Hills Like White Elephants

It was an irreversible decision to make. He was sitting there next to her, being supportive. It made her rethink things. If they kept it he might stay a little longer, but did she really want him to feel obligated? He could back out whenever he felt like it, but she was scarred for life. A baby might keep him interested and he’d hang around, still, how many times had she heard about couples rekindling their passion after a baby? She’d be fat and he’d regret sticking around. She’d had dreams about seeing the world and a baby would change that and postpone such dreams at least eighteen years, by then she might have forgotten how it felt like to be young and adventuress.

The mountains were fading away as the sun was setting. It had been a long day with endless discussions on how supportive he was regardless of what would be decided. None of that mattered. He knew it would never be his decision to make, and he just kept acting like it. It was her life. No matter what would happen the next day, it would change everything. But one thing was certain; a baby wouldn’t make him stay for the right reasons. He reached for her hand across the table, and she quietly made her decision to save her future as a traveler and adventurer.