing over the agonizing scream of the car sliding along the pavement.

 

          Come on Jake let’s go!

Just one second baby.

We don’t have a second, we need to go now! You know my appointment is in thirty minutes and I can’t be late….

-No Response-

JAKE! Isn’t this baby more important than this stupid football game? God I swear sometimes I don’t even know why I bother!

I’m coming I’m coming. Damn you act like it’s the end of the world if you don’t make this appointment. It’s only to see what the gender of the baby is. Personally I’d rather wait until it’s born but noooo, you have to know now. Always have to be in control of everything.

Well maybe if you’d actually be a man and do your job as a man I wouldn’t have to fill in your shoes.

Alright, you’re stepping too far now.

Why not? It’s about time I said something, it’s not like you’re ever gonnna change if I don’t.

That’s it, I’m leaving.

Fine, we see what’s most important to you.

 

          Teresa, why couldn’t I have realized before now how much I really loved you? I was so stupid. I knew how important that baby is to you and well it’s important to me as well, but I was afraid. Afraid of the resposibility, afraid that I wouldn’t be a good father. I didn’t know how to explain it, so I acted out. All in fear, never meaning to hurt you. But I did. And now, I don’t see how you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I guess it’s what I deserve. I look down into my hand, remembering  what was there only moments before. A smile crosses my lips even though the pain is so great. Screeeeech! And crash….

 

Ok, where are those pants. I know he said he was wearing them today, now just where did he put them? Ahh there they are.I bring the newly folded piece of paper to my lips and kiss it before placing it into the back pocket of his pants.

Whaaaaat are you doing?

Oh, nothing just walking around.

Shouldn’t you be getting ready. You know your appointment is today.

I know. I’m heading to the shower now. Finish getting ready ok sweety?

Yeah sure, just let me check the scores on the game first.

 

          I storm upstairs, grab the pants off the end of my bed , grab the keys off the dresser and head out the door. At that point, I didn’t care if she was crying I was so pissed I just had to get away. Getting into the car I speed well past the speed limit, trying to get away as fast as I could. She had no right getting blowing up like that, I mean, it’s only the gender of the baby it’s not that effin important. She’s not having the damn thing so I don’t see why she’s getting all offensive about all of it. It must be the hormones. Damn if I have to go through this crap I don’t think I want another one. This is just too much of a hassle. By now I’m out of the city and out on an old country road. I’ve been driving a while and it’s turning dusk. I move around in my seat to better situate myself, when I hear a crumpling sound in the seat. What the hell? I lift off the seat, reach into my back pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper. My god, not another one of her damn notes. Ugh she’s always doing that, and it’s really starting to get on my nerves. Instead of opening it, I crumple it up in my hand. My cell phone rings…

 

       As soon as Jake slammed the door, I melted to the floor because I knew that It was over. I knew he wasn’t ready for a baby but I never objected. Even when we found out I was pregnant, the shock and uncertainty in his face was all I needed to see to let me know he wasn’t ready. I pick up my cell phone and try to call, no answer. I call again, no answer. He’s still angry, if he doesn’t answer this time I’m just leaving a message. Rinnnnnnng.

       Hello?

       What?

       Can we talk?

       No, I don’t want to talk right now. I’m highly pissed at you.

       I only want to know one question.

       What?

       Do you really want this baby?

       Click…

 

            The screaching has come to an end and now, everything is quiet. I must be getting close to dying now. I’m so sorry Teresa, I never should have treated you that way. Now I’m paying the price. I’ll never see our baby grow up. Never be able to share in that experience. Oh how I wish I could have seen everything through these eyes. I would never have done what I did. Oh Teresa, I have so many things I want to tell you but now I can’t. That’s justice I guess. God I love you so much! This is when I remember the crumpled up paper in my hand. With much difficulty, I open my hand and unravel the crinkled paper and writing in her big beautiful handwriting I read…

                            I love you and I know you’re

 going to be a great father.

And our baby is going to

Love you too.

              -Teresa.

       A single tear streams down my face and drops onto the paper, smearing a few of the words. Wanting to hold on to this piece of her forever, I close my hand over the paper as my vision begins to blur and the ringing in my head begins to start….I love..you….Teres…Darkness.

 

       Turning on the tv the next morning I didn’t expect to see what was on the news. Reportedly, two cars were in a car wreck about a hundred miles out of town. On closely resembled Jake’s car but it was hard to tell because the damage was so great. But…it did look like his car. No, Teresa don’t think like that, he’s fine and he’s gonna be back and your going to live peacefully with your family. At that moment a knock on the door takes me from my thoughts. I open the door and standing in front of me are two sherriffs.

       Are you Mrs. Reynolds?

       I am.

       The wife of Jake Reynolds?

       Yes officer what is going on?

Well I’m sorry maam, but your husband died in a car crash late last night. Umm, this was found clutched in his hand, we thought you might want it.

       Gone. Dead. I couldn’t grasp the idea, until the officer handed me a crumpled piece of paper. I automatically began crying, horrible body rattling sobs that I felt deep within my soul. It was the very same note I placed in Jake’s pocket the hour before he left. Oh I love you Jale! And it was at that moment something happened that had never happened before. Our baby kicked.

Author's Note

So tell me what you think. Does the story flow or does it seem to get shady in some areas? I'm open to any kind of review/opinion that you have, I can take criticism.

Reviews

[Valette]

The story is great. You have a very captivating set of characters in a very turbulant time in their lives, and you do a great job at keeping the story moving.
However, I did not care much for the font size changes. I was literally skipping around between paragraphs, and with two threads in the story, it got a bit tangled while I was reading. It felt a lot like reading a magazine- and a magazine is not something you really read left-to-right, front-to-back.
To discern between charactrs and their emotions is better left to personality quirks and other tells, and not the font. For example, how a pregnant woman will rest her hand on her 'baby bump' when she hears bad news, in an unconcious gesture to protect the fetus.
Also, quotation marks clearly mark when someone is speaking; I think it might be better to use them in character interactions to avoid confusion. Itallics are a good way to descern thoughts or emphisize a word from the narrative.