The Childless Sky

For the ninth time, my wife chose to have an abortion for the sake of her ailing first love. This time, I did not stop her.

Even when my grandfather flew into a fit of rage, his heart faltering as he called me a disgrace to the family, I stayed silent.

The truth was that I had already decided to divorce her.

In three days, I'd be leaving for Westmarch to begin my research. Until then, I have decided to grant her every wish.

If she wanted me to hand over a promotion so her first love could take the credit, I gave it up without hesitation.

If she wanted to bring him home to rest, I vacated the master bedroom on the spot.

She beamed with satisfaction, praising me for finally learning to be "sensible." She promised that once he recovered, she would give me a child of my own.

However, what she did not know was that there would be no next time.

For eight years of marriage, Hannah Larsen had ended eight pregnancies, chasing after some impossible dream of love.

Today marked our anniversary, and she breezed out the door, teasing me with promises of a surprise tonight.

I stumbled upon a pregnancy test tucked away in a drawer, and my heart soared, thinking we might finally have a baby on the way.

I had even brought Grandpa from the old family home, ready to celebrate.

However, instead of joy, I was blindsided by the ninth notice of a miscarriage from the hospital.

The shock hit Grandpa hard, triggering a heart attack right there and then.

I scrambled to get him to the hospital, my calls to Hannah disappearing into the void.

By the time I got back home, it was way past midnight.

The moment I opened the door, there was Hannah, dolled up in a skimpy skirt, snuggled up on the couch with Jack Freeman.

Jack gave me that smug look, like he owned the place.

I was about to lose it, but Hannah cut in, like nothing fazed her. "You know about the miscarriage, so let's skip the details.

"Jack's dying, and I can't just watch him leave this world with no one to carry on for him. I want to give him a child, so he's got no regrets."

Jack jumped in before I could even get a word in, oozing insincerity. "Marvin, I tried to say no to Hannah, but you know how close we are…"

Once upon a time, I would have decked him for that.

However, by now, I was just bone-weary, and all I could muster was a frosty question for Hannah.

"Why didn't you pick up when I called earlier? Don't you even care to ask about Grandpa?"

Hannah acted like I was the one out of line, her face hardening.

"I get that you're upset, but Jack's sick. What's with your attitude? Apologize to him, now!"

Jack, feigning concern, draped an arm around her shoulders as I kept quiet.

"There, there, Hannah. It's just a few words. I'm not bothered by it."

"At least you get it, unlike him, always stirring up trouble!"

With that, she led Jack away, but not before reminding me to clear out the master bedroom.

I sat on the sofa, feeling numb.

I could not forget how, right after we got married, Grandpa got into a car accident trying to calm down a fuming Hannah, which landed him in the ICU.

Hannah was a mess of tears, praying outside the surgery room.

She said she would trade years of her own life for Grandpa's safety.

When he pulled through, she clutched my hand, guilt written all over her face, promising to never let anything happen to him again.

However, the day Jack came back, everything changed.

No breeze stirred the room, yet my heart grew heavier by the minute.

I called my leader. "About that research support gig in Westmarch you mentioned, I'm in."

He picked up on my distress immediately. "What's going on, Marvin?"

"Grandpa's in the hospital. Before I head out, I want to make sure he gets top-notch care."

I left Hannah out of it, and my leader understood without a word. He sighed before hanging up. "I'm glad you're taking this well. I'll see to your Grandpa's care right away."

As I stared at the screen, waiting for the call to end, a text popped up.

[Marvin, Hannah's still upset. She's staying at the hospital tonight, won't be home.]

I had seen it coming, but Jack's smug update left me feeling all the more numb.

…

Come morning, Hannah was back.

She was still in yesterday's outfit, the neckline ripped open, revealing a few telltale bite marks.

Her eyes widened a fraction when she saw me, a flicker of guilt crossing her face as she spoke.

"Forget about last night, okay? When the baby comes, you'll be the one raising him. He'll call you 'godfather.' That's fair, isn't it?"

Inside, I was calm as the sea as I handed her the divorce papers I had prepped the night before.

"Please sign this."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than her phone erupted into life.

She scrambled for the call, and without a doubt, I knew who was on the line.

Hannah was all ears for that call.